A powerful trio of today’s Country Music elite, Chris Young, Joe Nichols and Gretchen Wilson took Bridgeview’s Toyota Park by storm (literally speaking) for the first annual “Bridgeview Music Fest” on Friday July 24th, 2009. The mid-sized stadium brought in dedicated followers of each artist. The main floor and upper tiers were packed with enthralled country music fans that looked forward to an evening of enjoyable entertainment!

By Donna Stroup

“Drinkin’ Me Lonely Singer Not Lonely at All”

RCA recording artist Chris Young had plenty of friends show up for his appearance Friday night July 24th at the Toyota Park stadium. Chris wore a black cowboy hat, blue jeans, boots and a black and white embroidered shirt, which was unbuttoned to the middle of his chest. The former “Nashville Star” welcomed the energized crowd with a hearty “Hello Chicago!” as he waved from the stage for the first annual Bridgeview Country Musicfest.

The time was approximately 7pm as onlookers were treated to Chris’s show opener entitled “Beer or Gasoline.” This song appeared on his self-titled freshman album “Chris Young.” It can easily and humorously be applied to today’s economic woes. His debut project landed him into country music’s best-selling new male artist slot of 2006; add to that kudos from the Academy of Country Music for the Top New Male Vocalist of the same year. This young Murfreesboro Tennessee native has only been here for twenty four years, but has the soul and rich vocals of one much older. Chris’s persona brings to mind some of country music’s greatest legends.

At several times during the show, Chris could be seen lobbing a beach ball to the delight of his fans. “How many of you have already celebrated your twenty first birthday?” he asked. He then treated the crowd to one of his new songs titled “Twenty-one Candles.” Chris informed the crowd “If you don’t know who I am, I’m Chris Young. I’m on the RCA label. We’ve got a record coming out Sept 1st that I’m very happy about! It’s been a long time coming.”

A song from the soon to be released album “The Man I Want to Be” was delivered to a welcoming throng. The new CD will feature 11 songs. Afterwards, Chris could be heard asking “We had an album that came out in 2006, how many of you have a copy?” Numerous screams could be heard as Chris replied “God bless you.” A huge smile crossed his face as Chris informed everyone, “They’re (his CD) back at the merchandise booth.” Deafening yells abounded as Chris and the band dove into fan favorite “You’re Gonna Love Me.” Almost instantly, one realizes that this tune is definitely an audience pleaser.

Once again, Chris sent a beach ball sailing into the festive crowd. He introduced his band which contains two guitarists. Chris has been keen on the guitar since his youth and was undoubtedly influenced by his grandfather, Richard Yates. Mr. Yates appeared on the world renowned Louisiana Hayride. Rounding out the ensemble is a drummer and keyboardist.

As he wiped his brow with several white towels, Chris began throwing “souvenirs” from various areas of the stage. His adoring female fans compete with one another to claim their prize. The band broke into a cover of ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man” a huge hit from ZZ’s signature album
“Eliminator” that was released in 1983; the place went absolutely wild! Eventually the crowd reverently calmed down as Chris and the band performed another single from the soon to be released album. This melody was called “Voices.” Chris was heard saying “If your family means anything to you, this one’s for you.” As I looked into the throngs of people gathered in the stadium, signs were proudly held up high proclaiming “This is Young Country.”

Obviously Chris hits a nerve as you could see folks swaying to the music with looks of adoration for their country star. Chris must have felt the warm vibes from the gathering as he proclaimed, “Thank you all for supporting us and country music. I’ve wanted to do this since I was a kid. This next song is #21 on the charts and climbing. It’s a real sexy song. We have a really cool video for it, too. It’s called Getting You Home.” Loud whistles and yelling could be heard by the enthusiastic crowd.

Chris addressed the attendees, “This is one of the best crowds we’ve played to in a long time.” The concert goers applauded and shouted in agreement. Chris could be heard exclaiming “This is the first song that came out to country radio for me and was a big hit, thanks to you! It’s called “Drinkin Me Lonely.” “God bless you all.”  The roar in reply from the crowd was insane!

Before his final number, Chris conveyed to the audience “I hope you enjoyed our show.” He tossed out one more reminder once again for the festival goers. “We have a new CD coming out soon called “The Man I want to Be.” Probably a smart thing to reiterate as the beer was definitely flowing on this fun filled night!

The show wrapped up with a cut from Chris’s first record called “Who’s Gonna Take Me Home,” as he punched another beach ball and several more towels into the audience. A thankful wave and a “God bless you all” could be heard as Chris made his final exit from the stage. The concert ended at 7:40pm.

