The hitmaker brings his Damn Country Music Tour to the Big Apple
Riley Green took the stage at the Rooftop at Pier 17 in New York City on Thursday (July 24th) for his sold-out show. The “Duckman” strode on stage in a short-sleeve (and deliberately tight) pale green-gray work shirt and a Durham Bulls cap. Before singing a note, he blew through a duck call and tossed it in the crowd.
With the Brooklyn Bridge glowing behind his video screen, Green opened with “Different ‘Round Here” and noted that this New York crowd was different. Over the past 30 years, New York has emerged from its rural musical cynicism to become a must-play Mecca for country artists at all levels of stardom, even as New York City was without a country music station for 17 years.
And the New York crowds are some of the most fervent fans anywhere. Say the song is about drinking (“Half of Me”)? They go nuts. A cheeky cheating and break-up song (“Georgia Time”)? They sing every word.
Since his breakout hits “There Was This Girl” and “I Wish Grandpas Never Died,” Green has established himself as a hunk with a twang who has something to say about all that traditional country fare. He does it with a more authentic voice than his bro-country predecessors. Green can mix the tongue-in-cheek tropes with a meaningful point of view.
Take “Rather Be,” a song about a man “workin’ like a dog livin’ in a single-wide,” but in the same song laments about how his ex would tell him “about the guy you wish I was.” Green plays the cowboy who has self-awareness. His voice is supple and unmistakable, playable to whatever story he’s telling.
But it’s not all trucks and breakups. Leaning into his natural smolder, Green is an excellent country crooner of love songs. 2024’s “Worst Way” had couples dancing in the aisle. And the crowd on the rooftop was the loudest when supporting act Ella Langley joined him for their radio and tentpole “You Look Like You Love Me.” They also performed an acoustic version of their new duet, “Don’t Mind if I Do.”
An aside to commend Riley: while sitting on the thrust with Ella, he stopped the show to let paramedics get to someone who had passed out. If you happen to read this, thank you for caring about the people in your audience. It shows a lack of ego to be able to pause like that.
On stage, Green had a real bar complete with a bartender. He and his band sparingly partook in shots all night long. This included before, and even during the songs. The neon on the front advertised his Nashville bar, Duck Blind.
About halfway through the night, Green switched hats to a wide-brim ten-gallon cowboy hat. He promptly gave the crowd a double shot of Toby Keith. (More on that in a minute.) To end the night, Green offered a rendition of Alabama’s “Dixieland Delight.”
Your ace reporter hasn’t had an outdoor, summertime country concert experience in NYC since moving away several years ago. What struck me most was the love for the music and what it means. If you think New Yorkers are too in their bubble to appreciate this genre, you never heard a sold-out, boot-and-cowboy-hat-clad Manhattan rooftop scream the iconic Toby Keith line. “We’ll put a boot in your ass, it’s the American way.” That’s Damn Country Music.
