A sold out Chaifetz Arena hosted Ian Munsick, Easton Corbin, and Cody Johnson on Saturday evening for nearly four hours of all the fun country music has to offer.
Though coming together as a uniquely complementary group on tour, the similarities between Ian, Easton, and Cody are few and far between. Munsick, a genre-bending progressive country music newcomer jumpstarted the show with his one-of-a-kind sound and lyrical genius.
Long Live Cowgirls Track Artwork
His Rocky Mountain fiddle and old soul influences add a unique flavor to every song he sings and caught the attention of Warner Music Nashville, with whom he signed in 2020 less than three years after the release of his self-titled EP. Ian performed hit songs like Horses Are Faster and Long Haul, his newest release, Cowboy Killer, and even welcomed Cody Johnson himself to the stage for a duet performance of their (slightly less) new release Long Live Cowgirls before giving the stage to Easton Corbin.
Easton Corbin – the artist behind country radio favorites like All Over The Road, A Girl Like You, and Lovin’ You Is Fun – kept the crowd going with his Nashville country sound and more than a decade of hit records. Taking time out of his set to treat the St. Louis fans to performances of classic country hits such as Hey Good Lookin’ by Hank Williams Sr. and Mama Tried by Merle Haggard was appropriate foreshadowing for the genuine, traditional but fresh sound of Cody Johnson.
Cody Johnson greeted the crowd with a montage-mix of “Honky Tonk” songs from country music past that smoothly transitioned into his performance of Honky Tonk Hardwood Floors, an upbeat fan favorite from his October 2021 album “Human.” Taking a slower approach to continue the show, Cody played older hits “With You I Am” and “Wild As You” before back-to-back performances of my personal favorites “Ride With Me” and “Dance Her Home.” The theme song of engagements everywhere, “Diamond in My Pocket,” was next before returning to the Human album for “Treasure,” “Cori’s Song,” and “Stronger.” Shortly thereafter Cody interrupted his performances with a moment of appreciation for his fans, expressing his gratitude for them as the reason he is able to live his life making the music that he loves and uniting the crowd over the long-awaited reuniting as music fans in the masses. A few more tracks passed the time before a powerful fiddle solo and a personal comeback story from a 2017 rodeo injury, announcing his successful recovery from a 2021 neck surgery and proudly admitting that his ”love for [his] fans was greater than the pain [he] was in.” Another half a dozen songs, a patriotic nod towards the military members in attendance, the first ever performance of “’Til You Can’t” as his first ever #1 hit, a callback to Ian Munsick (and his long hair) for a duet performance of the Charlie Daniel’s Band’s “Long Haired Country Boy,” homage paid to each of his band members, and
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a sincere religious thank you to Jesus Christ for the opportunity to “live [Cody’s] dream” preceded a finale of the song behind his personal documentary, “Dear Rodeo.”
For the second time on this tour and the third time in total Cody Johnson shattered even my highest of expectations. His unprecedented authenticity and genuine appreciation for the art of country music make every second and every word of his show a true present for everyone lucky enough to witness it. I will likely be seeing him once more before this tour is over and I intend to attend every show he plays in St. Louis for the rest of my music listening career. The power, talent, and emotion he brings to the stage is more than any country music fan could ask for and I suggest that you not take my word for it, but go see it for yourself.
