Platinum-selling country artist Cody Johnson brought ‘The Leather Tour’ to a sold-out crowd on Friday night, April 12, 2024, as he headlined Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. While Rupp Arena is typically sold out for the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team, it was packed with country music-loving fans of all ages ready to sing and dance the night away to start their weekend. Special guests joining him on this tour are Justin Moore and Drake Milligan. ‘The Leather Tour’ began earlier in 2024 and has had multiple sold-out shows, including this one.
Drake Milligan and his band kicked the night off with an extremely energetic and entertaining set. Drake is a newer name in country music, but he is already making himself known in the industry for his energy and vocals. Milligan initially garnered notoriety through his appearances on American Idol and America’s Got Talent. He cites George Strait and Elvis as musical heroes and one cannot help but notice those influences when seeing him perform. Regarding Elvis, Milligan portrayed the musical icon on CMT’s “Sun Records” and in the film “Nobody”.
While Drake Milligan and his band were the opening act, they did not waste any time commanding the attention of the crowd as they immediately brought the energy and were extremely active for each of their songs. In addition to Milligan engaging with the crowd, every member of his band was equally engaging and the synergy amongst bandmates was evident as they frequently interacted with each other. In all the shows I have covered through the years, I am not sure I can recall a more energetic and engaging opening act. Their set blended covers and original tracks. As their time on stage concluded, Drake invited the crowd to visit his merchandise table on the concourse where he would be present to meet and greet his fans.
Band:
Drake Milligan – Vocals / Guitar
Ryan De Mers – Guitar
Clayton Sell – Bass
Kramer Sell – Drums
Kelly Hagan – Violin/Fiddle
Setlist:
1.Bad Day to Be a Beer
2. I Got a Problem
3. Goin’ Down Swingin’
4. What I Couldn’t Forget
5. Long Haul
6. Kiss Goodbye All Night
7. Sounds Like Something I’d Do
Justin Moore was immediate support for this tour and he and his band took the stage and kept the energy level in the arena going with a lively set of their own. Moore is a multi-platinum hitmaker and has notched 12 number-one hits of his own; he incorporated several of these hits such as “Lettin’ the Night Roll”, “Small Town USA”, and his most recent number-one hit “You, Me, & Whiskey”. He made good use of the stage area frequently working side-to-side and out on the catwalk; greeting his fans with waves and pointing at people even in the upper areas of the arena. His stage setup included a large backdrop mimicking distressed barn wood and complimenting that look with several bourbon barrels along the back wall that were used to support various stage lights; the bourbon barrels were quite fitting as much of the world’s bourbon is distilled in this area of Kentucky.
In between several songs, Moore took time to speak to the crowd, often speaking genuinely and transparently as he connected with his fans. Incorporating a bit of humor, given he was performing in the home of the Kentucky Wildcats basketball team, he did not miss the opportunity to mention he is a big fan of the Arkansas Razorbacks, which hired Kentucky’s former coach (Coach Calipari) two days prior. The crowd reacted with playful cheers and commentary, but it was all in good fun. Furthering the connection with Lexington, he took time to point out that lead guitarist, Roger Coleman II, is from Kentucky and has ties to Lexington.
The rest of the set included a mix of new and old songs including “The Ones That Didn’t Make It Back Home”, his salute to our military heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice. The large and loud crowd stood, sang, and danced the entire set and Moore and his band were very engaged with each other and all in attendance; he mentioned he is thankful for what he does for a living and his gratitude shows in the effort he puts into his performance. It is easy to see why he has enjoyed such a storied career.
Band:
Justin Moore – Lead Vocals / Guitar
Roger Coleman II – Lead Guitar / Vocals
Stephan Laplante – Guitar
David Dubas – Bass
Tucker Wilson – Drums, Percussion
Wilton Houchens II – Keyboards
Setlist:
1.Bait a Hook
2. You Look Like I Need a Drink
3. This Is My Dirt
4. Til My Last Day
5. The Ones That Didn’t Make It Back Home
6. Lettin’ the Night Roll
7. You, Me, & Whiskey
8. Small Town U.S.A.
9. Backwoods
10. Why We Drink
After the first two performances of the night, one could argue the night couldn’t get any better or you could generate any more energy in the arena. Any such presumptions were quickly eliminated as soon as Cody Johnson appeared on stage. He appeared centered against the backdrop graphic amidst some dramatic lighting; the stage lights then came up and he stepped down onto the main stage and greeted everyone with a big Texas smile, and the “COJO” live experience began, and cheers continued getting louder as the night continued. Early in the set he thanked everyone for coming and made an agreement with the crowd that he would give every last ounce of energy to them if they would reciprocate. As the night unfolded, clearly everyone in the arena honored that agreement as Johnson and his band played a lengthy set that left no one disappointed.
Considering the number of songs Johnson has amassed in his career, there was no shortage of hits to choose from to create the set list for this tour. The concert was packed with a blend of older hits and hits off his latest album, including the tour namesake “Leather”. Other fan-favorite hits included “Dance Her Home”, Dear Rodeo”, a lively version of “People in the Back”, “Human”, “The Painter”, and the Platinum hit “‘Til You Can’t”.
Speaking to the crowd, Johnson noted he wanted everyone to know something about him and this band stating they don’t use tracks (accompaniment) on stage. He insisted there’s nobody using a computer playing components that’s not actually on stage. He added, “You are listening to seven men giving everything we have to play country music for y’all tonight.” This conversation was prefaced by Cody joking about the fact the guitar he was playing hadn’t been tuned properly. However, that lack of tuning was short-lived as he and the rest of his band sounded incredible and were complimented by a very well-executed lighting package. The acoustics and visuals, paired with the musical ability and commanding stage presence made for a Friday night that won’t be forgotten for the capacity crowd.
The music and passion of the artists were evident, but Johnson took time to talk to the crowd about more serious topics as well. At one point, as he thanked the crowd for showing up and selling out Rupp Arena, he clarified to the crowd that his success is not by his own merit. He attributed his success to his savior, Jesus Christ. He told the crowd he was not perfect and he made plenty of mistakes, but he was forgiven and saved by his faith. He reiterated this point by stating he is not ashamed to publicly make that statement.
One thing is undeniable, Cody Johnson pours every ounce of energy he has into his show and gives everything he can to his fans, including taking time for selfies from the stage and signing items before leaving the stage as he concluded his encore. He continues producing traditional-based country music and his stage presence continues to be a reason country music fans sell out arenas to see him.
Band:
Cody Johnson – Lead Vocals / Guitar
Jake Mears – Guitar
Joey Pruski – Bass
Miles Stone – Drums & Percussion
Harrison Yount – Steel Guitar
Jody Bartula – Fiddle & Guitar
Seth Wilson – Keyboards
Setlist:
1. Me and My Kind
2. Dance Her Home
3. With You I Am
4. Leather
5. Dear Rodeo
6. Nothin’ On You
7. People in the Back
8. Fenceposts
9. Work Boots
10. Double Down
11. On My Way to You
12. Human
13. God Bless America
14. Long Haired Country Boy
15. CJB Band Intro
16. Dirt Cheap
17. The Painter
18. ‘Til You Can’t
Encore:
19. Diamond in My Pocket
20. Mommas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys
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Andrew Fore is a professional photographer with over 20 years experience shooting music, nature/wildlife, and commercially. His work has been published internationally in both print and digital media, album artwork, tour artwork, , artist promos, etc. He was fortunate to have one of his music artist images produced on Mountain Dew cans nationwide. His various photography projects have taken him all over North America and several other countries. In addition to his photography career, Andrew operates a pest control business with his wife and is active in his community.