July is typically a really hot month and one might expect to get a little warm sitting outside in the blaring sun watching a concert. Warm was an understatement, it was hotter than the dickens. Just sitting outside in the shade made you sweat. Lucky for us all, the amphitheater sits on a hillside overlooking a small marina but was perfectly nestled into a shaded area. This was looking good! I had been worried about sitting out in the sun for so long on one of the hottest days of the year. I didn't expect to be so completely engulfed in the show that I forgot how hot and miserable it was really was. But that's exactly what happened when I traveled to Huron, Ohio to review Hot Apple Pie's show. With humidity levels matching the 90+ temperatures it was gonna be hot and there was no way around it.
Last years crowd level reached 2,000 and from my view I'm sure they exceeded those numbers this year. It was a rather relaxed looking crowd though. Families spread out on blankets full of kids, grandparents, lawn chairs and yes, even the family hound dog chewin' on a chicken bone. Food vendors surrounding the site made sure the air was filled with the aroma of that sandwich or snack that you know you shouldn't have but do anyway. There was even one vendor that had cabbage and noodles. A curious Brady Seals wasn't sure what that was exactly but wanted to go, "Have me some" after the show.
After a local band competition had ended and the winner had been announced, Hot Apple Pie took the stage at 8:30 PM. They began the show with a few cuts off their self-titled CD, "Should've Seen Her Leavin' Comin'," "Everybody Wants To Dance With My Baby," and "We're Makin' Up." The crowd was already becoming not so relaxed and when they performed, "Slowin' Down the Fall" from this moment on it was apparent we were in for one heck of a show. Brady apologized for his duet partner, the legendary Willie Nelson not being able to accompany him on it like he did on the CD. He also introduced this song as one that if you liked the hard core traditional sounding country, you were gonna love it. And love it we did rewarding the guys with a standing ovation at the end. That was last time I saw anyone sitting. After ripping our hearts out with this tear-jerker, they jumped right into a little country funk by performing Jerry Reed's, "Amos Moses." The Pie was beginning to bake!
Continuing on with another ballad, "Why Can't I Get To You," and then giving us, "Redneck Revolution," which included a little taste of Hank Jr.'s, "Country Boy Can Survive," Brady turned the microphone over to a smokin hot guitar player by the name of Bryan Nutter. We heard Bad Company's classic, "Movin' On." Just to tweak the ingredients of the show, we were treated to Bob Marley's, "Stir It Up" and a Funk filled song called, "Shakey Ground." They slowed it down one final time to play one of my favorites from their CD, "Easy Does It." This song is musically and lyrically seductive as it tells the tale of a man who is just on the verge of being tempted by a beautiful girl, to move on from a heartache he doesn't really want to let go of.
Jumping back and forth from vocals, guitar and keyboards, Brady Seals also delivers one heck of harmonica solo during the bluegrassey song, "The Shape I'm In." This song also really showcases the bands tight harmonies.
Having teased the audience all night long with little rifts from the band's first hit, "Hillbillies," the tease was over as we finally get to hear it. Brady was golden brown on top as he worked the entire audience and Keith Horne, the bass player gave us some funky bass grooves. I can't forget to mention Trey Landry the bands drummer who was also smokin' hot that night. If the boats at the marina weren't tied down, they were gonna be making some waves. This song brought the house down. The band left the stage afterwards and when the audience begged for their return, they came back for two more songs, "The Weight," and "You Got Me Rockin'."
Hot Apple Pie was on fire that night and I was so pleased for them to have such a receptive audience. I think we all forgot how hot the weather was for the entire two hours the band played. I had a chance to ask Brady afterwards about a new album and he told me next year sometime, with a new single possibly in November.
Catch this band if you can! It's a big heaping helping of desert that you won't soon forget.
Set List:
- Hello Again
- Should've Seen Her Leavin' Comin'
- Everybody Wants To Dance With My Baby
- Hillbilly Highway
- We're Makin' Up
- Slowin' Down the Fall
- Amos Moses
- Why Can't I Get To You
- Redneck Revolution
- Movin' On
- The Good Life
- Stir It Up
- Shakey Ground
- Easy Does It
- What I Like
- The Shape I'm In
- Hillbillies
-
Encore:
- The Weight
- You Got Me Rockin'
