The old saying “needs more cowbell” could be applied to country music and its need for more McCreery. Scotty McCreery that is. The American Idol season 10 champ brought his Weekend Roadtrip Tour to the Mystic Lake Showroom Friday night to a full house.
Having seen McCreery open for Brad Paisley’s Virtual Reality World Tour Jan. 14, 2012, at the Xcel Energy Center, admittedly mixed expectations were abound.
However, as with any opening slot on a tour, it can be hard for newer acts to truly introduce themselves to the audiences in the short time slots allotted.
McCreery performed a two-hour set Friday night at Mystic Lake, and hands down introduced himself to everyone in that room. He even went so far as to write his phone number on a couple lucky female fan’s hands during the catchy “Write My Number on Your Hand.” (For those who weren’t able to be at the show, feel free to call (919) 800-7527 for a special message direct from McCreery).
Opening with “Rock This Night,” McCreery did just that – but maintained a true country showmanship throughout. He was mild-mannered, pleasantly interacting with the audience, but sticking to business on the stage with his five-piece backing band. He worked the stage like a pro, apparently having picked up a thing or two from Paisley when touring with the country hitmaker.
McCreery took the audience to his hometown of Garner, NC, with “Watertower Town,” teased the crowd with the lyrics “baby lock the door and turn the lights down low,” and sang his first single “I Love You This Big.”
Grabbing a guitar, McCreery shared his Idol journey, and the fact he had to show that he was country. To prove the point, he did the George Strait hit “Check Yes or No” followed by his own “Dirty Dishes,” which shares the importance of family and recognizing the special moments in our day-to-day lives.
A rollicking version of the Garth Brooks hit “Papa Loved Mama” prefaced some new McCreery music.
His “Something About a Suntan” obviously sounds similar to the Kip Moore hit “Something About a Truck,” but it is a fun offering live – and made for a good opportunity for some larger-than-lifesize beachballs to float around the crowd. McCreery kept the summer theme going with “Out of Summertime.”
Showcasing his band Dry County, the six musicians let their talent shine on the popular “Man of Constant Sorrow.”
His own “Better Than That,” and “Gotta See You Tonight” led into a story about being bored in Las Vegas and ending up at one of Garth Brooks’ shows at the Wynn. While he was sitting there watching one of his heroes perform, a girl came up and tapped him on the shoulder. He admitted he wasn’t sure where things were going, but the girl introduced himself as one of Brooks’ daughters, and brought McCreery backstage after the show to meet her famous father.
“Every good thing you have heard about Garth Brooks is 100 percent true,” McCreery told the crowd. The familiar intro to “The Dance” began, and opening act Sarah Darling came out for a duet with McCreery on one of Brooks’ most famous songs.
McCreery’s “You Make That Look Good,” his version of Tim McGraw’s “I Like it, I Love It,” and an acoustic version of the Jamey Johnson hit “In Color,” all followed, the latter which was one of the tunes McCreery sang for Idol judges.
He stopped midway through the song to recognize those serving overseas, and went on to play his hit “The Trouble With Girls” as his band filed back onto the stage.
An “interruption” to the show came when Brad Paisley’s face suddenly appeared on the large screen behind McCreery. They bantered about when they toured together, and Paisley encouraged McCreery to do Paisley’s hit “Celebrity,” to which he obliged the singer and the crowd.
What sealed the deal most of all was McCreery’s sincere appreciation of the country music he grew up on (think Travis Tritt, McGraw, Brooks, and Montgomery Gentry) to bona fide classics like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Hank Williams Sr.
A medley of those artists and more easily resonated with every single person in that audience – one song or another.
McCreery’s version of Travis Tritt’s “T-R-O-U-B-L-E” brought the show to its close, and McCreery encored with Montgomery Gentry’s “Gone.”
McCreery has hit his Weekend Roadtrip Tour out of the park. Hopefully the Weekend Roadtrip will become a full-scale summer vacation as McCreery is truly needed to bring his music, his country music, to as many fans as possible.
Iowa native Darling, who recently performed on “The Bachelor” and has performed almost 30 times on the Grand Ole Opry, opened for McCreery.
Her new EP features the favorite “Home to Me,” among other new offerings. Darling was confident on stage, showcasing her vocals well on the Fleetwood Mac/Dixie Chicks hit “Landslide.”
Other notes:
• McCreery and his family had a booth set up at the show for World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and communities worldwide to reach full potential by tackling poverty and injustice. Find more information at www.worldvision.org/
• The Minnehaha Café at Mystic Lake provides the perfect place for a pre-show dinner or snack with great selections at reasonable prices.
• Another show not to miss at Mystic Lake Hotel is Kellie Pickler Thursday, April 25, at 7:30 p.m. (click HERE to win tickets from MinnesotaCountry.com).
A complete schedule of events for Mystic Lake Casino Hotel can be found HERE.
– Contributing Writer: Ryan Gueningsman
– Photos by: Scott Knutson of Inside Out Studios