Brantley Gilbert and friends kick off “The Weekend” by bringing The Devil Don’t Sleep Tour to a full house in Saginaw.  

Just one year after playing the Dow Event Center for The Blackout Tour, Brantley Gilbert returns with a new tour and friends to once again entertain his fans in Saginaw, MI.  For this tour, Brantley has called upon his friends Brian Davis, Luke Combs and Tucker Beathard to join him on stage as support for his annual musical trek back and forth across the country.

As the lights go down inside the arena, Brian Davis is called upon to open the show with just himself and his acoustic guitar.  The singer/songwriter from Bilboa, North Carolina provides a three-song opening set starting off with his current single “Hurt Like Hell Yeah” from his Under The Influence ep.

After the first song and introducing himself, Brian calls attention to the parents of Michael who are sitting to the side of the stage.  They are seated there with an empty seat beside them with a poster board with Michael’s photo on it.  Michael was a US Army Green Beret who lost his life in combat overseas.  At this point, Brian asks for everyone in the crowd to raise their drinks and salute to Michael for his service as he sings “Raise Em Up Right Now”.

Taking to the stage next is Luke Combs who enters the stage with the crowd singing along with an intro by Waylon Jennings’ “Good Old Boys” ringing throughout the arena’s pa system.  Luke performs songs from his current ep This One’s For You and also introduces a few new songs from his debut album coming out in June.  Along with his own music, Luke continues to pump up the crowd with a cover of Chris Stapleton’s hit tune “Tennessee Whiskey” by dedicating it out to all the whiskey drinkers in the crowd.  Luke ends his time on stage with his debut single to national radio, “Hurricane.”  For those that weren’t standing now have risen and sings along with Luke and his band to this top ten hit. 

As the show continues on, Tucker Beathard is the next artist to enter the stage with a Johnny Cash intro playing in the background.  Tucker starts his set off by standing at the end of the stage berth with an acoustic guitar and plays “Ride On.” He then joins his band back on stage to dedicate his current single “Momma and Jesus” to the two most important people in his life, his mother and Jesus.

The Nashville songwriter carries on with his part of the show energizing the crowd with more songs from his debut ep Fight Like Hell, including his favorite song “I’ll Take On The World With You” that reminds him of his brothers and the title track to the ep that he dedicates to our servicemen past and present.  Tucker raises the sound level inside the arena with his debut single “Rock On” before finishing with “Whiskey In A Wine Glass.”

After a brief intermission for the stage transformation, the lights dim causing the crowd’s volume and anticipation to escalate with the indication that it is time for what everyone came for.  

The show begins with the band hitting their first notes while still in darkness.  With spotlights shining on the berth of the stage, Brantley emerges from within the stage singing his show opener “It’s About To Get Dirty” while pyrotechnics shoot off from the sides and back of the stage.  With a bounce in his step, Brantley travels out to the end of the berth singing while also reaching out to the crowd for fists pumps and high fives.  

The show continues over the next 90 minutes with songs from Brantley’s three studio albums; Halfway To Heaven (2010), Just As I Am (2014) and The Devil Don’t Sleep (2017).  Brantley staggers his setlist so that he alternates playing the guitar with his band on stage and hanging out on the berth where he connects with the fans with handshakes and high-fives while also taking photo ops while he would kneel down at different spots on stage to catch his breath in between songs.

Brantley thanks everyone for coming and spending money on him and speaks of his love for his Michigan fans and support shown to him over the years.  He also speaks about a few of his friends (Colt Ford and Jason Aldean) and how they helped him with “Dirt Road Anthem.”  Brantley makes a comment of Michigan and how he knows that his fans know all about the dirt roads.  The crowd joins Brantley and his band in singing this anthem for all country boys and girls. 

With photos from his wedding appearing on video screens across the background of the stage, Brantley strums an acoustic guitar while he performs “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do.” At the conclusion, Brantley remarks that that was the best day of his life as the crowd roars with approval.  

With a band he enjoys spending time with and considers them his band of brothers, Brantley walks off the stage at times throughout his show to allow them to showcase their musical talents.  For “Small Town Throwdown” each band member takes their turn with solos for their gifted instruments whether it may be a guitar or drum solo.

Brantley talks about his appreciation for the armed services and dedicates his next song “One Hell Of An Amen” to them as he thanks them for their service.  He also dedicates the song to those battling cancer by saying that he only has one thing to say as he held his hands up and flips cancer off.  As he talks about the military again, he gives a shout-out to Michael’s family again thanking them while the crowd starts to chant “USA.”

Being a good person is not always easy as Brantley states that he has not always been a good guy.  He makes a comment that there is something about a good girl that knows the good and bad about you and still stays to be by your side.  He dedicates “Outlaw In Me” to his wife and all the other good girls that hold the guys up.

After performing his current single “The Weekend,” Brantley talks that there is no reason for any fighting tonight.  Mentioning that there are only two reasons people fight at a concert, he corrects himself by saying there is actually one before taking a pause.  After taking a deep breath he claims that it is because you know that someone will always break it up before you get your ass kicked.  He reminds everyone that if they really deserve it to “Take It Outside” to the parking lot.

Before wrapping up his performance for the evening, Brantley takes everyone back to where it all began with his debut single “Kick It In The Sticks.”  After thanking everyone again for coming he wants to throw one back with those who have a drink in their hand with his first #1 hit “Bottoms Up.”

The band returns to the stage for an encore, Brantley sings with a gravelly authoritative voice to “Read Me My Rights.”  As Brantley leaves the stage, his band once again shows off their musical skills for another musical ending. 

While the lights come up inside the arena and another successful night comes to an end, the fulfilled crowd files out to their vehicles to head home while The Devil Don’t Sleep Tour travels to another city and another venue.  

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Tucker Beathard
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Luke Combs
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Brian Davis
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Dow Event Center
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Event Date: 06-APR-2017

Brantley Gilbert Setlist:

1. It’s About To Get Dirty     2. My Kinda Party     3. Country Must Be Country Wide     4. Rockin’ Chair     5. Dirt Road Anthem     6. My Baby’s Guns N Roses     7. You Don’t Know Her Like I Do     8. Small Town Throwdown     9. Tried To Tell Ya     10. One Hell Of An Amen     11. Outlaw In Me     12. The Weekend     13. Take It Outside     14. Kick It In The Sticks     15. Bottoms Up     16. Encore – Read Me My Rights

Tucker Breathard Setlist:

1. Ride On     2. Momma And Jesus     3. The Boys Who Make The Most Noise Wins     4. Better Than Me     5. I’ll Take On The World With You     6. Fight Like Hell     7. Rock On     8. Whiskey In A Wine Glass

Luke Combs Setlist:

1. Can I Get An Outlaw     2. When It Rains It Pours     3. Beer Can     4. One Number Away     5. Don’t Tempt Me With A Good Time      6. She Got The Best Of Me     7. Tennessee Whiskey     8. Hurricane

Brian Davis Setlist:

1. Hurt Like Hell Yeah     2. Raise Em Up Right Now     3. I Earned This Beer