“I told y’all it would get rowdy, but I didn’t say how rowdy!”
That’s how Brantley Gilbert opened up his set following a performance from country music duo, Love and Theft. Stephen Barker Liles and Eric Gunderson kicked off Tim McGraw’s “Two Lanes of Freedom Tour” at Cruzan Amphitheater in West Palm Beach this past Friday. The pair played songs like “Running Out of Air,” “Girls Love To Shake It,” and “Angel Eyes,” which became the bands first number one single in 2011 and has been certified gold. The vocal duo even paid tribute to the late Johnny Cash with a contemporary rendition of “Folsom Prison Blues.” Love and Theft are currently nominees for CMT’s Duo Video of the Year Award, to be held June 5 in Nashville.
Brantley Gilbert brought some southern flair to South Florida with “My Kinda Party,” a song originally written and recorded on his 2009 album Modern Day Prodigal Son. Gilbert also performed the country rap song “Dirt Road Anthem” co-written by Colt Ford and himself. Jason Aldean covered the song for his 2010 album My Kinda Party but fans loved Gilbert’s high energy version. Other highlights included, “Read Me My Rights,” “Country Must Be Country Wide,” and “Kick it in the Sticks,” before Gilbert set the stage for headliner Tim McGraw.
Country superstar Tim McGraw set fans in a fury with his unexpected entrance! McGraw walked on stage from the middle of the amphitheater wearing his signature big black cowboy hat. His hat, jeans, and sleeveless shirt were the perfect supplements to his down home hits including, “Where the Green Grass Grows,” “Down on the Farm,” and “She’s My Kind of Rain.” In between his set, McGraw briefly mentioned that proceeds from ticket sales would benefit Operation HomeFront, a nationwide program which awards mortgage-free homes to wounded soldiers and service members.
Overall, he incorporated a great mix of old favorites, appealing to the older crowd, and new hits for the younger generation. One song in particular brought everyone to their feet—“Live Like You Were Dying” — had the crowd up on their feet singing along to every word. McGraw even sang a playful rendition of “Felt Good On My Lips” with Miami’s own Pitbull projected on the monitor behind him.
Tim McGraw, Love and Theft, and Brantley Gilbert gave the crowd an evening they’re not likely to forget. From the tailgate parties in the parking lot to the award winning songs, fans left West Palm Beach exhilarated by the night’s great music!
The tour continues on to Pennsylvania later this month, followed by Missouri and Illinois.