The Cutting Room is an intimate venue in the heart of Manhattan’s Flatiron district, priding itself on great food, drinks and music. Monday night was no exception. NashFM listeners lined up long before the doors of the venue opened to be the first ones to find their tables to see Jason Aldean in a setting he hasn’t played in quite some time. Fans of all ages lined the venue while others sat very close to one another at small tables, making this event feel more like a family gathering then a concert.
Coming off his double header weekend at Fenway Park entertaining over 60,000 fans and his 7th studio album release week, Aldean was grateful for a quiet night with a couple hundred radio listeners. The NashFM America’s Morning Show team including Kelly Ford, Chuck Wicks and newcomer Ty Bentli along with New York’s NashFM Team Jesse Addy and Shila Nathan greeted the listeners and thanked them for coming before introducing Aldean to the stage.
“I never get to play a setting like this, it’s like a dinner party,” the Broken Bow Records artist joked as he sat at the front of the stage. Opening the set with the first single off They Don’t Know, “Lights Come On,” the room was enthusiastic and sang every word. Aldean has had quite the successful career since his first album in 2005 and took the opportunity to talk to his fans and thank them at lasts night event. “It’s been a hell of a ride over the years,” he exclaimed, playing the song that skyrocketed his career, “Dirt Road Anthem.” “This next song changed my life, it was a total game changer.”
Taking a break from featuring his biggest hits, Aldean answered fan questions from the radio DJs including “What is your favorite song that you have recorded?” to which he answered, “She’s Country,” because that song helped to launch his career. Someone in the audience also asked, “What do you think about how the genre is changing?” and he mentioned that he loves how the genre is constantly changing from Alabama and Dwight Yoakam in the 80’s to Reba and Garth Brooks in the 90’s he is proud to bring his own type of music and loves how each artist does their own thing.
Throughout his short but packed forty minute set, he played songs off of the new album including his current single “Little More Summertime” and hinted at the very good possibility that “This Plane Don’t Go There” will eventually be considered for a single as well. Taking us back to his My Kinda Party album which was certified triple platinum, he also sang “Tattoos on This Town” and closed the night with the title track, stating, “I love country and rock n’ roll and I love putting them together and coming up with things like this right here [“My Kinda Party”].”
This unique opportunity for some of his biggest fans to sit in a close setting and listen to the mega star made for a great night. “I feel like I should be taking requests,” he laughs. “It feels just like the old days, all I need is a tip jar.” As a fan yells out “Freebird,” Aldean jokes, “Now it really feels like the old days, there’s always one out there.” For one night only he could be transported back to the days of playing for fans on bar stools and he certainly didn’t seem to mind.