On January 8, 2016, Chase Rice brought his Jack Daniels and Jesus Tour to the nearly sold out Fillmore in Philadelphia, PA. The Cadillac Three and young, up-and-coming artist, Tucker Beathard joined him on the road to help get the crowd ready for what promised to be an incredible night. Each of the three acts brought their own unique flare to the stage, captivating the audience from beginning to end.
Tucker Beathard, one of Big Machine Label Group’s youngest artists, and son of heralded songwriter Casey Beathard took the stage first. The 20-year-old, like his father, has shown a penchant for songwriting, and blends country elements with a rock influenced sound. In addition, Beatard was recognized as a hot new country artist when he was recently named one of CMT’s Listen Up artists for 2016. After seeing him perform, it is no wonder that he has already captured the attention and recognition of the country music world. While it seems that he is still finding himself as an onstage performer, his passion for music and love for his craft comes across very clearly to fans and makes his set memorable. From the beginning, Beathard did a good job of connecting with the audience with songs like “Better Than Me” and the very catchy, radio-ready “Rock On”. Big things are coming for Beathard with his rebellious lyrics and growing stage presence.
Next up was another artist off of the Big Machine Label Group roster, The Cadillac Three. By the time the group consisting of Jaren Johnston, Kelby Ray and Neil Mason, took the stage the crowd had grown considerably larger and more energetic thanks to Beatard’s exciting opening performance. The country trio with a serious southern-rock flare captivated the crowd with their unique sound, stage presence and eclectic style. Johnston, Ray, and Mason, are skilled writers, having penned hits both for themselves and for other country stars, including Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, Jake Owen and Dallas Smith. They performed a variety fan favorites including, “The South,” “Party Like You” and “Girls on Fire,” but their most recent hit “White Lightning” drew the strongest reaction from the crowd. Also included in their set was “Days of Gold,” a top 20 hit for Jake Owen written by Johnston and Mason. The group’s spirited rendition of the song had the entire crowd singing along emphatically.
The last time Chase Rice was in Philadelphia he sold out The Theater of the Living Arts (TLA) with ease. So while it was a natural progression to step up to a bigger venue, it was astonishing that he came as close as he did to selling out the 2,500 capacity Fillmore. This feat truly shows how much he as progressed as an artist and performer since this time last year. Rice opened his set with the funky rock tinged “How She Rolls,” from his 2014 album Ignite The Night.
Rice turned the heat up during his set with performances of the “50 Shades of Crazy,” and the sensual “Ride.” During the latter, which has fast become one of Rice’s signature songs despite not being a single, the North Carolina born singer brought a swooning fan onstage to the delight of the crowd to sing the somewhat explicit lyrics to her up close and personal.
Rice also performed numerous notable covers spanning multiple genres including Puddle of Mudd’s “She Fucking Hates Me,” Blink 182’s “What’s My Age Again!?’ and Garth Brook’s Friends in Low Places,” in addition to a collection of tracks inspired by his college partying days: “Smoke A Little Smoke,” “Living On a Prayer,” “Free Falling,” “Dust on the Bottle,” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me.” Some of Rice’s own party songs, such as “Do It Like This,” and “We Goin Out,” had the crowd dancing early and often. Slower, more intimate tracks like “Carolina Can,” inspired by his father, and “Jack Daniels and Jesus,” a track highlighting Rice’s inner battle and struggle to be a better person, as well as faith that has helped him keep pushing forward, showcased his writing ability and more serious side. The hypnotic top 10 hit “Gonna Wanna Tonight” had fans singing along emphatically, even carrying the chorus on their own.
Towards the end of the show, The Cadillac Three and Tucker Beathard rejoined Rice on stage for a joint performance of Florida Georgia Line’s smash #1 hit “Cruise,” one of the most popular country songs in recent memory. Rice co-wrote the song with the the duo, Joey Moi and Jesse Rice. The collaborative performance was one of the most memorable parts of the show, and it had the crowd reacting thunderously to one of their favorite tracks. Rice closed the show with his own top 5, certified platinum hit, the hard driving and edgy “Ready Set Roll,” an incredibly catchy song that brought fans to their feet and had them singing along.
Each of the performers at The Fillmore left a lasting impression on the audience, and left them eager for more. The Cadillac Three and Beathard both illustrated why they’re making a splash in the country music, while Rice displayed the charisma and ever growing star power that has him shooting up the ranks as a performer and and artist. There is no doubt that the best is still yet to come for each of these three talented acts.
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