Chris Stapleton Brings the Thunder During Rainy George Strait Nissan Stadium Stop

Chris Stapleton delivered an epic set before lightning ended George Strait's headlining performance.

By John Connor Coulston

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It was a mess of a night over at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, but Chris Stapleton made sure he delivered on his portion of the night. Stapleton (along with Little Big Town) joined George Strait for a second night at the home of the Tennessee Titans in what was set to be a massive Music City blowout during their current tour. However, rain and storms threw the night out of whack.

Little Big Town was forced to delay and abbreviate their setlist, and George Strait only played about half his usual set. I, unfortunately, missed the opener's set as we dodged the first round of Nashville storms, but I made it to Nissan Stadium just in time for Stapleton's set, which also included his wife, Morgane Stapleton, in his backing band.

It was my first time catching him after becoming a fan when Traveller dropped in 2015, and, y'all, I am still in awe. I've always attributed my love for his work to his top-notch songwriting and arrangements. But hearing his vocals in-person and hearing his powerful, unique tone carry through a stadium really can leave you speechless. In an attempt to describe how incredibly Stapleton's voice resonates live, I could only compare him to:

  • a mighty thundercloud come to life (I'm thinking that one scene with ghost-Mustafa in The Lion King?)
  • a personified echo in a canyon
  • the spirit of the world's mightiest choir member trapped in the rafters of a country church

While Stapleton's vocals can fill a stadium with ease, it did make us want to see him in a more intimate setting. (Can we get a Ryman residency?) But other than that thought, we were entirely reeled in as he rolled through favorites like "Arkansas," "Cold" and his new single "White Horse" (from his upcoming album Higher.) It was the last stretch of the set though that solidified Stapleton as a next-level performer. Starting with a soaring (shortened) cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird," Stapleton" went into murderer's row of his best material, including "Traveler," "Fire Away," and "Broken Halos." He wrapped it all up with his cover of David Allan Coe's "Tennessee Whiskey," which has become as big of a staple (no pun intended) in the country music genre as you can get nowadays. It all added up to a crowd-pleasing run that is even better in hindsight, being as Strait's set ended up getting cut down. 

Thank you, Chris Stapleton, for being a beyond-bright spot on a frustrating night in Nashville. 

Chris Stapleton Concert Setlist — June 29, Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee

  1. "Nobody to Blame"
  2. "Parachute"
  3. "Second One to Know"
  4. "Starting Over"
  5. "Millionaire" (Kevin Welch cover)
  6. "Hard Livin'"
  7. "Worry B Gone" (Guy Clark cover)
  8. "Arkansas"
  9. "You Should Probably Leave"
  10. "White Horse"
  11. "Outlaw State of Mind"
  12. "Cold"
  13. "Free Bird" (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover)
  14. "The Devil Named Music"
  15. "Traveler"
  16. "Fire Away"
  17. "Broken Halos"
  18. "Tennessee Whiskey" (David Allan Coe cover)

Chris Stapleton Tour Dates 

Aug. 5—Tampa, Florida—Raymond James Stadium (with George Strait and Little Big Town)

Aug. 10—Gilford, New Hampshire—Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion (with Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives and The War And Treaty)

Aug. 11—Gilford, New Hampshire—Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion (with Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives and The War And Treaty)

Aug.12—Gilford, New Hampshire—Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion (with Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives and The War And Treaty)

Aug. 17—Toronto, Ontario—Budweiser Stage (with Marcus King and The War And Treaty)

Aug. 18—Toronto, Ontario—Budweiser Stage (with Marcus King and The War And Treaty)

Aug. 19—Montreal, Quebec—Lasso Festival at Parc Jean-Drapeau

Aug. 24—Memphis, Texas—FedEx Forum (with Marcus King and Allen Stone)

Aug. 25—Alpharetta, Georgia—Ameris Bank Amphitheatre (with Marcus King and Allen Stone)

Aug. 26—Alpharetta, Georgia—Ameris Bank Amphitheatre (with Marcus King and Allen Stone)

Oct. 5—Charlottesville, Virginia—John Paul Jones Arena (with Margo Price and Nikki Lane)

Oct. 6—State College, Pennsylvania—Bryce Jordan Center (with Margo Price and Nikki Lane)

Oct. 7—Long Island, New York—UBS Arena (with Margo Price and Nikki Lane)

Oct. 12—Corpus Christi, Texas—American Bank Center Arena (with Charley Crockett and Nikki Lane)

Oct. 13—Houston, Texas—Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion (with Charley Crockett and Nikki Lane)

Oct. 19—San Antonio, Texas—AT&T Center (with Charley Crockett and Nikki Lane)

Oct. 20—Austin, Texas—Moody Center (with Charley Crockett and Nikki Lane)

Oct. 21—Austin, Texas—Moody Center (with Charley Crockett and Nikki Lane)

Oct. 26—Tulsa, Oklahoma—BOK Center (with Charley Crockett and Nikki Lane)

Oct. 27—Dallas, Texas—Dos Equis Pavilion (with Charley Crockett and Nikki Lane)

Oct.  28—Dallas, Texas—Dos Equis Pavilion (with Charley Crockett and Nikki Lane)

Click here to search for tickets for Chris Stapleton's upcoming tour.

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