Gary Allan and Jamey Johnson Showcase Performance, Art

For country singers, August generally means it’s time to make the rounds at county and state fairs across the country. That’s what brought Gary Allan and Jamey Johnson to the Heartland Event Center as they played the Hall County Fair in Grand Island, Nebraska, on Thursday.

It was apparent early on which members of the audience were fans of Johnson, or were at least familiar with his music, as he opened with “High Cost of Living” to the delight of many and the chagrin of a handful of parents who brought their kids to see Allan. Johnson’s set consisted almost exclusively of songs from That Lonesome Song, with the lonesome cry of pedal steel seamlessly flowing from one song to the next. Johnson played for 45 minutes straight before even really acknowledging there was an audience. When he finally did speak, Johnson briefly said, “I don’t think I’ve ever been to Nebraska before. Thanks for having us,” and he immediately went into the next song.

Johnson’s show was a work of art, playing hardcore country in a way that probably would have been no different than if he were in his garage with no one around to listen. There was no light show, no smoke or pyrotechnics, no choreography; just the savior of traditional country standing at a microphone and singing from the heart.

Unfortunately, art doesn’t always hold an audience’s attention, especially when the majority is there for someone else. While Johnson’s fans, including myself, were hanging on his every note, others were paying little attention to the scraggly singer on stage and many hadn’t even found their seats until halfway through the set. That changed at the end of the show, however, as he instantly got the crowd of 4,000 on its feet and singing along with “In Color” and “Give It Away,” with many remarking to their friends, “I didn’t know this was the guy who sang that.”

Johnson finished by showing gratitude for his success in his own way, altering the final lines of “Give It Away” to say, “I’ve got a furnished house, a diamond ring, a couple of ACMs, a CMA, Bocephus on speed dial, and I hear George Strait even knows my name, and I still can’t give it away.” Then he set his guitar down and walked offstage with minimal fanfare. This performance wasn’t about Johnson; it was about country music.

If Johnson’s set was art, Allan’s was a performance. He had the crowd on its feet immediately with a new song, presumably off his upcoming album. No official title was given, but judging by the lyrics, I’m guessing it’s something along the lines of “I Get Off On The Pain.” The song is a rocking celebration of underdogs and risk takers, similar to “Like It’s A Bad Thing” from the previous album, as he sings, “There’s a side of me that just won’t stop dancin’ in the flames/Maybe I just get off on the pain.”

Allan kept the crowd energized from beginning to end with his rocking brand of west coast country, while breaking up the set with soulful ballads in a way only Allan can deliver them–including an acoustic rendition of “Right Where I Need To Be” that showcased one of the best voices in country music. He expertly made the building seem no bigger than a living room with his intimate performance of “The One.” Afterward he said of the song, “That’s gotta be the sappiest song I’ve ever done. Would you believe I never thought that would make it on an album?”

Allan also spoke briefly about the stage collapse at the Big Valley Jamboree, which he witnessed. He told the crowd he wasn’t sure he would be able to make it to this show because much of his equipment was damaged in the accident. Nearly everything on stage had been borrowed, including a drum kit from Rascal Flatts and a keyboard from LeAnn Rimes. “Playing someone else’s instrument is a lot like dancing with another man’s wife,” he remarked. “It works, but…well, you know.”

Allan’s performance was nothing short of outstanding, mixing his hits with a few non-singles from his previous two albums, as well as his new single, “Today.” Conspicuously absent from the set list was “Smoke Rings in the Dark.” I had been under the impression it was still considered his signature song, but judging by crowd reaction it seems to have been supplanted by “Best I Ever Had” and “Watching Airplanes.”

Overall, the performances by Johnson and Allan provided an interesting contrast in styles: One a scraggly music man carrying the torch for the outlaw movement, and the other a veteran showman dragging his microphone stand around the stage like Eddie Montgomery minus the braggadocio. Both were worth the price of admission and more.