I was originally planning on seeing John Michael on June 4th, however he had to cancel due to a medical reason, and rescheduled his show for November 5th. It was a long wait, but well worth it.
Opening the show was a local group named The Shannon Rider Band. They started with a bluesy intro to "Blue Moon of Kentucky," and then kicked it up a notch to finish the song. The group consists of Shannon Rider plus her band, which are all male members. All very talented musicians and singers. The drummer took a turn at singing a few songs, but most of the songs are sung by Shannon. They were very enjoyable to listen to and watch, and really got everyone going for John Michael's show. They closed with a spirited version of "The Devil Went Down To Georgia," which showcased the band's talented fiddler. They played approximately 45 minutes.
There was about a 25 minute intermission where the band hauled off their gear, and the stage crew set up the stage for John Michael's show.
John Michael hit the stage with one of his older songs, "Life's a Dance." He informed us that he would be playing songs that he's recorded over the last 12 years. Some old stuff and some newer stuff too.
John Michael didn't talk too much, and he didn't run all over the stage, but he did move about, and told some stories from time to time. He mentioned before one song that he had tried to get his record label to release the song as a single, but they didn't want to do it. He said that the radio stations helped out by playing the song every "Friday at 5:00 pm." Of course, that's the name of the song; "Friday at Five."
Most people probably remember John Michael most for the ballads that he sings, like "I Can Love You Like That," and "I Swear," and "I Love The Way You Love Me," but John Michael has some great upbeat tunes like "Kick It Up," "Beer and Bones," "Sold! (The Grundy County Auction)," and "Be My Baby Tonight," all of which he performed that night.
There was a portion of the show where John Michael brought out a stool and told of a very special song he first heard in 1999, and it caught his attention especially because his own daughter was 3-years-old at the time. He went on to sing "The Little Girl." Removing the stool, John Michael then said that when you get a song that is as powerful as "The Little Girl" was, you don't think you'll ever get another song. But then came another song that just blew him away, and he had to record it. That song was "Letters From Home."
John Michael ended his show with the upbeat "Sold! (The Grundy County Auction)" but returned for an encore afterwards. He told us about his many musicial influences growing up. He said he listened not only to country, but to rock and blues, and Southern Rock. He ended with two Southern Rock songs. The first "Can't You See," and then finally "Sweet Home Alabama." During these last two songs, John Michael really got into the music, playing solos on guitar. I never realized he was that accomplished a guitar player. I wouldn't say he's Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, or Vince Gill, but he's very good, and I was mesmerized from my 2nd row table to watch the intensity with which he played.
I'm so glad I finally got to see John Michael in concert. His show lasted around an hour and 15 minutes, so it wasn't the longest show I've been to. But every song was truly enjoyable, and I knew the words to every one. The nearly sold-out audience surely agreed with me, and showed their appreciation with thunderous applause at the end of the show.
Below is the full set list for the night.
- Life's a Dance
- If You Got Love
- Beer and Bones
- Rope the Moon
- I Love The Way You Love Me
- I Swear
- Friday at Five
- Cowboy Love
- Kick It Up
- I Can Love You Like That
- Be My Baby Tonight
- Little Girl
- Letters From Home
- Sold! (The Grundy County Auction)
-
Encore
- Can't You See
- Sweet Home Alabama
