Music

Tony’s 10 Takeaways from an evening with Zach Bryan

I ended my concert drought.

By my count, I’ve seen over three hundred live music events. My last concert was a year ago in a cornfield. If that last sentence doesn’t scream Midwest, I don’t know what does.

For every arena show, I was familiar with the act based on what songs I heard over broadcast radio stations. Well, the last two days an artist who has released over one hundred studio tracks, with only two songs on mainstream radio just sold out the CHI arena in Omaha on back-to-back nights. 35,000 fans for one unbelievable artist.

For many reasons, this show hit different. Let me count the ways.

1. Zach Bryan and crew entered the stage “Bud Crawford” style – walking up to the stage with his band through the crowd as if to say we are one of you. He doesn’t pop up from a trap door or have an exotic opening gimmick. It’s as if he walked into your backyard party.
2. Speaking of which, the rope lights around the stage and with four main microphone settings to cater to every fan, it felt like a backyard party. Or, at the very least, a smaller venue.
3. I was wrong. I hate typing that. I had a visual image of what a Zach Bryan concert would attract in terms of demographics. I mistakenly assumed it would be dudes like me in for rowdy Americana with Attitude Anthems from a military guy. It wasn’t. Largely younger and female. It reminded me of a Taylor Swift audience from 2009. This was not Taylor. After reflection, it makes sense now.
4. Because Zach Bryan is authentic. Sings from the heart. Real backstory inspired by life events. An expert storyteller who uses words not normally heard in songs. Rock gut whiskey. All gussied up. Love all the wordsmithing just like another star who is also dating a podcast star. Interesting.
5. I was fortunate enough to go to the show with my buddy. His daughter. And her friend. Two dudes nearing fifty and two 15-year-old girls. The soundtrack supplied by the first-year high school students on the commute was tremendous. Coffeehouse rock by singer songwriters like Noah Kahan, rap, old school Swift and bops filled with energy.
6. And speaking of energy, when Bryan hits that gravel in his voice paired with elevated vocals it reminds me of Eric Church meets Springsteen with dash of Axl Rose…with the lyrics of a genius.
7. The crowd reacts emotionally. Hell, I got a few goosebumps on three separate occasions – many in the list below. It was fun to see the masses singing in unison to a song that wasn’t over the radio. Usually, that reaction was reserved for multi-week #1 songs. I saw this once before in a much smaller venue. Kane Brown at Hard Rock Sioux City Anthem as an unsigned artist at the time. Remarkable. Same kind of magic.
8. If you were to poll many outsiders, they would say “Something in the Orange” was easily the biggest hit from him. On the April 30^th concert, which didn’t make the setlist. I was bummed at first but now impressed. The “industry” deems that his biggest hit. His passionate fans have built this fervor based on the 101, not the 2 songs sent to radio stations. Grass roots. Politicians could learn from building loyalty like that.
9. Covid did a number on society. It was fun to see strangers belting out vocals to sing-a-longs like “Hey Driver,” “Burn Burn, Burn” and Revival.” It helps to hit rock bottom to really enjoy the peak of fandom.
10. I saw a row of younger female fans, record themselves singing along to some of the songs in the row behind us. As a grumpy on-air radio dude, I used to make light of this move. I now have a different viewpoint. So very few musicians create content where listeners feel like it’s THEIR song. It was clear his songs made an enormous impact on them, and it was honestly heartwarming to see.

Editorial note: I did not film myself singing. That would make ears bleed.

It was enchanting to see a focus group of over 17,500 provide feedback on songs I may have slept on with my earlier list.

Big six pack of reaction songs from the night I was not expecting include:

1. Hey Driver
2. Dawns
3. East Side of Sorrow
4. Tourniquet
5. Fifth of May (Some Coastal Town)
6. Heading South

Zach Bryan’s career is working overtime. I can’t wait to hear the next 100 songs. He may have to do five shows in a market to weave all that authenticity into a week-long concert experience.

What is the best written song of all time?

Did we just watch it tonight on Billy Joel’s “Live at Madison Square Garden” re-airing?

It could be “Piano Man”.

When you spend 2,000 miles in a car with a loved one with PLENTY of time to burn until you get to your destination, certain discussions pop up and really make you think.

When the topic of “What is the best written song with amazing lyrics” came up near Des Moines, it took until about Pittsburgh to come up with a winner of a response. You may automatically drift to the mystical “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin or inspirational “Live Like You Were Dying” by Tim McGraw….but for me, it’s “Piano Man” by Billy Joel.

It has everything.

