Shut Me Up: Old Dominion and Blackjack Billy at Boots & Hearts 2015!

The Coors Banquet Kick Off Party was a whole lot of fun on Thursday night with 5 acts, a lot of music and a ton of beer poured on top.

Coors Kick Off Party Boots and Hearts 2015-1029

2 of those acts end up as a combination of 9 guys who love to play music, engage with the crowd and get down to business. Old Dominion and Blackjack Billy were both awesome on Thursday, and we’re quite happy that we were there to see it.

Let’s have a look at some pics, what we saw at Boots & Hearts 2015’s opening night, and maybe a little something extra.

Old Dominion

When people say things like, “this band could be the next big thing” we tend to take it with a grain of salt because you never know what’s going to happen.

With that said, Old Dominion has a really good shot at being that next big thing!

These 5 dudes took over the Boots & Hearts stage in their 1st ever Canadian show, and did not disappoint. With a mix of originial songs and tracks written by the band for other top country acts… like Sangria (Blake Shelton), A Guy Walks Into a Bar (Tyler Farr), Say You Do (Dierks Bentley) – seriously, these guys showed us that they know how to write some good music!

The set also showed off the stage presence and harmonies that the Old Dominion boys bring to the party, and made us want to know why this is only the first time they’ve been up here north of the border.

If you’re not familiar with Old Dominion yet, go check out Shut Me Up, Beer Can in a Truck Bed, Nowhere Fast, Break Up with Him, and Wrong Turns – you won’t find the live versions we sang along to on Thursday, but you’ll wish you had!

Blackjack Billy

Another group of boys from the south came up to party with the Canadian country fans at Burl’s Creek.

Blackjack Billy came to the stage with energy to burn, and they wasted zero time doing it. They have a reputation as a big time, good time, party time band – and while they certainly lived up to it, they also gave the fans under the big tent and on the lawn something to groove to with Slow Dancin Under The Sheets.

But when the time was right they cranked up the intensity with A Little Drinkalong & I Got A Feelin (written and performed originally with good Canadian boy, Tim Hicks) which got everyone in a singing and dancing and drinking mood.

Also, Blackjack Billy may have given us 2 of the best medleys we’ve ever seen at a country show…

Blackjack Billy Boots & Hearts Medley #1

Crazy Bitch – Buckcherry
Give It Away – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Sweet Emotion – Aerosmith
Boys Round Here – Blake Shelton
Thrift Shop – Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

Blackjack Billy Boots & Hearts Medley #2

I’m Yours – Jason Mraz
Stronger Beer – Tim Hicks (what a HUGE pop this one got)
Let It Go – Frozen soundtrack
Lose Yourself – Eminem (so much audience rapping)
No Woman No Cry – Bob Marley
Ride Wit Me – Nelly (Must Be The Money!)

And just when you wondered how they could top themselves, it was time for their biggest hit – Booze Cruise!

Note: For the first time ever at a country music concert I’ve attended I saw a stage dive. Big love to Blackjack Billy’s lead singer for taking the plunge!

The Something Special!

We promised a little something special… and here it is. This kid is adorable and having the time of his life. Bravo to mom and dad for packing the costume and being awesome about the whole darn thing!