Tag Archives: Show Review

Country Music, Dan+Shay, Music, On Tour, Show Review

Dan + Shay’s “Just The Right Kind Of Crazy” Tour Hits Long Island

October 13, 2015 secretfangirls Leave a comment

Dan + Shay’s “Just The Right Kind Of Crazy” Tour stopped at Emporium in Patchogue, NY over the weekend. It’s the perfect name for a tour that blends the right amount of their signature pop country harmonies and crazy on stage energy!

Opening act Kelsea Ballerini infused lots of rock and roll energy into her pop-country sound. Her 45 minute set included tracks from her debut album “The First Time,” including singles “Dibs” and “Love Me Like You Mean It.” A highlight of her set was a 90s medley that included songs from *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears, encouraging everyone in the crowd to dance their craziest (or in our case, break out our boyband choreography).

Speaking of boy bands, Dan + Shay took us all back to middle school dance days with an outstanding cover of Boyz II Men’s “I’ll Make Love To You,” complete with disco ball lighting. The song highlighted Shay’s powerful voice and made us wonder what other 90s boy band jams we’d like to have them cover (answer: any and all of them, please.) Their set also included some classic rock covers, from Def Leppard to Bon Jovi, and an energetic mashup of “Dynamite” and “Moves Like Jagger.”

We love watching Dan + Shay perform because of the passion and energy they bring to each show. You can tell they are having a blast on stage and the excitement is infectious. The packed house was singing and moving along to every word. The duo are also great at interacting with the crowd, pointing out and singing along with fans, even stopping to take a rose from a man in the audience without missing a note.

Their set included nearly every song from their debut album, “Where It All Began.” Dan + Shay mentioned they have been busy working on new music, and played fan favorite “Partner In Crime.” We can’t wait for more music from our favorite duo!

Dan + Shay Setlist
Somewhere Only We Know
Nothin’ Like You
Stop Drop + Roll
Parking Brake
Anyway You Want It (Cover)
Show You Off
Pour Some Sugar On Me/Bad Blood (Cover)
What You Do To Me
I’ll Make Love To You (Cover)
Partner In Crime
You Give Love A Bad Name (Cover)
Party Girl
First Time Feeling
Can’t Say No
I Heard Goodbye
Dynamite/Moves Like Jagger (Cover)
19 You + Me

Visit DanAndShay.com for all upcoming tour dates!

Be sure to follow Dan + Shay & Secret Fangirls for more updates.

Boys We Like, Jake Miller, Music, On Tour, Show Review

Jake Miller’s Dazed and Confused Tour Hits NYC

July 10, 2015 secretfangirls Leave a comment

You know you’re in for a good night when a show kicks off with a blast of confetti! Jake Miller kept the energy level high from start to finish at the second stop of the Dazed and Confused Tour at the Best Buy Theater in NYC last night. The concert was one big dance party, led by Jake and his DJ.

Jake surprised everyone by dropping an EP the day of the tour kickoff. The “Rumors” EP had been out approximately 44 hours by the time of Jake’s NYC show, but that didn’t stop the crowd from knowing every single word to the new tracks. He played nearly the entire EP: “Rumors,” “Shake It,” “Selfish Girls,” and “Yellow Lights” were all highlights of his set.

Jake took time to interact with fans in the crowd, asking how long people had been in line (11 hours for one, and overnight for another in the front row!) Of course, when Jake called out some fans to say “hey, what’s your name?” he had to do it twice so they could take a video.

Other highlights of the set included a cover of “Uptown Funk,” which Jake turned into a club remix (like we said, one big dance party). One of the most touching moments of the set was Jake’s performance of “A Million Lives,” which he said would be many fans’ favorite moment of the show. The song perfectly captures the relationship between an artist and fan, and the power of music.

Jake even invited a lucky fan on stage to rap with him during his encore of “Dazed and Confused.” Watch the video below!

Setlist
Lion Heart
Hollywood
First Flight Home
Rumors
High Life
Uptown Funk (cover)
Party in the Penthouse
Selfish Girls / Cover Medley
Glow
There Is No One Like Me
Yellow Lights
A Million Lives
Ghost
Shake It
I’m Alright
Day Without Your Love
Collide
Dazed and Confused

Pickup a copy of the “Rumors” EP on iTunes and check out all of Jake’s upcoming tour dates HERE!

Be sure to follow Jake Miller and Secret Fangirls for more updates!

