Cody Johnson brings real cowboy music and wisdom to Baltimore

 Johnson is on the road in support of his 2023 LP

Cody Johnson and his Rockin’ CJB stampeded onto the stage of CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore on Saturday (Mar 23rd). Johnson is touring in support of his latest studio effort, Leather.

Johnson burst into country music’s mainstream with the pandemic-era anthem of hope, “Til You Can’t.” Since then, he’s been a fixture on the arena touring circuit, selling out shows across the country. This, even as mainstream award show recognition largely eludes him.

All that will change as Leather is poised to shine as the best showcase of Johnson’s artistry yet. Live, “Double Down” is full of warbling steel that communicates the heartbreak behind the lyrics. And “The Painter” is a sweet nod to true love that has fast become another notch in Johnson’s belt of signature songs. Songs like the title track and rocker “People in the Back” fit in nicely with Johnson’s classics.

But those classics were plentiful as well, with Johnson opening with the rodeo breakup anthem “Me and My Kind.” “On My Way to You,” “Human,” and of course “Til You Can’t” were all tentpole singalongs. Johnson himself is most comfortable, and his band has the most fun when those singalongs are adrenaline-fueled. They’re the types of numbers during which Johnson can barely stand still at one of his two microphone positions.

The Rockin’ CJB has gained a new member since TMU last covered Johnson. Their keyboardist joined so that Johnson could play “The Painter” live. It happened for the first time in Australia after the song broke the top 10 while Johnson was doing C2C. His merch guy stepped up to play the song. That merch guy is now an official band member!

Johnson’s patriotism was on full display, as it is for him at every show. But his speech in Baltimore—his closest show to the US Capital this trek—had even more meaning in an election year. “Don’t tell anyone who you voted for,” he encouraged the crowd, saying it’s nobody else’s business. CoJo insists he wants his country music to unify in the face of division.

But he is an authentic cowboy, so a CoJo show is not complete without some Huntsville, Texas wisdom. “Who here believes country music hasn’t sounded like country music on the radio in 10 years?” Johnson asked the crowd to raucous applause, noting that hip-hop stars like to come over and “flop out in country music.” Another pearl of wisdom on putting in effort to achieve your dreams that the pearl snap crowd loudly agreed with; “Work ethic is a dead art.”

Johnson is the rare artist who can get away with such rhetoric because he lives the music he plays. That is the key ingredient to both the quality of his songs, and the large and loyal fan base he’s cultivated.

There’s not much to analyze about a Cody Johnson show, because Johnson lays it all out for his crowd. If you’re a Cody Johnson fan, you get him. It’s that simple. And when with Leather, millions more will come to understand the heartfelt philosophy at the core of CoJo nation. “Country music is my life,” Johnson said, “But my family and my horses are what I live for.”

Matt Bailey
Matt Bailey

Matt Bailey is a media producer currently located in Washington, DC. He has worked as a writer, producer, and host in a variety of mediums including television news, podcasting, daytime television, and live entertainment. He joined The Music Universe in 2016. Since then, Bailey has traveled across the country to review hundreds of concerts and interview some of music's biggest hitmakers. Bailey truly believes in the unifying power of experiencing live music. To reach him, please email matt@themusicuniverse.com.