It paints a picture. Based in reality. There are a number of different perspectives represented. From a reflective old man without a job title, to a wannabee actor masquerading as a bartender, a Navy soldier to a real estate novelist – it has it all. There is definitely a sing-a-long quality to it which serves as a reminder we all need a little relief from the weighty topics of remorse and challenges referenced in the lyrics.

There’s also an auto-biographical feel to it all. You know the artist FEELS the song. Hell, Bill is even name checked in the song. The piano sounds like a carnival and the microphone smell like a beer? You can totally imagine that. That’s why I can’t stand music videos. The images produced are not as strong as my internal painting of the picture in my head.

Finally, Billy Joel fully embraces his identity when this was penned in 1973. He IS the Piano Man. Even a half-century later, the moniker still fits. I have a hard time relating to an artist talking about the struggles of the middle class when their bedroom closet is worth more than 99 percent of homes of the listener. It rings hollow.

Almost everyone over 21 has been to a bar and witnessed the cast of characters.

What’s a better tune? My inbox is open. [email protected]m

Energetic CMT Crossroads Impresses!

The first time I heard HARDY’s “Sold Out”, I brought it into a music meeting at work and said, “This feels like what it would sound like if Nickelback was in the country format”. There are only a handful of country artists in the genre who can deliver that energetic bad-assery to gain your attention in a moment. Vintage Eric Church. The power delivery of Brothers Osborne. Miranda on an emotional “in your face” 95 mile per hour heater. The authentic anthems of Zac Bryan. And HARDY.

Some pairings were meant to be. If you get a chance, enjoy the latest “CMT Crossroads” featuring HARDY with the boys of Nickelback. Maybe it’s because they share small town roots or the fact HARDY grew up listening to “How You Remind Me” on a local radio countdown show; but, man the two entities also seem joined as one.

Great music elicits emotions.

You can’t hear “Give Heaven some Hell” without a tinge in your heart of missing a loved one who left this Earth way too early. Tremendous lyrics with an unbelievable memorable hook.

I admit it. Back in the day, I may have mocked Nickelback for not sounding like my preferred style of rock. Maybe it’s age, but I respect the band more today. Especially, when you compare it to downtrodden releases of the last 5 years in the pop world. They can be an easy target for naysayers. Nickelback was a rock outsider who never got the critical love other artists of that era enjoyed. Additionally, I had a many radio listeners come up and tell me HARDY was the farthest thing from country when he first arrived on the scene.

Maybe. What fits into the mold of a genre bores me to no end. With every decade, we move away from the need for categorization. That’s a good thing.

It’s a true gift when an artist finds their unique voice. It’s even more special when two artists follow their own path and don’t cater to what the industry embraces at the time.

As of right now, I am compelled to put it in my Top 10 CMT Crossroads episodes:

10. HARDY and Nickelback – Energy from start to finish

9. Taylor Swift and Def Leppard – A glimpse into the power of what Swift would wield in the future

8. Chris Janson and Bret Michaels – Feel good mojo from elite ambassadors of joy!

7. Halsey and Kelsea Ballerini – “Graveyard” is so electric and memorable. One of the best performances

6. Jason Aldean and Bryan Adams – Country rock meets Canadian rock, eh?

5. Alison Krauss and Robert Plant – generational talents mesh together so well together

4. Kenny Chesney and John Mellencamp – American music personified. One throws a party, and one cuts off alcohol sales at his concerts when he begins on stage. What a contrast.

3. Kacey Musgraves and Katy Perry – They could be musical sisters. Beautiful collaboration.

2. Martina McBride and Pat Benatar – two tremendous vocalists share a commonality of power and emotion

1. Keith Urban and John Fogerty – Master guitarists and smooth vocals showcase the best of CMT Crossroads.

Can we get a Bruce Springsteen and Zach Bryan CMT Crossroads?

Toby Keith was one of a kind. You knew it was him on the radio from the first word. He was authentic. No bull. Keith never lobbied for awards or adulation from the industry. He saved that love for the military and his country. When the country could have fractured after the September 11^th attacks, he opened his heart and shared themes we could rally around that only a true songwriter could pen. You just knew he FELT every word. There’s something magical about that.

He had so many great tunes in his library.

Here’s my top 21 choices best paired with whiskey and a brief explanation why it made an impact:

21. “Don’t Let the Old Man In” – I’m embarrassed to say I only listened to it a few times before today. I took the song for granted like many in the country awards circles did his career work. This song is absolutely beautiful. Reminds me of a reflective version of “My List”.  Try to love on your wife and stay close to your friends.  Sage advice. This entry will grow with time.

20. “Huckleberry” – An album track that doesn’t get enough love. A simple song that resonates sweetly.

