Nate Smith promotional photo courtesy of The Pageant. All other photos below by Paul Liggett.
It doesn’t get much better than great country music at a quaint venue like the Pageant theater. Saturday night, the Country Rock and Roll tour featuring artists Brandon Wisham, Josh Ross, and Nate Smith did not disappoint! Fans lined up hours in advance to get the best spots on the floor, although there isn’t a bad spot in the house.
The night started with up-and-coming country star Brandon Wisham, who opened the show with two songs he wrote himself, “She’s Good” and “Sad Songs,” which he wrote for headliner, Nate Smith. Nate convinced him to sing “Sad Songs” live for the first time at the Pageant show, and it was a treat for fans! Transitioning the energy of the night from relaxed and laid back, Wisham had the entire crowd singing along as he sang a medley of hits like “When it Rains it Pours” by Luke Combs and “Baby” by Justin Bieber. Wisham is an artist to keep an eye on; he’s sure to be a huge country star.
What began as a chill opening set quickly transformed into an electrifying evening as the second performer, Josh Ross, stormed the stage with nonstop energy. Ross had the fans on their feet right out of the gate with his smash hits “Hate How You Look” and “Red Flags.” Ross went on to thrill the crowd with some new music, “Bar and Back,” that was released just a month ago, but the crowd sang along as though it had been released decades ago.
The headliner, Nate Smith, was electrifying and wildly interactive. He began wowing the crowd with his hits “After Midnight” and “Nobody Likes Your Girlfriend” before immersing himself into the crowd singing “Whiskey on You.” Smith roamed through the crowd, turning the entire venue into his stage. Even the upper seating area at the Pageant has amazing views, but fans were thrilled when Smith brought the show to the top of the house with his interactive performance.
This was the kind of concert that fans will be talking about for months after the tour moves on. It was a night of spectacular country music that truly lived up to the hype! | Paul Liggett
