If the world didn’t know who Chris Stapleton was before Monday evening, it definitely knows who he is now. Chris Stapleton left the Grammy Awards with not just one, but two awards. After one dream came true, he came back home to Nashville to conquer another, selling out The Ryman; however, he didn’t just sell it out once. He sold out The Ryman three nights in a row.
Opening for Stapleton on the first night (Feb. 18th) of the three sellouts was the newly signed Texan, Maren Morris. Morris brought her unapologetically witty writing and her killer voice to the stage, and she crushed it. Typically, the opener slot for a plethora of shows can be the filing to your seats, getting merch, and getting drinks slot. However, it was the opposite for Morris. During her performance, the entire audience was not only captivated, but was also singing along. Everyone knew every word to her current single, “My Church,” and it truly was a soul revival to see her perform it at The Ryman for both the audience and for Morris.
Picture this: a rather burly man with a cowboy hat, hair that is longer and better than most women’s, and a beard that is nearly as long as his hair walks out onto The Ryman stage. He opens his mouth, and out pours genius lyrical ability and a voice that is second to none. Seeing Stapleton play live showcased the amount of raw talent that the man possesses. He opened with his current single, “Nobody To Blame,” and instantly the whole crowd stood up, screaming, something quite foreign to The Ryman’s normal concert structure. Also known as the Mother Church of Country Music, The Ryman normally houses a respectfully reserved audience in its pews. Yet, for Stapleton, it housed the contrary. He was receiving more shouts of “amens” from the audience than a Sunday morning. The opening number set the tone for the entire show, Stapleton belting, and the spectators roaring into a standing ovation immediately after his voice trailed off. He got a standing ovation from every single person in the audience after every song ended, no matter the tone.
Being a Nashville show, it’d be odd for Stapleton not to have some surprises up his sleeve. He brought the incredibly talented bluegrass band The SteelDrivers out for a couple of songs. Together they sang Stapleton’s song “Ghosts of Mississippi” and The SteelDrivers’ song “Sticks That Made Thunder,” both accompanied by Tammy Rogers’ fantastic fiddle skills. Stapleton also brought out his opener to do a cover, which further excited the crowd. He and Morris sang a cover of Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’.” Shortly after that, Stapleton and his wife, Morgane, did their stunning rendition of “You Are My Sunshine,” which can be found on Dave Cobb’s Southern Family compilation album. In response to the audience’s explosion and the belting that she did after “You Are My Sunshine,” Morgane said, “I sang that so hard my pants came unzipped.”
Stapleton’s encore was his heartfelt ballad “Whiskey and You.” He came out with just a guitar, and literally moved the crowd to tears. It is impressive to see modern country listeners reacting to Stapleton in such an enthused way, and it is amazing to see the older crowd’s eyes light up with nostalgia for the southern rock and traditional country vibes of Hank Williams Jr. that Stapleton puts off. With two Grammys and three sold out shows at The Ryman under his belt, Stapleton has some more dreaming to do, and frankly, we can’t wait to see what’s next.