By Christian Scalise

“Urban Cowboys & Cowgirls, Meet Down Home Twang!!”

Chicago’s esteemed concert venue Joe’s Bar was transformed into an all out country brouhaha on Thursday March 11th, 2010 for Valory Music Co. recording artist Justin Moore’s return performance to the highly enthralled audience of mostly young men and women.

I have to say that I was most surprised by the impressive crowd of people gathered inside being that it was a work weeknight for most; apparently even that didn’t stop them from coming out to the show.   

The evening kicked off with opening act Natalie Stovall whose lighthearted stage presence, talented musicianship and charming personality not to mention sheer beauty kept the crowd on their feet until Justin’s arrival.

There is a lot to be thankful for if you’re Justin Moore in the year 2010… So far in just the early stages of his career he has been blessed with many accomplishments such as a #3 slot on the Billboard Country Albums Chart the week his debut CD was released, his smash single “Small Town USA” landed the #1 spot on both the Billboard and USA Today/ Country Aircheck (powered by Mediabase) Country Singles charts in late September, and he has recently joined Country Music megastar Brad Paisley on a nationwide tour. With all that said, the audience was VERY eager to see this country music firecracker firsthand!

Taking the stage promptly at 9:30pm wearing a plaid buttoned down western shirt with blue jeans, leather boots and a beige cowboy hat Justin opened up his concert with “Back That Thing Up,” “How I Got To Be This Way” and “Good Ole American Way.”

Justin quickly addressed the audience by sharing his thoughts with them, “Thanks for having me back at Joe’s Bar. This is one of the coolest places to be” he said in his thick southern drawl. He also thanked Chicago’s Country Music station WUSN 99.5 for their continual support of his radio singles.  

I immediately comprehended what this guy was all about after hearing his trio of opening songs; Real country music with a Rock And Roll twist, a seasoned backwoods mentality and a strong respect for the men and women serving our country topped with a great sense of patriotism for the USA. I admired that and could tell that it wasn’t pretentious or forced, it was purely genuine.

Giving listeners an inside look at his debut CD, Justin performed each and every song on it  while also incorporating several notable cover tunes into the show such as the likes of music legends ZZ Top’s “Gimmie All Your Lovin” and the great John Anderson’s “Seminole Wind.”

Stripping down all the electric instruments for a handful of songs, Justin showcased his vocals solely with his guitar and the mic for an acoustic performance. “Flying Down The Back Road,” “Outlaws Like Me (A possible duet in the future with Miranda Lambert),” and “My Kind Of Woman” filled the room with a pure definition of stone cold country standards with a modern day twist.

Striking an emotional chord with the audience, Justin paid tribute to his late Grandfather with a mention also of his Aunt that passed away on “Grandpa.” He told the crowd he didn’t intend to damper the high of the evening but he wanted to share his special relationship with his dear Grandfather with everyone listening.

Closing out the show with the rowdy “I Could Kick Your Ass,” Merle Haggard’s “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink” and “Gimmie All Your Lovin,” at 11:15pm, the adoring audience cheered and bestowed Justin with thunderous applause… I’d say a standing ovation would have been appropriate too but since everyone stood the entire night through he got em’ for every song! Ha-ha. Thanks again to Joe’s Bar and their staff for allowing us to cover this awesome concert.

Set List:

1. Back That Thing Up

2. How I Got To Be This Way

3. Good Ole American Way

4. Like There’s No Tomorrow

5. Backwoods

6. Hank It

7. Redneck Sound

8. Grandpa

9. Flying Down The Back Road

10. Outlaws Like Me

11. My Kind Of Woman

12. Seminole Wind (John Anderson Cover)

13. Dirt Road Kid

14. Time To Dress Down

15. The Only Place That I Call Home

16. Small Town USA

17. I Could Kick Your Ass

18. I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink (Merle Haggard Cover)

19. Gimmie All Your Lovin’ (ZZ Top Cover)

You may follow Justin Moore on Twitter here: http://www.Twitter.com/JustinColeMoore

Enjoy pictures from the show below. Do not use without permission. Images are copyrighted to Country Stars Central.