Chris Stapleton - Wonder Ballroom, Portland OR - November 12, 2015



[Nashville] My cousin, who is a certified expert in all things underground country, somehow ended up with two extra tickets to this (now sold out with tickets only available for over $100) and kindly shared these tickets with me and Flame. He’s been recommending bands to me for the last couple years and I unfailingly love them all. He was a little nervous about the whole setup because he knew Chris Before he won a CMA award the week before and Before a slew of country-pop-loving people decided to come to this show. It all worked out. After the opening band, and even had there not been a terrible opening band, Chris Stapleton was a revelation. Beautiful – sincere and heartfelt but not in a cheesy sentimental way. Not the music I usually see – we were all cowed into silent respect. Heartland rock, southern rock, outlaw country. Mellow – a little melancholy – music to drive by. Professional, polished. His lady accompaniment (his wife, I think) was part of the draw for me – with her long middle-parted hair and wine-colored leather jacket. I liked his look too – scraggly beard, long hair, cowboy hat. They mixed country and hippy in an appealing boundary-crossing way. He covered Waylon, had a super Willie sounding song. His voice really was exceptional. There was an ode to pot. There were several songs dedicated to whiskey. Oh and he used to do bluegrass although they slurred the genre (I forget the details) during their set.

Comments