CLEVELAND, Ohio – The majority of his songs are laid-back love letters to family and friends, but country music’s most prominent artist, Kane Brown, showed his rock side when his “Blessed” tour & Free “was performed last night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.
Dressed in a Nahmias trucker hat, a chunky jacket hiding a Whitney Houston sweater and ripped jeans, Kane made his entrance by standing behind a video screen and seemingly standing on top of the world. It was then taken down on stage to the delight of the boisterous and fiery audience.
Early highlights included a catchy version of “Pull it Off”, which was taken from Brown’s self-titled debut album in 2016, as well as the lively “Short Skirt Weather”.
He noted that the latter – from his second effort of 2018 “Experiment,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 – was a song he hoped to release as a single, but these days it’s a success on the karaoke circuit, which was confirmed by the number of fans who sang with the album cut.
Brown is currently one of Nashville’s biggest stars with two No.1 albums and nine Top 10 singles. Not only is he the first black artist to win the Academy of Country Music Award for Video of the Year , but Time magazine put him on its latest list of the 100 most influential people.
A black artist in a genre dominated by white people, Brown took a moment for what he called story time to talk about his difficult upbringing.
“I’m not in politics,” Brown said. “I am biracial and grew up knowing no race.”
He then spoke of being physically assaulted by a stepfather after wetting the bed at the age of 6. Finally, the singer was taken in by his “Nana”, who inspired him.
“I grew up poor but it doesn’t matter where you are from,” Brown said. “If you have a dream, you can do whatever you want. “
This led to the tender track “Learning”, which included a rap which, let’s just say, is not necessarily its strong point.
After a few a cappella lines of Blake Shelton’s “Ol ‘Red”, Brown decided to relive his college days – with his young audiences – by also performing his winning cover of his eighth-grade talent show of “Crank That” by Soulja Boy. like “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King and “Hot Girl Bummer” by Blackbear.
While Brown isn’t the first country artist to incorporate non-Music City sounds and styles into his music, he’s certainly one of the best at adding hip-hop vibes with a modern pop twist.
This was the case with his popular hit “Memory,” which, again, featured rap that in retrospect seems to be inhibited by his country baritone voice which depending on the song – and when needed – can vibrate with the songs. best of them.
For Addy Sparrow, a fourth-grader from Bath Township, Brown marked her first gig. She spent the entire show singing every song word for word.
“I love to dance to his music,” said Sparrow, who was one of the few kids to stay outside after bedtime to enjoy their favorite singer.
Brown’s “Blessed & Free” getaway is touring NBA arenas. By the way, earlier today, he visited a boys and girls club on Broadway Avenue Cleveland to announce a donation to renovate the site’s basketball court.
At the event, he was joined by the mascots of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Sir CC and Moondog. Apparently, they’re now buddies with Brown, who released them – along with openers Jordan Davis and Restless Road – for a very rocky “Famous Friends”, which was originally recorded with Chris Young.
The fun moment even included Brown with a t-shirt gun in hand sending memories deep within the cavernous arena.
Brown’s universal appeal and style was his collaboration with Marshmello’s “One Thing Right,” a bass-heavy club track presented with an alternative rock approach.
After literally and figuratively taking his audience to “Heaven” and performing “What Ifs,” Kane brought to an end what was one of those rare times when a top performer broke the hype while leaving his audience want more.
After the Restless Road openers showed off their tight harmonies – including what has now become de rigueur at every country music concert, an ’80s cover (“Pour Some Sugar on Me by Def Leppard”) – the very hot Jordan Davis followed with a catchy voice. set filled with tracks # 1 “Slow Dance In A Parking Lot”, “Singles You Up” and “Take It From Me”.
One of the biggest responses came from Davis’ current single “Buy Dirt,” which should likely qualify the singer for a real estate license given his promotion to ground himself with faith, family and friends at the spirit.
A fun highlight of his set was a seamless blend of “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” by Tom Petty and “Levitating” by Dua Lipa. Davis has definitely made a point that he’s ready for headlining status. Don’t be surprised if he returns sooner rather than later to head a Blossom Music Center show.
