Friday night, Feb. 7th, I headed to the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center in Salisbury, MD for Justin Moore’s Off the Beaten Path Tour. Randy Houser and Josh Thompson were supporting their friend Justin on his first major headlining tour.
A large fan base showed up over an hour early for the tours meet and greet with the country music stars. The civic centers 5,600 seat arena filled up quickly and if it wasn’t sold out, it was only a couple seats short! The main stage had a pier that extended out into the general admission “pit” fans for an intensely up-close and personal experience.
The evening started with Josh Thompson getting the crowd rockin’ with “Hillbilly Limo”. His group played a 7 song set ending with his current single “Cold Beer With Your Name On It” and his 2010 hit, “Beer On The Table”.
Randy Houser and his band walked on stage about 8:20. I could tell they were going to be fun. Something about their attire and swagger made me smile. Starting with “Boots”, he lead them in an 11
song set that included, “How Country Feels”, “Goodnight Kiss”, Absolutely Nothing”, “Low Places” and ended with “Whistlin’ Dixie”. Along with the good music, Randy and his band had fun! I enjoyed watching the interaction they all had. They were definitely enjoying themselves and the crowd fed off that energy!
During a brief set change Jordan Rager entertained while the stage hands were getting ready for Justin Moore. If his name sounds familiar, he is a 19 year old singer/songwriter that was a member of Team Blake on season 2 of NBC’s ‘The Voice’. I wasn’t expecting this but it was another pleasant surprise.
Soon the lights dimmed, brilliant green lighting undulated with the drum/bass beat and Justin Moore appears at the top of the steps at the back of the stage with a single white spot lighting him from behind. Dressed simply in a white thermal shirt, white cowboy hat, comfy looking worn boots, blue jeans and a big smile he made his way down to the front stage with a kick and pumped up attitude.
The show pulled from his three albums, playing a blazing 17 plus song set list that included crowd favorites such as “Off The Beaten Path”, “Point At You”, “Bait A Hook”, “Outlaws Like Me”, “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away”, “Small Town USA”, “This Kind Of Town”, “Backwoods” and “Lettin’ The Night Roll”.
Salisbury also enjoyed a surprise guest that joined Justin on stage…David Lee Murphy! They and the crowd sang “Dust On The Bottle” together!
Justin had fun interacting with the crowd. From shaking hands with those in the pit area, acknowledging the fans in section 112 with a kiss, having fun with a guy in the audience that gave Justin kudos for liking butts, sharing and talking about his song “Grandpa” and walking over to a mother holding her young 3 or 4 year old daughter at the side of the stage, shaking her hand and giving her a guitar pick. All rolled together it made a fun evening for all ages. Justins Off The Beaten Path Tour was a great 4 hours of entertainment with an impressive production, non-stop music and fun! Everyone got their moneys worth, which Justin said was his main goal in hitting the road with his friends Randy and Josh. Justin…you nailed it! Check his website for more dates for his 57 city Off The Beaten Path Tour.
Review and photos by Michele Landon – Redhead LIVE! Music Photography
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