Chris Young and nearly 14,000 fans from his sold-out headlining show
at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on September 22, 2018
Photo credit Jeff Johnson
On Saturday, September 22nd, Chris Young along with tour mates, Kane Brown and Morgan Evans, brought their LOSING SLEEP tour to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena to play a sold out show.
You could feel the energy in the air with this enthusiastic crowd as they sang along, danced, and lit up their phones in response to hit songs by all 3 of the artists, especially Chris Young who headlined the concert.
Starting out the evening was Australian artist Morgan Evans signed to Warner Music Nashville. Evans was joined onstage by his “American band”, which consists of him, a guitar, and foot pedals to control pre-recorded loops. The result is he sounds just like he is playing with a full band only it is just him.
Fans sang along with Evans to his recent first number one hit, “Kiss Somebody”, and roared with excitement as he welcomed Kelsea Ballerini to the stage to sing a duet with him. The newly-weds both beamed at each other under the bright concert lights and blended their harmonies perfectly together.
Sony Nashville’s Kane Brown was the next to take the stage with his full band. It was clear that many in the audience were there to see Brown as they cheered loudly and sang along to many of his songs. Brown gave an energetic performance along with his high energy band. He was urged back to the stage by fans at the conclusion of his set for an encore when he sang his 2 biggest hits to date, “What If’s” and “Heaven”. The crowd went wild for both.
Finally, the energy in the arena built to a palpable level that you could literally feel as the stage crew prepared the huge stage for the headliner, Sony Music’s longtime artist Chris Young, to perform. As concert goers eagerly-awaited Young to take to the stage, the arena’s video camera zoomed in randomly around the audience showing couples kissing and people dancing up & down the aisles.
The crowd reached a frenzied level as the lights went down to reveal a high tech video opener that concluded with the covers over the tops of all the musicial instruments being lifted from above the stage revealing Young and his band as he opened appropriately with “Losing Sleep”.
Young sang hit after hit from his large catalog to his hometown audience since he grew up just outside of Nashville in Murfreesboro and attended Belmont University. He smiled and beamed the whole night as he seemingly enjoyed every minute of it up soaking it all in as the crowd cheered in delight every time he simply stepped towards his microphone before he could even utter a lyric.
For years, Chris Young has worked towards this moment making his way through the Nashville music scene as a teenager “paying his dues” playing small venues like the French Quarter in east Nashville, which now is The Crying Wolf, and El Chico’s Mexican restaurant on Murfreesboro Rd. several years before it closed down where he was asked to play cover songs performing for tips only. He has come a long way since then and has worked tirelessly for years to get to this level in his career, which shows no signs of slowing down.
Performing in the largest venue in Nashville, next to Nissan Stadium, to a sold out crowd inside Bridgestone Arena for his own headlining tour must have felt like a dream come true for the humble artist that night. A dream that he has worked especially hard for since he was a teenager as he honed his skills in performing and songwriting. This was a well-deserved moment for a very deserving, hardworking artist.
Chris Young and surprise guest Cassadee Pope after performing their ACM and Grammy nominated duet, “Think Of You” at Young’s sold-out headlining show
from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on September 22, 2018
Photo credit Jeff Johnson
Young was joined on stage by special guest, the talented Cassadee Pope, for their #1 hit, “Think Of Us”. Later, he was joined by longtime label mate, Brad Paisley, to sing Paisley’s hit, “I’m Still A Guy”. It was a playful moment to go along with a playful song as they had a little fun with a woman in the front row as they held on to her cellphone she eagerly handed to them. Wondering to themselves as they took some selfies: “what a female in Nashville might have on her phone”. They both playfully perused her phone scrolling through pictures and who she last called. Then they decided to call back her last number dialed leaving a message on that person’s voicemail. Finally handing the phone back to the excited audience member as they finished the song out. Just guys being guys, only on a stage in front of nearly 14,000 adoring fans.
Chris Young and surprise guest Brad Paisley performed “I’m Still A Guy” at Young’s sold-out headlining show from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on September 22, 2018
Photo courtesy Bridgestone Arena
Young stated that he could play all night to this crowd as he performed until after 11pm for a 17 song set, posed for a fun photo of him and the sold out crowd, and smashing an acoustic guitar (stating that he had never done that before) on stage before ending the night a couple of songs later.
It was a night filled with great music and memories. All the rain outside could not dampen anyone’s spirits that evening and Young, along with his tour mates, shined brightly like the sun that was missing from outside behind the clouds inside the arena.
It was a night of celebrations as the LOSING SLEEP tour played its 33rd sold out show and Chris Young played his first ever concert inside the Bridgestone Arena, something I am sure he only dreamed of doing several years ago as a college student in Nashville.
Chris Young headlining a sold-out show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on September 22, 2018
Photo credit Jeff Johnson
ABOUT CHRIS YOUNG: By his 33rd birthday, RCA Records Nashville artist Chris Young has accumulated an impressive list of accomplishments, including membership in the iconic Grand Ole Opry, ten No. 1 singles, seventeen R.I.A.A. Gold/Platinum/Multi-Platinum certified projects, 2 Grammy nominations, 3 Country Music Association nominations and 4 Academy of Country Music nominations. As a prolific creator, Chris has given fans 7 studio albums in 12 years including Losing Sleep, his third project in less than two years and the Platinum certified title track is his eighth No. 1 as a songwriter. Losing Sleep (2017) and I’m Comin’ Over (2015) debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart with “I’m Comin’ Over” becoming Young’s first 2x Platinum single.
Named “one of his era’s finest traditionalists” by the Associated Press, Chris has quickly become an international ambassador for country music, performing to capacity crowds around the world including the sold-out C2C Festival in the UK. With a hit-packed set that highlights his ten chart-toppers — including back-to-back No. 1s “Losing Sleep,” “Sober Saturday Night,” “Think Of You,” and “I’m Comin’ Over” — the Grammy and ACM nominated vocalist is headlining the Chris Young Losing Sleep 2018 World Tour, with more than 55 arena and amphitheater dates on the books including his first hometown headlining show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena this fall.
For a full list of tour dates and more information, visit chrisyoungcountry.com.