19. “Made in America” – Sure sounds auto-biographical in nature. A snapshot of all that is great with the U-S-A, a Craftsman wrench and the heartland. 

18. “Whiskey Girl” – Infectious hook and playful ditty. When there’s isn’t enough burn in tequila, it’s whiskey.  A song as tuff as a 69 Mustang!

17. “Red Solo Cup” – Captured the imagination of America!  Was the SUMMER song of 2011. Funny, catchy, different and you can’t see a red solo cup without thinking about this anthem.

16. “Weed with Willie” – Bus song that has more of an edge.  Maybe laid the groundwork for more lax marihuana laws in the last 15 years?  Probably not, but a funny song, nonetheless.

15. “I Love This Bar” – Country Piano Man. Great music brings people together.  His concerts proved that – you’d see 6-year-old girls in pink cowboy hats, teen boys, young parents all the way to great grandparents.  How many artists move people from 6 – 96?  I don’t think it’s SZA or Drake.

14. “Wish I Didn’t Know Now” – Superb writing on this early single release about reflection and love gone bad.  Put this baby in Country Music Songwriting 101 at your local university.

13. “Get Drunk and Be Somebody” – Best working stiff song since “Take this job and shove it?”.  This theme is untapped by many musicians.  Who doesn’t like to complain about their gig from time to time.  And who doesn’t want an escape?

12. “She Never Cried in Front of Me” – Worth a second listen.  Heard a great cover today from Sargeant Bluff native Dane Louis.  You can hear all the pain with every verse from Toby Keith.

11. “You Ain’t Much Fun” – This tune personified the feel good 90’s country – good times and a steel guitar.

10. “God Love Her” – Best line “Baptized in dirty water, her mama cried the first time they caught her with me” Great driving melody with bibles and motorcycles! Preach on!

9. “As Good as I Once Was” – A song I can relate to on another level with every passing decade.  Witty writing and dare I say, a wee bit inspired by Piano Man?  You know how much I love that American classic.  Dave.  Was there a Dave next to Billy Joel that just didn’t make it into the ballad?

8. “The Critic” – Like Pepto-Bismol for the haters that just gotta hate. I would mention this song with an exceptionally talented reviewer buddy of mine, he wasn’t a big fan of this entry.  I guess the song worked! Toby Keith was comfortable in his own skin. We should all find as much internal happiness as possible.

7. “My List” – Good reminder to start livin’ and enjoy the great gifts life gives us like playing catch, fishing, kissing your honey, going for a walk, call your folks and look up an old lost friend.  Amen.

6. “I Wanna Talk About Me” – I remember laughing aloud the first time I heard it when it was mailed to the radio station. I must have listened to it ten times in a row. Groundbreaking. I had never heard anything like it. The song was fortified to me when I saw him 2 weeks later and meeting him before the show in the picture above from August 2001 at WinnaVegas Casino in Sloan, Iowa.

5. “How Do You Like Me Now” – C’mon.  A perfect redemption song! This song took Toby Keith to a new level.  The video was superb, and it personified his grit and energy as a performer.

4. “Beer for My Horses” Willie Nelson adds the perfect mix to Keith’s vocals. Underdog anthem that embodies his spirit and career.

3. “American Soldier” – It will stop you in your tracks like it did to me at Wal-Mart at 6:15am this morning. Just a perfect song.  Tomorrow will be my new number 1.  Man, this is hard.

2. “Should Have Been a Cowboy” – An early release that sounds like a country poem.  It would lay the groundwork for a man who would follow his own path.

And…..

1. “The Angry American” as Keith called it…or “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” as it was called by the record industry. There were a lot of citizens that shared that emotion in 2001. Toby and his buddy Alan Jackson carried the water for musicians too afraid to write from the heart like they did at a crucial time. Tremendous music means you take risks from time to time. This #1 song on my list is buoyed by the introduction that comes before the opening notes.

Toby Keith.  An American Songwriter.  Entertainer.  Patriot.

Gone too soon.

What is the best written song of all time ?

Zach Bryan creates magic with new album released in August

February 3^rd, 1959, will always be known as the day the music died.

On a happier note, August 25, 2023, was the day the gates opened wide for top-tier new music delivery with shiny new albums dropping from Morgan Wade, Turnpike Troubadours and Tim McGraw.  ALL on the same day!  I was burning the 11pm oil for my most anticipated release…the new album from Zach Bryan.

It did not disappoint.

Confession time:  I worked in country radio for 28 years.  It was only within the last 18 months or so, I started listening to Zach Bryan. Although he never really blipped on commercial stations in the Midwest until this past year with “Something in the Orange”, we played several of his tracks on a new music discovery show we had on Friday Nights.  That show was so much fun because it shed light on some of the amazing tunes that largely get ignored by big corporate radio conglomerate stations.