90s, Country Music, Music, On Tour, Show Review

Shania Twain Rocks This Country at Madison Square Garden

July 1, 2015 secretfangirls 1 Comment

We might have took the long way, but we finally got to see Shania Twain in concert for the first time last night! There may or not have been some fangirl tears shed at the show. Shania’s “Rock This Country” Tour hit Madison Square Garden, for what is likely her last NYC show … ever. (Shania announced in advance that this would be her final tour.) She proved time and again that after all this time, she’s still the one.

If you’ve seen videos from Shania’s “Still The One: Live From Vegas” show, you might be expecting her to pull out all the stops for her final tour. After all, that show had everything: elaborate sets, horses, backup dancers, many costume changes, etc. But the “Rock This Country” Tour set is surprisingly simple. The stage had the large video screens, pyro and moving parts we’ve come to expect from arena tours, but the real focus was on the music. Shania’s voice and stage presence alone are enough to get the whole crowd rocking. Her voice is as strong as ever, and yes, she can still hit that note in “From This Moment On.” Her large band also helped put the “rock” in the “Rock This Country” Tour! The show was a full blown rock show, and Shania’s band proved that you can rock out on a fiddle! During Shania’s costume changes, her band played impressive arrangements of her biggest hits, keeping the energy high.

This was a Shania Twain show after all, so of course she had some surprises in store! During “Any Man Of Mine,” she took a tour of the arena on a moving mini-stage, getting closer to the fans in the back. She later went “up up up” on a fringed saddle, riding around the runway. Shania also took some time to interact with the lucky fans in the front row! She was hi-fiving and signing things without missing a single note. Shania even handed off the mike during “Don’t Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)”

Shania has so many hits that her nearly 2-hour set went by in a flash. We could have stayed for another 2 hours, and she certainly would have had enough music to fill it! The arena-wide singalong that happened during “You’re Still The One” was one of the loudest and most emphatic we’ve ever heard. Everyone in the Garden was screaming every word. Chills.

The “Rock This Country” Tour runs through the end of October, and like we said, it’s Shania’s final tour, ever. So don’t be stupid and get your tickets now!

Setlist
Rock This Country!
Honey, I’m Home
You Win My Love
Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?
I Ain’t No Quitter
Love Gets Me Everytime
Don’t Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)
Any Man Of Mine
Ka-Ching (instrumental)
I’m Gonna Getcha Good!
Come On Over
Party For Two
Up!
Today Is Your Day
No One Needs To Know
You’re Still The One
From This Moment On
That Don’t Impress Me Much
(If You’re Not In It For Love) I’m Outta Here
Man! I Feel Like A Woman

90s, Boy Bands, Music, NKOTB, On Tour, Show Review

The Main Event Tour With NKOTB & TLC Hits Long Island, NY

June 21, 2015 secretfangirls Leave a comment

There ain’t no party like a Block Party! New Kids On The Block’s Summer Tour, aptly titled, “The Main Event,” stopped at Nassau Coliseum in Long Island over the weekend. As with any NKOTB event, it was a nonstop party from start to finish! It was everything we expected from this tour, and more. NKOTB know how to BRING IT each and every night on stage. Our review started as a fangirl keysmash but we managed to recover enough to write actual words.

Round 1: Nelly
Nelly got the party started with hits like “Country Grammar,” “Ride Wit Me” and “Hot in Herre,” making everyone feel like they were back in high school.

Round 2: TLC
T-Boz and Chilli win for best outfits of the night. Their holographic jumpsuits and their dancers’ “TLC” printed overalls made us feel like we were back in 1999. The highlight of the set was a singalong to their hit “Waterfalls,” as the crowd held up lights in memory of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes.

Round 3: New Kids On The Block
The New Kids just get better and better with age. NKOTB know how to put on a SHOW. They also know how to make every fan in the arena feel like a part of the action. Their stage setup is one of the coolest we’ve ever seen, with moving risers and multiple runways, so everyone has a chance to be close to the band. And they know exactly what the fangirls want. Change cam? Check. Tuxedos? Check. Dance Moves? Check.

Their set was a mix of old favorites and recent ones, and the year of each song’s release was written on the big screen – from 1984 to 2013. After singing “Please Don’t Go Girl,” Joey McIntyre said he’d been singing that song for 27 years, and asked the crowd if he could sing for 27 more, generating lots of screams from the audience (YES, PLEASE!)

