There was no rain on Saturday at Boots & Hearts 2017, but Brantley Gilbert definitely brought the thunder!
The headlining hit maker revved up the B&H crowd from the moment he walked onto the main stage, kicking things off with It's About To Get Dirty, and not letting up for more than a moment to catch his breath. And the crowd didn't stop either. The excitement was building in the lead up to the set, so much so that you could feel a buzz in the air 30 minutes before Gilbert hit the stage.
The 16 songs Brantley Gilbert and his band (who are really good. really, really good.) played on Saturday night included hits he wrote ( My Kinda Party, Dirt Road Anthem), that Jason Aldean took to the charts, and his own hits including Small Town Throwdown, The Weekend, One Hell Of An Amen, his current single, The Ones That Like Me, and more.
Note: The dedication that Brantley Gilbert gave to military personnel, veterans, and to everyone touched by cancer, was sweet and emotional. And even though I've seen it before, it still hit me with the feels.
Early in the set Gilbert pegged the Boots & Hearts crowd at 25,000 - but we walked through the mass of people in the field at the main stage, and we're willing to put that number at 35,000 if we had to guess. And those thousands of people danced and sang and cheered for Brantley Gilbert just like they did for Keith Urban on Friday night. This was a party of a set, and the kind of collection of moments that live music fans live for.
But as much as the crowd loved the Georgian country singer, he loved them back. More than once Gilbert expressed his love for the fans in the crowd, and the Canadian fans that he's encountered in his career. He gave credit for our ability and willingness to party, and he said thank you for the steadfast support that he has received from country music fans north of the border. His words were thoughtful, but didn't feel contrived. This truly seemed like a genuine expression of thanks for his opportunity to do what he loves to do, thousands of miles away from home.
If there were any questions about Brantley Gilbert's status as a headliner at a major country music festivals, they have all been dispelled. Ask the thousands of people that hung out with him on Saturday night in Oro-Medonte and you'll hear exactly how much he proved that he belongs on that big stage.
If and when you have the chance to see Brantley Gilbert on any stage, take it... and be ready for a rowdy time, because that's what you're going to get. And you're going to love it.
Brantley Gilbert, Boots & Hearts 2017 Setlist
💀 It's About To Get Dirty
💀 My Kinda Party
💀 Country Must Be Country Wide
💀 Rockin' Chairs
💀 Dirt Road Anthem
💀 My Baby's Guns N Roses
💀 You Don't Know Her Like I Do
💀 Small Town Throwdown
💀 The Ones That Like Me
💀 One Hell Of An Amen
💀 The Outlaw In Me
💀 The Weekend
💀 Take It Outside
💀 Kick It In The Sticks
💀 Bottoms Up
Encore:
💀 Read Me My Rights
