LIVE: BRANTLEY GILBERT – August 5, 2022

Venue: Veterans Memorial Park

City: Bay City, MI

Dates: August 5, 2022

Review and Photographs by: Todd “Toddstar” Jolicoeur (www.toddstarphotography.com)

There was nothing that could stifle the energy and anticipation that packed Bay City’s Veterans Memorial Park on a sunny Friday night in early August.  After two sets from a local band that used their 70’s and 80’s classic rock covers to warm the crowd up, the set was converted to accommodate Brantley Gilbert and his band.  As if on cue, members of the band filtered onto the stage to perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” and set the proverbial stage for what was to come next.  With a smile and a shitload of attitude, Brantley hit the stage and took his place center stage behind the mic.  The fist pumping form the male component was more than matched by the screams, sighs, hands in the air, and even the occasional “I love you Brantley” from the female crowd that overwhelmingly dwarfed the men in numbers.  With a catalog full of hits, deep cuts, and new material, Gilbert came to perform and please… he did both and did so with precision.  The band was tight and walked through their musical steps together, not simply supporting Brantley and the evenings selection of tracks, but working with him to deliver the songs the way the packed park wants to hear them… and they delivered in spades.  The overall flow of the show was perfect and was enhanced by the ebb and flow of energy that cascaded across the crowd and passed back and forth from the stage.  Brantley took us back and forth through his career, occasionally in story-teller mode, starting with a song a few in from the top introducing “Dirt Road Anthem” with the tale of writing the track and Jason Aldean taking the song to Number 1.  While I could sit back and listen to him perform every song from his 2010 release Halfway To Heaven, the packed park and I enjoyed hearing the hit filled set placed into motion tonight.  Gilbert was having fun and it was obvious… didn’t matter if he was trading licks with his guitarists, shaking hands and high-fiving the crowd, or simply singing with all he had song after song.  Having seen Brantley on bigger stages in arenas and other venues, it was FUN watching him control the cadence of the show, experiencing him please the crowd – especially the women –  song after song, and enjoying some great songs from one of the more energetic performers out there today.

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Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries