Nickelback is filling arenas across the country to remind you they’re still going strong. For their Get Rollin’ Tour with country artists Brantley Gilbert and Josh Ross, rock/pop sensation Nickelback hit Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater in Virginia Beach, Virginia September 2, 2023 on a beautiful Saturday night over Labor Day weekend. After tailgating a while, excited fans eagerly streamed in wearing both Nickelback and Brantley Gilbert t-shirts, which struck me as a strange combination, but I kept an open mind.
Canadian born country artist Josh Ross kicked off the night with an 8-song set including “Tall Boys” and “On a Different Night.” Much to the crowd’s delight, he sang the Goo Goo Dolls cover, “Iris” which has garnered him millions of views on TikTok. (Many thanks to venue staff for working it out so I could review Josh Ross’ set.) Check out this new artist who, since 2019, has generated over 21.8 million global streams. The band had great chemistry on stage, and Josh won over some new fans, for sure.
Josh Ross Setlist:
(1) Tall Boys
(2) Before I Loved You
(3) Red Flags
(4) First Taste of Gone
(5) Iris (The Goo Goo Dolls cover)
(6) Ain’t Doin’ Jack
(7) Trouble
(8) On A Different Night
Next up, country rock singer, songwriter and producer Brantley Gilbert burst onto the stage with the energy of a freight train, which answered the obvious question, “Why is there a country singer on tour with rock legend Nickelback?” Complete with pyro, cryo and a band that covered every inch of the stage, Gilbert started the party with “Kick It in the Sticks, “The Weekend” and “My Kinda Party.”
Halfway through the setlist, there was a mix of country rock and hip-hop with “Son of the Dirty South,” a song co-written by Gilbert, Jelly Roll (Jason Bradley DeFord) and Andrew Baylis. I believe it was Gilbert’s brother who rapped Jelly Roll’s part for the show. Up next was massive hit song “Blue on Black (Kenny Wayne Shepherd cover)” which is a timeless 1997 hit crossing all genres and included fiery guitar solos. Proceeds from this song are donated to the Gary Sinise Foundation in support of first responders. “One Hell of an Amen” was dedicated to active-duty military, veterans, and families of fallen heroes. Brantley said, “Thank you for who you are, for what you do, thank you for making a sacrifice that so many of us (including myself) didn’t.”
A professing Christian, Brantley Gilbert released So Help Me God (Deluxe Edition) in April 2023, and he’ll be on Nickelback’s second leg of Get Rollin’ tour.
Brantley Gilbert Setlist:
(1) Kick It in the Sticks
(2) The Weekend
(3) My Kinda Party
(4) Dirt Road Anthem (Colt Ford cover)
(5) You Don’t Know Her Like I Do
(6) Bury Me Upside Down
(7) Small Town Throwdown
(8) Son of the Dirty South
(9) Blue on Black (Kenny Wayne Shepherd cover)
(10) A Country Boy Can Survive (Hank Williams, Jr. cover)
(11) Country Must Be Country Wide
(12) One Hell of an Amen
(13) Bottoms Up
(14) Blind / Whatever / Shine
(15) Take It Outside
(16) Read Me My Rights
Finally Nickelback took the stage with Chad Kroeger’s signature raspy voice belting “San Quentin,” one of the best tracks from the band’s first album in five years, Get Rollin’. (It was released November 18, 2022, via BMG and debuted at #2 across the Current Rock, Alternative, Hard Music and Digital Album charts.) Finishing off the song were two concussion grenades to start the set off with a bang. Next up, the tempo slowed down a bit with “Savin’ Me” and romantic love song, “Far Away.” The amphitheater was obviously full of Nickelback fans as far as the eye could see as they sang every word.
An amazing pyro and light display kicked in with “Animals” and would have been impressive to photograph had it been one of the two songs we were allowed to capture from the soundboard. One of my favorite moments of the night happened when Chad stopped and led thousands in a chorus of “Margaritaville” in honor of the legendary Jimmy Buffett who had just died the day before.
Tourmates Gilbert and Ross joined Kroeger on stage for “Copperhead Road (Steve Earle cover)” and blended well together. Band member Ryan Peake also showcased his vocal talent by performing several songs throughout the night giving Chad a little vocal rest at times. At one point the show was stopped and the crowd told to turn around and look at the moon over the amphitheater – it was a beautiful sight. For this huge karaoke fest, fans loved “Photograph,” of course, then they became front and center for “This Afternoon” as they were featured on the screen throughout the song, enjoying every minute. A super fan “Joe” was invited on stage to sing “Rockstar” as the crowd chanted “Joe! Joe! Joe!” And towards night’s end, there was also a proposal in the crowd.
To top off the perfect night, Nickelback performed their biggest hit “How You Remind Me” and two more Encore songs. Chad has had some vocal issues recently, but sounded fantastic this Labor Day weekend. It is irrelevant why some dislike Nickelback’s music, as the veteran performers clearly know how to give their fans a night to remember. The band will resume their Get Rollin’ tour September 12th to packed arenas across the country. In the meantime, catch the world premiere of their new documentary “Hate to Love: Nickelback” on September 8th.
Nickelback Band Members:
Chad Kroeger (lead vocals, guitars)
Ryan Peake (vocals, guitars, keys)
Mike Kroeger (bass)
Daniel Adair (drums)
Nickelback Setlist:
(1) San Quentin
(2) Savin’ Me
(3) Far Away
(Interlude)
(4) Animals
(5) Someday
(6) Worthy to Say (Ryan Peake on lead vocals)
(7) Figured You Out (“Fight For All the Wrong Reasons” riff)
(8) Hero (Chad Kroeger feat. Josey Scott cover)
(9) Copperhead Road (Steve Earle cover) (With Brantley Gilbert & Josh Ross)
(Interlude)
(10) This Afternoon
(11) Photograph
(12) Rockstar (Sung with a fan)
(13) Those Days
(14) How You Remind Me
Encore:
(15) Gotta Be Somebody
(16) Burn It to the Ground
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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.