Jordan Knight came out for a solo segment, his white shirt billowing open thanks to a couple of wind machines. Joey McIntyre followed, but decided to take things one step further and abandoned his shirt entirely. Donnie Wahlberg, once known for his tank top ripping and getting extremely um, close to fans in the front row, is happily married now to Jenny McCarthy, who was also in attendance. Instead of his old antics, Donnie led the crowd in a singalong of “Lean On Me,” while hundreds of #SelfiesForDonnie rotated on the big screen.

A highlight of the show was when the band dispersed into the crowd during “Tonight,” getting even closer to some lucky fans. Joey’s adorable son Griffin kicked off the song, singing from on top of the piano. He even did a spinning headstand. Trust us, this kid is going to be playing arenas with (we hope) his own boyband one day!

NKOTB are kicking off the 1st of 2 nights at Madison Square Garden tonight. There’s just a few more stops left on The Main Event Tour, but if you can get to a show, it’s a MUST.

Setlist:
Block Party
Crash
My Favorite Girl
You Got It (The Right Stuff)
The Whisper
Let’s Try It Again
Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time) / Valentine Girl / If You Go Away / Never Can Say Goodbye / Please Don’t Go Girl
Remix
Summertime
Dirty Dancing
Just A Friend / Good Vibrations
Tonight
Baby I Believe In You (Jordan solo)
Give It To You (Jordan solo)
Sweet Dreams (Joey solo)
Twisted (Joey solo)
I Need You / Lean On Me (Donnie solo)
Cover Girl (Donnie solo)
Games
Step By Step
I’ll Be Loving You Forever
Hangin’ Tough

Visit our Tumblr page for lots more photos from the show, such as the one below. Be sure to follow NKOTB & Secret Fangirls for more updates!

Artist to Watch, Country Music, Show Review

Canaan Smith Plays Showcase at Mercury Lounge in NYC

May 20, 2015 secretfangirls Leave a comment

Country artist Canaan Smith played an intimate show at NYC’s Mercury Lounge last night. The show gave the lucky fans in the audience a preview of Canaan’s upcoming debut album, “Bronco,” out June 23rd. As if we weren’t already excited enough about his album, after hearing some of the new songs last night we are ecstatic. Canaan got the evening off to an energetic start with “Hole In A Bottle,” one of our favorite tracks off his self-titled EP. A song called “American Muscle” is guaranteed to become the next #MERICA theme song you’ll be blasting at your 4th of July picnic. It got the whole crowd rocking, with some over-enthusiastic dancers spilling their beers but no one minded because #MERICA.

Canaan also shared the meaning behind the title of his album, “Bronco,” explaining that he wanted to share himself and who he is through his album. The album’s title track is in honor of his brother, whom Canaan lost when he was younger. He dedicated the song to him in a touching tribute, giving the audience “a few moments of peace.”

Canaan ended the night with a singalong to his chart-climbing single “Love You Like That,” before hi-fiving everyone in the front row. We had a blast seeing the nitty gritty boy in the city for a night, and can’t wait until he’s back at the end of June for FarmBorough Festival! You can also catch him on tour with Dierks Bentley on the Sounds of Summer Tour.

Pre-order a copy of Canaan Smith’s “Bronco” now and get a signed CD booklet!

Set List
Hole In A Bottle
Two Lane Road
One Of Those
Stuck
American Muscle
Love At First
Good Kinda Bad
Jealous (Nick Jonas cover)
Mad Love
Stompin’ Grounds
Bronco
Love You Like That

Be sure to follow Canaan Smith & Secret Fangirls for more updates!

Country Music, Dan+Shay, Music, On Tour, Show Review

Dan + Shay’s “Where It All Began Tour” Stops At Starland Ballroom in New Jersey

April 13, 2015 secretfangirls 1 Comment

Dan + Shay’s “Where It All Began Tour” stopped at a packed Starland Ballroom in NJ on Saturday night. If you’ve been to any concert in New Jersey, you know the crowds can get crazy, and this was definitely one of the best we’ve experienced. It’s been wonderful to see the support for Dan + Shay grow since we first saw them around a year ago (Mohegan!) and their live show is not to be missed. There’s nothing like a first time feeling, but they just get better and better each time we see them.

Opening act Canaan Smith got the crowd pumped up with his hit single “Love You Like That,” and songs from his recently released EP like “Hole In The Bottle” and “Mad Love.” Canaan also played a serious rock cover of Nick Jonas’ smash single “Jealous.” The Virginia native knows how to get a crowd singing and dancing along even if they’re not familiar with him.

