Hardy brings the thunder to the country in a Saturday night to remember in downtown Calgary

August 18, 2024 Canuck

Saturday night at The Confluence, Hardy put the thunder in Country Thunder.

He kicked off his headline slot on a full-moon Saturday with a pyrotechnic show that spat flames into the sky, before launching into “Rockstar,” featuring sledgehammer guitars and some pretty cheeky lyrics.

And I ain’t sayin’ that I’m Nickelback, kickin’ it in Cali with today’s who’s-who
But everybody’s got a song called “Rockstar”
Lately I been feelin’ like one so I wrote one too

And right from those first few notes, 12,000 young fans lifted their Ole canned margaritas towards the sky and sang along, because they all know the words to this guy’s songs.

It was a little more Megadeth-tinged than the older country fans among us in attendance were used to, but Hardy, who grew up in Philadelphia, Miss., listening to Led Zepplin and Pearl Jam, is part of a new generation of guitar-driven country rockers who like a lot of metal in their torch and twang, and judging by the crowd’s reaction, it’s a winner.

One of Hardy’s occasional collaborators, Lainey Wilson, described Hardy live as a “WWE show,” in a Los Angeles Times feature about him by Mikael Wood, and Saturday night, a few hours before his headlining gig, he said it’s true.

“I would say that’s a pretty accurate description,” he said. “Lotta fire. Smoke. Whatever you wanna call it. Cryo.

“What I do, in the same way that WWE is very orchestrated,” he said. “I treat my show very similar. I understand that it’s very easy to lose a crowd if you play a few boring songs in a row.

“A few songs that even sound similar – like why would you play four or five heavy songs you know?,” he said, continuing. “I do feel like there’s a dance, a flow to my live show comparable to WWE where you bring it down, then you bring it back up, keep it in the middle, then bring it down and then end strong — I understand that. So Lainey gets a gold star for that because that’s a pretty great description.”

Saturday, Hardy wore a black Calgary Flames jersey with “Huberdeau” embroidered on the back (“Gotta give the people what they want,” he said, prior to the show.)

His set bounced back and forth between country metal anthems that erupted into huge singalongs, like on “Boots,” a song with the refrain “I woke up in my boots this morning,” which sort of could be the motto of more than a few Country Thunder patrons, to “Rednecker”, which was to Country Thunder fans what “Sweet Caroline” is to Red Sox fans.

My truck’s louder than your truck
And my collar’s a little more blue
You might think that you’re redneck
But I’m rednecker than you

“We’re going to rock your Canadian faces off tonight,” Hardy said. “Are you f-ing ready?”

Some singers have great chemistry with certain cities. Billy Joel has it with New York. Taylor Swift has it with – well, everywhere. Supertramp was huge in Winnipeg (and Montreal) before they were anywhere else.

Judging by his 2022 and 2024 Country Thunder shows, Calgary and Hardy fit each other like a glove.

He even said as much when it was mentioned to him that the 2022 show was a real banger.

“I remember it being pretty fired up –put it that way,” he said. “Pretty great night.”

“It’s an absolute pleasure to be back headlining at this place,” he said to the crowd Saturday. “I love Canada.

“I almost love you more than my hometown!”

A touch of Janis Joplin

Before Hardy hit the mainstage Saturday, the audience got a masterful set of country blues and soul from Elle King, who was a little bit Bonnie Raitt, a little bit Tom Petty – and completely captivating, both on covers like Stevie Nicks “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,:” and Joe Walsh’s “Rocky Mountain Way,” and originals such as “Chain Smoking, Wild Drinkin Woman” and “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home.”) (co-written with Miranda Lambert).

King had a touch of Janis Joplin in her, too, and a tattoo that said “Lucky” on her neck. It was just as lucky for us that she helped turn Saturday night at Country Thunder into a pretty memorable evening.

Country Thunder Alberta wraps up Sunday night with a concert by Luke Combs, Flatland Cavalry, Meghan Patrick, Hailey Benedict, Jake Worthington and Mariya Stokes on the mainstage.

For more information, go here.

View original article here Source

Canada News

Hardy brings the thunder to the country in a Saturday night to remember in downtown Calgary

A touch of Janis Joplin

Apple iPhone SE 2020 (64GB, 3GB) 4.7" Retina IPS LCD, A13 Bionic, IP67 Water Resistant, Black - Fully Unlocked A2275…

Samsung Galaxy S22 (5G) 128GB Unlocked - Phantom Black (Renewed)

Royale Velour Toilet Paper, 12 Equal 24 Rolls, 142 Bathroom Tissues per roll

CeraVe FOAMING Face Wash, Gentle Face Cleanser for Men & Women with Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide, Ceramides.…

Botanic Hearth 100% Pure Rosemary Oil For Hair Growth Infused With Biotin (6.7 fl oz) | Hair strengthening Treatment…

Jacked Factory Creatine Monohydrate Powder 425g - Creatine Supplement for Increased Muscle Mass*,…

Dell Latitude 5400 Laptop 14 - Intel Core i5 8th Gen - i5-8365U - Dual Core 4.1Ghz - 512GB SSD - 16GB RAM - 1920x1080…

GUM Advanced Care Flosser Picks, Infused with Vitamin E & Fluroide, Fresh Mint Flavour, Blue, 150 Flossers (1 Bag)

Scotties Original Everyday Care Facial Tissue, Hypoallergenic and Dermatologist Tested, 6 Boxes, 126 Tissues per Box

Fitbit Inspire 3 Health and Fitness Tracker with Stress Management, Workout Intensity, Sleep Tracking, 24…