The Son of the Mountains World Tour plays intimate venues through December
Brad Paisley shredded his way through a fast-paced set at MGM National Harbor on Friday (Oct 11th). Paisley tore through 18 numbers–not counting mash-ups–in record time, with his Son of the Mountains headlining set coming in at around 80 minutes.
But that seems to be the thesis of this tour: Paisley has been playing venues on this trek that allow his fans to get a more intimate experience. Later this winter, he’ll wrap up the tour with two dates at the cozy Encore Theater in Las Vegas.
The irreverent hitmaker put his paisley-patterned guitars through the paces, opening with thumping “Ticks” and the summer hillbilly tune “River Bank.” Mashups included the breezy “Water” with the theme from “ The Love Boat.” Plus, a stunning “Purple Rain” accompanied the sentimental “Last Time for Everything.”
“American Saturday Night” saw the National Harbor outlined in neon. During the video for “Celebrity,” Mascot Brad got into some haughty ego hijinks. And for “Water,” Brad strummed under water.
Paisley made a name for himself as an entertainer. Equal parts musician, singer, and funnyman, his music never delves into self-serious aggrandizement. Because of this, Paisley’s skill as a guitar player shines through. His combination of backwoods’ lightheartedness and killer guitar skills creates endlessly listenable songs. This included his latest release, “Truck Sill Works.”
Paisley was reliably playful with his audience. At one point, he stole a dude’s phone and posted a selfie to Instagram, nearly ordering DoorDash in the process. In another sweet moment, he made a young girl’s night by giving her a signed guitar.
The intimate show forwent a risen “porch” and sound wall. Instead, the foot of the drum risers was littered with his pale-red Dr. Z amps. A thrust stage in the ballroom-style theater meant Paisley got up close and personal with his crowd.
The biggest sing-along of the night was set-closer “Alcohol.” A waltz number that names anything and everything that can happen because of a drink or two or twelve, the audience related to an item or two on that list. Or maybe more likely, it’s just that they relate to Brad Paisley’s not-so-serious outlook on life, and are fearless to embrace it.
