Ashley Mcbryde brought her tour to EKU’s Center for the Arts at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky, and the crowd was in for a high-energy night from her and her band. The night started out with the opener, Meg McRee. Meg McRee brought earnestness to the opening slot for Ashley McBryde. She was joined by Anna Mclaughlin on electric guitar while she played the acoustic. Even though it was an understated performance, it was conveyed with heart and sincerity. People were drawn into their musicality and enjoyed Anna’s guitar riffs and Meg’s songs. The audience was receptive to her songs and especially got into songs that they knew like the Lynyrd Skynyrd cover, “Call Me to Breeze.” She also sang another cover by Waylon Jennings, “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys” except she swapped cowboys and babies in the chorus which the crowd just hooted and hollered over! Out of her singles, the most receptive was “Mary Jane and Chardonnay” which is getting a lot of airplay on satellite radio.
After Meg left the stage, it was Ashley’s turn to bring the crowd to their feet, and she did. From the moment she stepped on the stage to until the final note, they were fully engaged in every song. She played an extensive set, and many of the songs were written in Kentucky which made the Kentucky crowd excited to hear. She wove stories throughout, telling of her time playing Richmond at the Paddy Wagon, a local bar, which every local in the crowd knew about. The crowd loved “Brenda put your Bra On,” even going as far as to participate by throwing bras on stage much to Ashley’s amusement. Her entire set oozed with intensity and energy as the crowd was engaged from one of the youngest members of the audience, a young girl who looked to be about six sitting on the shoulders of her parents, loving every song, to the oldest, having the best time.
While the show was mostly high energy there were a few soft moments where there were ballads included. She sang a new song off her most recent album, “Light on in the Kitchen,” which was an ode to women to trust themselves and love themselves. She also sang “Sparrow” which is a beautiful but haunting ballad about someone who would love to escape the pains of life, but knowing that even in running away they’ll be drawn back and sometimes the leaving leaves you the loneliest.
Her encore had raucous reactions as people sang loudly to “Girl Goin’ Nowhere,” arguably one of her most popular songs. She started out singing acoustic for most of it which was a switch to the high energy, driving sound of most of the show. She then sang a cover, “Walk Softly on this Heart of Mine,” by Kentucky Headhunters. This was added to the set list an hour before the show and the band learned it that day, but she wanted to add it as a homage to the city they were playing. She ended with “One Night Standards” which was written in Bardstown, KY, and left the crowd on a high-energy song.
Ashley McBryde & Band:
Ashley McBryde: Lead Vocals
Chris Harris– Guitar and Background Vocals
Wes Dorethy – Keyboard, Mandolin, Aux Instruments
Caleb Hooper- Bass player
Quinn Hill-Drums
Matt Helmkamp-Lead guitar
Setlist:
1.) Made for This
2.) El Dorado
3.) Hang in there Girl
4.) Whiskey and Country Music
5.) Brenda Put Your Bra On
6.) Martha Divine
7.) Shut Up Sheila
8.) American Scandal
9.) Never Will
10.) Light on in the Kitchen
11.) Cool Little Bar
12.) A Little Bar in Dahlonega
13.) Voodoo Doll
14.) The Devil I Know
15.) Home Sweet Highway
16.) Boys of Summer
17.) Tired of Being Happy
18.) Sparrow
19.) Livin Next to Leroy/Superstition/Midnight Rider
Encore:
20.) Girl Going Nowhere
21.) Walk Softly on this Heart of Mine
22.) One Night Standards
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Music and the appreciation of coverts and live music was introduced to me at an early age. I love the shared experience of live music. Christian Rock was a mainstay in my from early in my childhood to present day. My parents introduced me to the pioneers of Christian Rock, like Petra and White Heart. This only progressed me in my love of music and concerts. My musical preferences are a wide range of genres and artists.
While in college, I received my bachelor’s in communication. While in college, I had my own Christian Rock show on the college radio station. I also interned with two different radio stations. I always have had a passion for sharing music and musicians’ passion and artistry. That has since progressed into some concert photography and being able to capture that passion from bands on stage. I have be able to photograph many artists across the Midwest region.