Full Set List:

1. Beer or Gasoline

2. Twenty One Candles

3. The Man I Want to Be

4. You’re Gonna Love Me

5. That Makes Me

6. Sharp Dressed Man (Cover)

7. Voices

8. Gettin’ You Home (The Black Dress Song)

9. Drinkin’ Me Lonely

10. Who’s Gonna Take Me Home

By Christian Scalise

“Nichols Delights Bridgeview with Pure Country”

After a fabulous performance by Chris Young, fans anxiously cheered and clapped as they awaited the arrival of Country music heavyweight Joe Nichols. Opening the show at 8:05pm with rowdy tune “Let’s Get Drunk And Fight” and “What’s A Guy Gotta Do,” Joe graciously welcomed the audience and thanked them for coming out to the show.

Wearing a white button down shirt with blue jeans it appeared to onlookers that Joe was looking and feeling great in regards to his hectic touring and recording schedule, not to mention preparations for his Broadway production of “Pure Country” opening in early 2010. 

Giving listeners a sneak peek into the material from his forthcoming album “Old Things New,” Joe performed “Gimme That Girl,” a humorous song about an infatuation with a strikingly beautiful woman and “Cheaper Than A Shrink,” a carefree tune about hittin’ the bottle to drown away your problems rather than pay someone else to analyze your brain.

Both songs took well to the audience with their infectious arrangements. It has been awhile since we’ve had new music from Joe and by the positive response from the audience, everyone is looking forward to the albums tentatively scheduled release date of September 29th.

Joe also offered another tune titled “Believers,” the debut single from “Old Things New.” The song touched the crowd with its deep message of hope and faith in a time when we need it most. (Make sure to call up your local radio station and request this great song!)

Calling upon all the females in the audience for his performance of “Size Matters (Someday),” Joe coyly asked, “Ain’t that right ladies?” before beginning the song. The question asked was replied with a series of loud cheers. The song doesn’t allude to anything close to its connotative title, but rather tells the story about a woman looking for love, honesty and commitment from a man. The enjoyable accompaniment from the steel guitar gave the song an extra boost.

Bringing the show to a whole new level, Joe showcased his pristine vocals with nothing but an acoustic guitar on poignant ballads “I’ll Wait For You,” “She Only Smokes When She Drinks,” and “The Impossible,” Joe’s first #1 hit song.  

Joe encouraged fans in the audience to raise up their beer, lighter, and even babies in the air during the relaxing instrumental trio of the touching tunes. He also made a point of humbly thanking the audience for staying with him through the years and for their continued support of his music. Joe thankfully told the audience, “If it weren’t for y’all, I wouldn’t be doing what I do and I appreciate you for that. God Bless you all. You look beautiful tonight in Bridgeview, IL.”

Turning the show back around with a rockin’ twist, “It Ain’t No Crime” had the audience on their feet while the solid country themed “Brokenheartsville” found Joe inviting the audience to sing along with him, which they did.

Having a little fun with the audience, Joe took a picture of the crowd on his blackberry which later turned up on his Twitter page. (http://twitter.com/JoeNichols)

Joe has a real unique way of being able to connect with the audience, thanks to his lighthearted and laidback nature that so many people are able to relate to. He told the audience how much of a great time he was having several times throughout the evening.

Closing out the show Joe told the audience in a boisterous tone, “Today I consider myself a lucky man…its National Tequila Day! Whatever happens in the next three minutes stays in the next three minutes.” The comical introduction followed with a rollicking performance of “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off.”

Thanks to Joe Nichols and his talented band, everybody had an amazing time at the show. The show unfortunately ended at 9:10pm.

Full Set List:

1. Let’s Get Drunk And Fight

2. What’s A Guy Gotta Do

3. Gimmie That Girl

4. Cheaper Than A Shrink

5. Believers

6. Size Matters (Someday)

7. Cool To Be A Fool

8. I’ll Wait For You

9. She Only Smokes When She Drinks

10. The Impossible

11. It Ain’t No Crime

12. Brokenheartsville

13. Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off

We’d like to apologize for not being able to provide you with a concert review for Gretchen Wilson’s portion of the show. Due to hazardous weather conditions CSC opted to leave the show after Joe’s performance for safety reasons. We look forward to reviewing Gretchen in the near future for all of you. We are sure that Gretchen did a fantastic job that evening. God Bless!

Make sure to check out Chris Youngs website here: http://www.ChrisYoungCountry.com and Joe Nichols website here: http://www.JoeNichols.com

Enjoy pictures from the show below. All pictures are copyrighted to Christian Scalise & Donna Stroup. Please DO NOT take any images without prior consent. Thanks for understanding!