Aaron Watson brought his Texas charm to Nashville’s Exit/In last night for a rousing, boot-stomping hour and forty minute set, opened by Aaron Parker and Rainey Qualley. Watson kicked the night off with “Freight Train,” from his most recent studio album The Underdog, and carried the energy strong through his set, breaking only to engage the crowd in lengthy conversations that brought living-room comfort to the sold-out club. From discussing playing the Opry for the first time – an accomplishment 13 years in the making – to his wife’s desire to hit the nearest IHOP afterwards, Watson was charming, charismatic, and connective.
The show was a reminder of pre-genre-bent country – fiddle, guitar, and Watson’s twangy vocal led the the charge through uptempos like current single “Getaway Car” and jabs at the Nashville music industry, like with “Fence Post.” Watson’s fiddle player – “live you’ve never seen before, unless you’ve seen it before,” Watson announced – delivered an impressive and lengthy solo, playing behind his back and even with a fan’s help, moving the fiddle back and forth to make music as she held the string stationary.
“We’re working on another record and we’re gonna put the cowboy back in country music, folks,” Watson said, to the loudest cheer of the night. It was a crowd of particularly vocal and engaged fans – Watson took requests, including his cover of John Mayer’s “Wildfire” that appears on his current album, and “Off The Record,” a fan favorite. He was also strong on favorites like “That Look.”
“The wheels on the bus go round and round because y’all support us,” Watson said.