One of the best things about watching Dan + Shay perform is seeing just how much they love being on stage. If you can find something to do that makes you half as happy as they are performing, then you’d be pretty lucky. Their passion and energy on stage is unrivaled – they really give it all on stage night after night. And still make time for a post-show meet and greet. We still get chills every time during “19 You + Me” when they let the crowd sing, and see their genuine reaction to having people sing one of their songs. Although really the whole concert is one big singalong from start to finish. They played almost every song from their debut album, “Where It All Began,” a fun new track, “Partner in Crime,” and a few covers for good measure.

They certainly know their Jersey audience, as their set included covers of Journey and Def Leppard, and a little Guns N Roses, proving they know how to rock. As we’ve said before, we’re sure they would have found success in any genre they chose, but we’re sure glad they chose country! Shay Mooney’s voice is also chill-inducing, and harmonizes perfectly with Dan Smyers, who played both guitar and piano during the show.

As usual, they had a small acoustic set before the concert AKA the return of the Tent Concert Series, where it all began for the duo. The acoustic set gives fans a chance to ask questions, hang out with the guys, and hear a couple of songs in an intimate setting before the show. We are always impressed by how great Dan + Shay are to their fans, and how much they appreciate each person that comes out to see them.

Dan + Shay are nominated for Duo of the Year at the ACM Awards for the 2nd year in a row! Make sure to tune into the awards on CBS April 19th to cheer them on and catch their performance with Nick Jonas!

Set List:
Somewhere Only We Know
Nothing Like You
Stop Drop & Roll
Parking Brake
Any Way You Want It (Journey cover)
Partner in Crime
Close Your Eyes
Thinking Out Loud (Ed Sheeran cover)
Show You Off
Pour Some Sugar On Me / Meet In The Middle
What You Do To Me
Red Dirt Road (Brooks&Dunn cover)
Party Girl
First Time Feeling
Can’t Say No
Dynamite / Moves Like Jagger
19 You + Me

The “Where It All Began Tour” wraps up at the end of the month in Chicago. Check out all of Dan + Shay’s upcoming tour dates here & pick up a copy of “Where It All Began” on iTunes now!

Be sure to follow Dan + Shay & Secret Fangirls for more updates!

Country Music, Music, On Tour, Show Review

Thomas Rhett Rocks The Paramount NY In Sold Out Show

March 2, 2015 secretfangirls Leave a comment

Thomas Rhett played a killer sold-out show at the Paramount in Huntington, NY over the weekend. It was one of those shows that you’ll always remember – everyone in the crowd could feel something special was happening. Thomas had already been having a great week: he made history when his single “Makes Me Wanna” hit #1 on the Country Airplay chart, making him only the second country artist to ever have 3 #1 hits from a debut album, and the first to do so in over 20 years.

When he played “Make Me Wanna,” just 4 songs into the set, the energy in the room went off the charts, as the already hyped up crowd dance and sang along to every word. It was so overwhelming that Thomas had to pause a couple of times to wipe away tears before he could continue (as did we). Which only egged the crowd on more, as everyone erupted into cheers and the usual chants of “USA! USA!.” It was a touching and telling moment, and we get chills just thinking about it. Ladies and gentlemen, Thomas Rhett has arrived.

Thomas kicked off the night with a newer track, “South Side,” encouraging the audience to shake their “south sides.” Thomas proved again and again during his set that he is indeed very good at shaking his south side. He’s mentioned wanting to bring soul and funk back into country music, and he’s certainly doing just that. Like most of country’s new artists at the moment, Thomas was influenced by a wide range of music, not just country. A cover of Lee Brice’s “Parking Lot Party,” (which Thomas co-wrote) included a medley of Weezer’s “Beverly Hills” and David Lee Murphy’s “Dust On The Bottle.” His intro music was Jason Derulo’s “Trumpets,” and he broke into a little of Justin Timberlake’s “Suit and Tie.” He ended his set with a cover of Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ hit “Uptown Funk,” further showcasing his funky side.

Thomas has the unique ability to make every person in the room feel like they are a part of the show – pointing out fans in the front rows and the rafters, signing hats and taking selfies mid-song, and calling out to one fan in the audience who was standing there with his arms crossed. Boy, you can’t do that at at Thomas Rhett show. He got the surprise of his life later in the night when Thomas pulled him onstage during his cover of “Friends In Low Places,” handed him his guitar and encouraged him to sing, “play guitar,” and yes, shake his south side. After spotting a Birthday poster in the crowd, Thomas made sure to get the Birthday Girl’s name before leading a “Happy Birthday” singalong. He asked the girl if she was having a great time – we think it’s safe to say best Birthday, ever.