After much consideration, here’s my favorite ten Zach Bryan songs as of 8/24/23:

10.  “Revival” – Such an anthemic kick ass song that so represents his energy and passionate fandom rooted in appreciation for his live performances.

9.  “If She Wants a Cowboy” – Displays wicked wit and charm about wooing the perfect girl and the extremes we encounter to make that courtship work.  Whimsical and fun!

8.  “Quittin’ Time” – He really resonates with the hard workin’ American and what’s really important after a long day of work.  Maybe my favorite line in recent history is “And I’ve Been roofin’ houses atop of homes I can’t afford”.  Man.  That has serious Billy Joel vibes there.  And you know how much I love Piano Man!

7.  “Matt and Audie” – Catchy.  You can hear the enthusiasm in the storytelling from the very first note.

6.  “Heavy Eyes” – Reckless actions by youth fueled by memories and a driving beat.  Heavy Eyes aren’t born for restin’.  It paints a picture.  A classic!

5.  “Me and Mine”.  I promised myself to curtail the cussing on this site.  You’re welcome, Mom!  Man.  Sometimes hearing cuss words during the raw emotion of a song works.  This is where streaming options have an advantage over FCC controlled airwaves of radio stations. Angsty.  Best song about a girl from O-Hi-Oh?  Name a better one.  I’ll wait.

4.  “68 Fastback” – I am amazed at the storytelling on this one.  It plays out like a movie in 193 seconds with a backing soundtrack that is simple yet beautiful.

3.  “Burn, Burn,Burn” – This was on my last Friday night show.  Zach Bryan just seems to relate so well to his listeners.  It was the first country song that referenced Tik Tok that I remember.  I love how “rock gut whiskey” is name checked in several songs.  Great description.  And who doesn’t want a well-trained dog on a couple of acres.  I write this as my youngest lab named Bluey (and nicknamed “Blucifer”) is checking my computer chord and passing gas.  That’s the joy and pain of being a doggy parent.  Anyway, epic tune.

2.  “Oklahoma Smokeshow” – I have never heard a song like this.  Zach Bryan has a way of doing that.  Catchy hook.  Who doesn’t know a jerk that is no good for someone.  And yearning for a girl that is out of your league.  Humility meets honesty with an unforgettable melody and sing a long quality.

1. “Open the Gates” – I am never going to be a cowboy.  I just have the foolish pride.  That counts, right?  Serious Chris LeDoux / early Garth vibes that transformed a community of music lovers.  The tune is buoyed by his live performance on the “All my Homies Hate Ticketmaster” album recorded at Red Rocks.

I have spent more time researching this list than I would like to admit.  I have a lot of free time now.  My youngest son came up with his top 10 list and it’s fun to compare and contrast our favorites and why.

I listened to the new album three times.  In ONE DAY.  I haven’t done that since the 2004 release of “Horse of a Different Color” by Big & Rich because it was so different than everything else I heard coming from Music City, USA. 

Here’s my early takeaways:

• Zach Bryan seems more contemplative.
• Every word means more.
• Loved the collaborations.
• This will take him to even greater levels as more become more aware of his music beyond his core of passionate fans.

I will have to re-do my list.  Three early candidates should be in the mix for the Top 10 honor.  They happen to be back-to-back as tracks 11-12-13. 

11.  “I Remember Everything” with Kacey Musgraves.  Starts with rock gut whiskey. Kacey sounds amazing as always.  Mesmerizing.  Reflective.  Storytelling gold.  Melody that gets stuck in your head.

12. “Tourniquet” – Tremendous imagery again.  “If you need a tourniquet or if you want to turn and quit, know that I’ll be by your side” is a line that is pure genius.  No one else is doing this kind of wordsmithing.  Crowd noise spliced in as if you are overhearing a private conversation.  Next level chances no one else is doing.

13. “Spotless” with The Lumineers – Telephones have ruined this place! Grammar that has a mistake just like the mistakes we all make.  Hooky as hell – great blending of vocals.  Deeper meaning.  Craftsmanship to an expert level.  And who can’t relate to not paying bills at some point in their life?  We all have adversity; Zach Bryan just describes better than 99.999% of artists out there.

Also noteworthy:  The Chris LeDoux type poem to open, “Hey Driver” with War and Treaty, “Fear and Friday’s”, “El Dorado”, “Tradesman”, “Smaller Acts” and “Oklahoman Son”.

What are your thoughts and your favorite song on the album?