Flannel-clad individuals filled the seats of a sold out Chaifetz Arena on Fri., Jan.13 for the second stop on country superstar Blake Shelton’s “Well Lit & Amplified Tour.”
Chaifetz’s concrete walls served as an exceptional acoustic environment for Shelton’s powerful pipes and lyrics to crisply ring through the air. His set list included songs picked from an expansive selection of chart-toppers, with a few surprises to keep things fresh.
Saint Louis University junior Matthew Reilly was a member of the many packs of Billikens who were treated to the voice of the reigning Country Music Association Male Vocalist of the Year award winner.
“[Shelton] is a huge name in the landscape of country music,” Reilly said. “The combination of a rowdy atmosphere and his performance made the concert a highlight of my time spent at SLU.”
He set the tone for the evening by opening with his recently released remake of “Footloose,” inviting the crowd to prepare for a night of good times. He then followed the cover with the foot-stomping anthem, “All About Tonight.”
With the crowd in a raucous frenzy, Shelton opted to cool things down with a triad of sing-along love ballads, and strummed a pair of solo acoustic tunes, including “Austin” and “Don’t Make Me.”
Shelton’s relatable lyrics and down-home sense of humor allowed for the Oklahoma native to strike-up an instant rapport with the fans. He mixed in a handful of his patented smart-aleck jokes to the crowd, while he directed some of the laughs at himself, taking jabs at his redneck lifestyle.
Shelton teased the crowd by singing the first couple lines to the song that sits atop the country music charts— David Nail’s “Let it Rain” — only to cut it short. Fans erupted as Nail, a Missourian, strode onto the stage to finish the hit where Shelton left off.
Shelton pleased any non-country fans that might have happened to make their way into the audience by paying homage to his pal and fellow “The Voice” coach Cee Lo Green. Shelton performed a country-pop crossover cover of Green’s “Forget You.”
No word on whether Green will return the favor by belting out Shelton’s popular jam “Hillbilly Bone” at his next show.
The opening acts, Justin Moore and Dia Frampton, were also well received. Frampton, a newcomer to the country scene, took the stage first and blended a mixture of her original tunes off her debut studio album, “Red,” and classics from artists such as Patsy Clineand the Dixie Chicks. Moore, the epitome of backwoods country, worked the crowd in his trademark ten-gallon hat, singing his recent hits “Small Town USA” and “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away.”
Together, Moore, Frampton and Shelton put on a solid show for a tour that is still in its infancy. The trio has a jammed spring and summer ahead of them, including 39 shows that span across 25 states, plus two stints in Canada.
