Emma Stefanick

This Thursday Ohio University’s Memorial Auditorium was packed with country music fans. The crowd cheered and sipped their beers, waiting eagerly for Justin Moore to appear onstage. Constant chatter filled the air throughout the opening act and many people in the audience could be seen wearing pre-signed, white cowboy hats: Moore’s signature look.

Soon the band appeared on stage and began to play, followed by a white-hat clad Moore, singing “How I Got To Be This Way.” The audience began to applaud excitedly, yelling and whistling. Moore kept the show going with “Kinda Don’t Care,” setting the tone for how the rest of the night would be: a time to let go from daily stress and have a good time.

Moving onto one of his older songs, Moore applauded Ohio for its love of traditional country and began “Good ‘Ole American Way,” leading into one of the songs from his album, Kinda Don’t Care, “You Look Like I Need A Drink.” The song is about a woman who can’t bring herself to break his heart. Looking out at the crowd, Moore addressed his fans.

“Serious question now… Who wants to have a drink with us tonight?” he asks. The cheerful beat carried the audience into the next song.

Inspired by the members of his family who have served in the military and airforce, Moore dedicated the next song to all the servicemen and women who have given their lives.

“The Ones Who Didn’t Make It Back Home,” carried a somber yet proud tone. The audience sang out the last verse with Moore, raising their hats to the sky in commemoration.

Moore lifted the mood with several upbeat songs before returning to a highly requested, tear-jerking song in memory of his grandpa. Moore said it had been several years since he played the song. “Grandpa” echoed through the auditorium as Moore sang with piano accompaniment, seated to match the reminiscent mood.

Moore also pulled a song from his latest album, Late Nights and Longnecks, called “Why We Drink” and “Bait A Hook” from his album Outlaws Like Me, The two very upbeat songs expressed the party culture of country music, adding slow songs in between to keep the mood ever-changing.

Moore proceeded to recount the first time he was ever in Ohio, on a tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd and Hank Williams Jr., leading into his song “Hank It,” followed by “Small Town USA,” Moore’s first ever number one record on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs. Moving right into “Kick Your Ass,” Moore got up close and friendly with the front row, fist-bumping people with beers, taking selfies, and singing for Snapchat during the song’s iconic chorus:

“I could kick your ass, I could jack your jaw, Put you flat in the dirt boy, Yeah I’d have a ball…”

Mellowing the mood once again, Moore proceeded to sing “Flying down a Backroad.” The audience believed the concert was over when he gave a shout out to Ohio during the last line of the song and the lights shut off as the band left the stage.

To everyone’s delight, Moore and the band made a reappearance to cover three final songs, starting with Merle Haggard’s “That’s The Way Love Goes.” He then switched the tone to classic rock, covering Joe Walsh’s “Life In The Fast Lane” and ending with “Home Sweet Home” by Motley Crue. As the audience repeated the extra three verses of “Home Sweet Home,” Moore removed his hat for a bow, thanking the audience as he exited the stage.

Although he claimed to be a bit under-the-weather early on in the night, Moore still promised a show with all of the energy he had, and he delivered.