No matter what the weather is, Evansville will always show up for their country artists. With the remnants of hurricane Helene flooding the streets, fans were eagerly making their way to the Ford Center to see Parker McCollum for his Burn It Down Tour.
Kicking off the show was Oklahoma native Kylie Morgan with one of her top hits “I Only Date Cowboys.” With her vibrant energy, she continued to sing “Sugar Daddy” before busting out a mash-up that would hype up the crowd even more. Her Gwen Stefani mash-up cover included “Sweet Escape,” “Rich Girl,” and “Hollaback Girl.” Although her opening set wasn’t long, it was the perfect addition to get your night started for what was about to come. Ending just shortly after 8pm, Kylie ended her night singing “If He Wanted To He Would.”
Shortly after exiting the stage, it was time for Chayce Beckham. Although he admitted to being a little under the weather, if that wasn’t disclosed to the crowd, you wouldn’t have known. Every note he sang was in tune and his energy stayed high. Him and his band worked the stage with killer guitar work. Seeing an artist thoroughly enjoy what they do on stage always amplifies the experience.
After wrapping up his set, sound crew quickly worked to get Parker’s stage setup. It’s always amazing how quickly a whole set can change with all hands on deck. With the quick shuffling around, fans were running to their seats as the lights went down.
With music starting up, the crowd screams and hollers as Parker McCollum walks to the top of the stairs center stage. Starting his set for the Burn It Down Tour at the Ford Center, Parker sings Hurricane from his album Never Enough. Continuing off of the energy he was receiving, Parker and the band go back to back with Why Indiana, Don’t Blame Me and an all time favorite of the crowd, Handle On You.. If you don’t follow Parker or have seen him in concert before, one thing that you’ll learn very quickly is how genuine he is. Whether it is how effortlessly he conveys his lyrics or taking time from his setlist to talk to the fans in the pit, Parker McCollum has a heart of gold. Before continuing with his set, he goes around to sign hats, boots, signs, you name it. It’s pretty evident why he has the following he has with his warm smile and inviting personality. After making his way around and singing happy birthday to someone in the crowd, the show started back up with Like A Cowboy. Every word was sang by not only Parker, but by the entire crowd. It wouldn’t be a complete show without top hits performed like To Be Loved By You, Hell of a Year, Wait Outside, and Meet You in the Middle. Closing out the night, he make sure to give big shoutouts to Kylie Morgan and Chayce Beckham. Following that, he introduced his entire band who helps put on a hell of a show. With the pyrotechnics happening in the background, it’s only fitting for him to wrap it up with Burn It Down.
Whether you listen to country on the regular or it’s never been your thing, I think there is all one thing we can all agree on and that’s the appreciation music enthusiasts have for when someone sounds as good in person as they do on the radio. And that is the best way I can describe the way you hear Parker sing. It is not only effortless, but it’s also authentic.
