Photos and Review by Micah Gummel
Show photos Kip Moore HERE
Show Photos Sam Hunt HERE
Show photos Charlie Worsham HERE
Country fans were treated to a eclectic concert on Saturday night at the last show of the year for the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom when the sold out ‘CMT: Up in Smoke Tour‘ rolled into New Hampshire. Headlining his first tour, Kip Moore handpicked Sam Hunt and Charlie Worsham as his opening acts. And while quite different in their musicianship and stage presence, all three performers kept the max capacity crowd entertained for all of the evening.
The show started off with singer/song-writer Sam Hunt, Hunt is not your stereotypical country singer. But he quickly wowed the crowd with his smooth sound and likable smile. “We’re sad to me wrapping up CMT Tour we have all had a blast” said Hunt. “Thank you so much for having us in New Hampshire. There’s no place I’d rather be right now than Hampton Beach.”Hunt knows how to he work the stage and engaging with his band. Hunt even jumped down into the crowd to sing a few lines from the front row, much to the delight of his squealing female fans. Mixing R&B with country, and even a little rap, Hunt performed several of his songs, including, “House Party,” “Break Up in a Small Town,” “Ex to See,” and his radio hit, “Leave the Night On.”
Humble, talented, there’s no doubt Hunt is an artist you’ll be seeing more of in the future.
Next to take the stage, was singer/musician Charlie Worsham, who exuded confidence and wit from the moment the lights came up working the front row before jumping up on stage. “Hampton Beach – we love this place and are honored to be sharing the same stage as many of the great performers that have played here in the past like Led Zeppelin ,” said Worsham. “Well, hello, New Hampshire. My name is Charlie Worsham and I came to party.” More like he came to play. Worsham’s musicianship is impressive, to say the least. Not to take away from his silky voice, but this guy shreds a mean guitar, and his finest moments were his effortless guitar riffs and solos though he was backed by a full band, Worsham played lead guitar in addition to providing the vocals, and did both of them well.
He switched guitars after almost every song, rolling through his fan favorites like, “Could it Be,” “Rubberband,” “How I Learned to Pray,” “Trouble Is,” “Want Me Too”. Toying with the front row by letting the audience strum his banjo – Worsham is a natural and enthusiastic entertainer. “I love you, New Hampshire. I am definitely coming back,” said Worsham. And it’s safe to say that the audience hopes he visits again, too.But the night didn’t end there.
Kip Moore kept the boots stomping well into the night with a rousing, and at times heartfelt, performance. Bursting onto the stage with a cut-off tank top, backwards hat, and a red solo cup, Kip Moore is one bad boys of country. “I’ve always, always gone against the grain,” said Moore. “Producers, they wanted to dress me different, make me sound different, smooth out my voice. But this is who I am. “Speaking of that unique voice – Moore’s most identifiable trait is his raspy, smoky voice – and it was encouraging to hear that he sounds just as strong live, as he does on his albums.”We’ve been killing ourselves for over a year to make this record something special for you,” said Moore. “So thank you, for supporting us. “Although he was backed by a full and talented band, some of Moore’s strongest moments were when he sat center stage, alone on a barstool, and sang acoustic to highlight that voice. This was recognized most during his smash hit, “Hey Pretty Girl.”With a farm boy smile and a rock’n’roll swagger, Moore was easy and entertaining to watch. He effortlessly transitioned between songs, often times chatting about his life and having friendly banter with the crowd.It wasn’t long before the crowd was grooving and rocking to hits like, “Crazy One More Time,” “Dirt Road,” “Drive Me Crazy” “Up All Night,” and “Beer Money.”Moore closed the show with his smash hit, “Something ‘Bout a Truck,” and after an enthusiastic audience pleaded for one more song, Moore obliged with a cool cover of Tom Petty’s, “Free falling.” Obviously just as taken with the audience, as they were with him, the country bad boy had a soft side during his standing ovation, profusely thanking the audience for coming to the concert. “I don’t care how long it takes,” said Moore, “I don’t care if it takes all night. I’ll be out there in the lobby, and I’ll sign whatever you want. I just want to thank you, Cedar Rapids, from the bottom of my heart. We love you. Thanks for giving us a life.” What a great show all the preformers nailed it!
'CMT: Up in Smoke Tour' Kip Moore at Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom – NH
