Brad Paisley and his band along with openers Tracy Lawrence and Caylee Hammack rolled into Virginia Beach, Virginia for the 7th show on his World Tour 2022 before he heads to Europe in July and Australia in September. June 11th was a perfect sunny 75-degree day at Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater (aka Virginia Beach Amphitheater). Many of the fans tailgated in the parking lot and naturally sported cowboy hats, boots and cutoff jeans ready to see one of the most talented and decorated singer/songwriters in country music today.
First to take the stage was a new singer/songwriter Caylee Hammack with fiery red hair and a music style to match. She expressed determination to play songs that make people happy in a world full of sorrow and she delivered. After warming up the amphitheater on acoustic guitar backed by her 4-piece band for the first few songs, she cut loose on “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” making the harmonica sing while kneeling down toward the crowd. The celebration continued as she floated across the stage during “Family Tree.”
The lead opener for Brad Paisley was the classic country music veteran and a legend in his own right. Tracy Lawrence has sold more than thirteen million albums in his 30 years in the industry which included 18 number one songs. To celebrate, he dropped a three-album collection last year with thirty songs in all. In his set for the night, he sang the title song from his first album (1991), “Sticks & Stones.” A fan favorite was a medley in honor of country music greats like Charley Pride, Kenny Rogers and Charlie Daniels. My personal favorite was “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” where fiddle player Joe Caverlee sang a few verses and stroked the fiddle like a master in true Charlie Daniels fashion. After the medley came “Time Marches On,” and one of his biggest hits, “Paint Me a Birmingham” which showcased his smooth sound and amazing vocal range.
Setlist:
1.) Made In America
2.) Find Out Who Your Friends Are
3.) If the World Had a Front Porch
4.) Texas Tornado
5.) Better Man, Better Off
6.) Sticks and Stones
7.) Can’t Break It to My Heart
8.) The Gambler / Kiss an Angel Good Morning / John Deere Green / The Devil Went Down to Georgia
9.) Time Marches On
10.) Paint Me a Birmingham
In the first song “American Saturday Night,” Paisley pays tribute to Ukraine with a blue and yellow Ukrainian flag filling the wall-sized screen behind him as he changed a line of the song to “There’s a Ukrainian flag hanging up behind the bar.” “Beat This Summer” and “Online” were next and the only songs photographers were allowed to capture. The first laments the end of summer and the second makes fun of how teens sometimes pretend to be someone they’re not when online. My favorite line is “I lose a bunch of weight every time I log in.” Thanks to “Online,” “Ticks,” and his music video “River Bank,” Brad’s sense of humor would put him in The Country Music Comedian’s Hall of Fame if something like that existed. His sense of humor and crowd interaction definitely add to his popularity.
“Last Time for Everything” took on a Stranger Things theme ending in a rendition of “Purple Rain” complete with a sweet guitar solo honoring Prince, then straight into a Van Halen cover “Hot for Teacher” all showcasing Paisley’s undeniable talent on guitar. Brad Paisley’s concert checked all the boxes. As a singer, songwriter, entertainer, and musician, he crushed it at the Virginia Beach event.
Band Members
Brad Paisley – Lead Vocals, Lead Guitar
Gary Hooker – Rhythm Guitar
Randle Currie – Steel Guitar
Kendal Marcy – Keyboards, Banjo, Mandolin
Justin Williamson – Fiddle, Mandolin
Kenny Lewis – Bass Guitar, Vocals
Ben Sesar – Drums
Brad Paisley Setlist
- American Saturday Night
- Beat This Summer
- Online
- Perfect Storm
- The Love Boat / Water
- Waitin’ On A Woman / Then
- Celebrity
- I’m Still a Guy (with Tracy Lawrence)
- This Is Country Music
- Crushin’ It
- Letter to Me
- Last Time for Everything / Purple Rain
- Hot for Teacher (Van Halen cover)
- Mountain Music / Old Alabama
- River Bank
- She’s Everything
- Whiskey Lullaby (Jon Randall cover) (with Caylee Hammack)
- I’m Gonna Miss Her
- Ticks
- Mud on the Tires
Encore:
- Alcohol
- The Boys of Summer (Don Henley cover)
Follow Brad Paisley Online
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Annette Holloway is a music, promo, portrait, and event photographer. Live concert photography and band/artist photoshoots occupy much of her time. Her work has been published on numerous media outlets including Billboard, Pollstar, NBC News, Getty Images, Forbes, HM Magazine, ICON Sportswire, Loudwire, CCM Magazine, and many more. Before diving into photography full time, she was a NASA software engineer, webmaster, church youth leader, and robotics mentor. For more information about her photography, visit AnnetteHolloway.com.