All in all, we went in to the show not knowing what to expect, just that we liked his album. And we walked out much bigger fans than before. We’re not sorry for partyin’ with Thomas on Saturday night.

Thomas Rhett is currently on tour with Florida Georgia Line and Frankie Ballard. Check out all of his upcoming tour dates HERE! And if you have the chance to see him, GO! He’ll be the one headlining Madison Square Garden one day.

Set List:

Intro

South Side

Something To Do With My Hands

What You Got In That Cup

Makes Me Wanna

Parking Lot Party Medley

It Goes Like This

T-Shirt

Front Porch Junkies

Sorry For Partyin’

Take You Home

Beer With Jesus

Round Here

Get Me Some Of That

Uptown Funk

Friends In Low Places (encore)

Pickup a copy of Thomas Rhett’s debut album “It Goes Like This” on iTunes now! Visit our Tumblr for more photos from the show.

Be sure to follow Thomas Rhett & Secret Fangirls for more updates!

Country Music, Music, On Tour, Sam Hunt, Show Review

Sam Hunt’s Lipstick Graffiti Tour Hits NYC

February 12, 2015 secretfangirls Leave a comment

Sam Hunt brought his first headlining tour, The Lipstick Graffiti Tour, to NYC last night. The show, which took place at Irving Plaza, sold out within minutes of going on sale. And who said New Yorkers don’t like country? It’s been a whirlwind 8 months for Sam since he signed with MCA Nashville and released “Leave The Night On” last summer. He gathered support by working as a songwriter in Nashville, writing tracks for Keith Urban, Billy Currington and more, before releasing his “Behind The Pines” mixtape for free online last year.

His set included tracks from that mixtape and his debut album, “Montvallo,” as well as the songs he penned for other artists. Do “Cop Car” or “We Are Tonight” ring any bells? We love going to country shows because they are usually one big singalong – the audience knows every word, and last night was no exception! You could see how much it meant to Sam to have so many people singing along to the songs he wrote – he seemed genuinely touched. It’s one thing to be a good songwriter, but Sam is also a talented performer. You can tell how passionate he is about music, and how much he loves being on stage. It’s just not a good concert unless you get chills at some point, and despite the hot venue we had chills over and over again. Throughout the set he interacted with the crowd, even coming down to the floor to have a “House Party” with the lucky fans in the front row! And we’re pretty sure the girls he sang “Take Your Time” to are still recovering from their fangirl coma.

There is a lot of talk about what country music is now, and if Sam should even be considered a country artist. But fans aren’t so concerned with what genre an artist is – they just want good music! And he introduces new fans to the country genre, is this such a bad thing? We’ve all grown up listening to a variety of artists, Sam included, and you can hear the range of influences in his music. Between each song he played, he sampled tracks from everyone from R Kelly to Jay Z to Miley Cyrus, yet this all worked together. An acoustic medley of 90s songs was also a highlight of his set. The band led a singalong of hits by Reba, Mariah Carey, Destiny’s Child and Deana Carter.

Opening act Native Run got the crowed pumped up with an energetic set, including a cover of TLC’s “Waterfalls.” We were majorly impressed by Rachel Beauregard totally crushing Lisa’s rap. TLC, if you need some help on the Main Event Tour this summer, give Rachel a call! If you’re heading to a Lipstick Graffiti Tour stop, make sure you get there early to check them out.

Lipstick Graffiti Tour Setlist
Intro: Speakers/Breakup In A Small Town
Ex To See
Leave The Night On
Raised On It
Saturday Night
Cop Car
Single For The Summer
Take Your Time
We Are Tonight
Acoustic 90s Medley
Speakers
House Party
Make You Miss Me
Breakup In A Small Town

The Lipstick Graffiti Tour continues through April (and is mostly sold out), but you can catch Sam alongside Hunter Hayes and Lady Antebellum on the Wheels Up Tour this summer. Can you say dream tour lineup? If you have a chance to see Sam on tour, GO! He’ll be headlining much bigger venues, very soon.

Be sure to follow Sam Hunt, Native Run & Secret Fangirls for more updates!

We are all fangirls at heart.