After seeing a few live performances and hearing the new album, I was hoping it would be a guitar based jam session, and he didn't disappoint- 2 hours of some tight riffs and traded solos.

I helped set up the audio and stage then took my son for a great 1. Would definitely enjoy them both again. They both can belt and have a brand of uniqueness. That last Sturgill song was a rockin jam and a mic smasher. Better than a 3 song encore. Tyler and the Food Stamps I can listen to for hours.

First off, the Peterson center had a problem an did not allow the crowd in early enough to get seated. Tyler lead off with his beloved Feathered Indians. I felt bad for most of the crowd that was not seated yet. Childers set was a little over 80 minutes an was fantastic. He should have played all night. From reading past set lists, he has been ending his shows with a 4 songs acoustic set. I was disappointed not to see/hear Follow You To Vergil and Hardtimes. I’m not quite sure what to think of Sturgill’s reinvention / new sound. I knew going in what I was going to see. But, for the fans that started listening to him for his great song writing and Americana/ traditional country sound it was not a enjoyable show. Even favorites like End of the Long White Line and Turtles All the Way Down we’re electrified and jammed out to they were almost not recognizable.

This was the third time I’ve seen Tyler Childers in Atlanta and was excited to see Sturgill as well even though the last album wasn’t my taste. The last two times I saw Tyler he went on around 10pm. Ticket time was 7:30pm and he must have started on the dot because I got there at 8:15 only got to see three songs. There was a 30-45 minute intermission between sets while they changed band equipment. Place was a hot box from weed. Sturgill started and everyone around me had the WTF look on their face. I left during the third song. Overall a waste of money. Tyler will always be awesome l, and he is carrying Sturgill through this tour. I don’t get why they wouldn’t do a single song together. Just a bizarre event all together.

As a native Kentuckian and fan of both, I was kind of surprised at how the show really lacked the emotion and moments of levity that both artists are know for. Tyler’s set was solid, and the audience was engaged. He’s an incredibly talented young man that delivers an enjoyable performance no matter what. However the corporatization and time constraints were apparent. Simpson’s set, on the other hand was loud, indulgent, and reminiscent of the many jam band concerts I went to in the 90s. Simpson wowed me with his authenticity and modernized classic country vibe when I first discovered him. I was so looking forward to this show, but the repetition of the guitar riffs and keyboard solos lacked audience engagement and fun. Had he busted out a cover of the Dukes of Hazzard theme song, or brought Tyler our for a duet, I think he could’ve won us back. Instead, we got another lengthy guitar riff. We left early, which I never do.

I’m not going to lie, I went to see Tyler. I have never seen him live and didn’t know what to expect. I don’t know if the crowd was just not giving up the energy or if he was rushed for time. But it felt to me like he zipped through all the material at lightning speed, stiff-legged, with his hat pulled down. I am reading some rave reviews about acoustic sets and crowd call-back songs from just the last few weeks. Sadly, I didn’t get that experience tonight. I felt no more connected to the music than I do when I am listening on my car radio. He didn’t even take a breath to slow down on Universal Sound. The talent was there, for sure. They were tuned up but sadly, tuned out as well. Felt like the McDonalds version of a folk show to me. Whatever the last song was, it rocked. I found myself wishing it had started the set, because I was finally getting into the vibe for a minute, and then it was lights out, no Lady May for you, thanks for coming.