Dustin Lynch – The Myth – Maplewood Minnesota – February 21st 2016
DUSTIN LYNCH WRAPS UP HELL OF A NIGHT TOUR AT MYTH LIVE
On February 21st at Myth Live Event Center, the line of enthusiastic Modern Country Music fans was wrapped around the building. There was plenty of camo on display. There were diehard Minnesotan’s trying to prove that 37ᵒ is warm weather. True, Myth Live is about as Honkytonk as many of these listeners are Country. But the venue was a good fit for a fun filled show.
Two supporting artists and a DJ spinning music between acts were examples of how much Modern Country has crossed over to Pop Music and the crowd was clearly on board for this genre mashup. Northern California native Tyler Rich got things going with a 30-minute solo set including cover tunes and original material, the highlight being his current single Radio. Tennessee based Chris Lane turned up the heat with a slightly longer full band set featuring chart placing singles Broken Windshield View and Fix. Lane is a solid vocal talent with a very active stage presence.
He brought a lot of fun to his performance with a diverse medley of tunes including everything from Miley Cyrus to Kiss. When there was an absence in live music, the crowd did remain entertained with a DJ mix that mere mortals might only achieve by tapping into the Clear Channel music library and setting it on random play.
As the night progressed, anticipation was building for the main event. Suddenly beams of red, white and blue light performed a patriotic dance about the room. You could feel a rumble growing louder as guitar strapped figures hustled into position. The recognizable first notes of To the Sky rang out. Rising star Dustin Lynch rushed onto the stage with a confident grin. That made you feel as if we were in for one “Hell of a Night”. A buckskin Stetson Cowboy hat, blue jeans and fancy boots all screamed Country. However, the white 80’s “New Order” concert t-shirt was an interesting choice.
Dustin Lynch effortlessly banged out top 20 hit She Cranks My Tractor. Lynch made use of the entire stage to connect with fans in all directions. The crowd was visibly engaged and offered up good participation throwing hands in the air and singing along during feel good tracks like All Night and Sing it to Me. Some material was powered by an undeniable “bro-country” groove, which made tunes like Name on It obvious crowd favorites.
Lynch said they chose St. Paul as their final stop for a reason and expected the crowd to be amongst the loudest. He even offered up a celebratory shot, raising a glass in thanks for a sold out show as a perfect conclusion to the tour. This sparked a fun interlude that included a carnival spinning wheel and brought supporting artists Rich and Lane back to the stage for a Karaoke challenge. This diversion let to some outrageous covers of Fight For Your Right (Beastie Boys), Indian Outlaw (Tim McGraw) and Say My Name (Beyonce).
The fun wasn’t over. The mood transitioned nicely back to serious for one of the evening’s finest moments. A captivating performance of Cowboys and Angels allowed for full appreciation of the Troubadour’s rich vocal tone stylized with a smooth touch of country twang. He said the song was about his Grandparents and thanked fans. They made this breakthrough hit change his life. Closing out the set with the title track off his current release. Lynch showed that the front row isn’t always Where It’s At, jumping playfully into an inflatable boat to crowd surf for a little face time with fans at the back of the venue. The audience showed their appreciation and encouraged to band to return for a one song encore poetically closing out the night and tour with Hell of a Night.
Set List:
To The Sky
She Cranks My Tractor
Halo
All Night
(brand new song – Small Town Boy Like Me?)
Mind Reader
Sing It To Me
Name On It
Wild in Your Smile
(Karaoke wheel medley)
Fight For Your Right (Beastie Boys)
Indian Outlaw (Tim McGraw)
Say My Name (Beyonce)
After Party
Cowboys and Angels
Where It’s At
Encore:
Hell of a Night
Review by Patrick Dunn
Photo Credit: Justin Nolan Key
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