On February 21, country superstar Carrie Underwood headlined New York’s Madison Square Garden as part of her “Denim & Rhinestones” Tour. Jimmie Allen served as her luminous opening act.
Jimmie Allen
Allen was able to warm up the stage for Underwood. After a killer instrumental introduction from his band, he kicked off his set with the mid-tempo “Be Alright.”
“New York, what’s up y’all?” he said. “New York, y’all ready to have a good time tonight” he asked, and the answer was a resounding “yes.”
He immediately broke into his No. 1 smash single “Make Me Want To,” which was utterly infectious, and continued with “This Is Us” while red laser lights dimmed from the stage; moreover, Allen’s execution of this song was controlled featuring his rich, rumbling voice.
“New York, what’s up y’all? Thank you so much for coming out. I love New York, I grew up in the Northeast in Delaware,” he shared, prior to noting that he subsequently moved to Nashville.
He treated the audience to a few verses from George Strait’s “Check Yes or No,” DMX’s “Party Up” and Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.”
Allen also tipped his hat to Montgomery Gentry, which he dubbed as one of his favorite country duos by dusting off their hit single “Gone” and introducing it to a younger audience.
Allen noted this was the first time that he performed at MSG, so he performed his new song “Small Town Anthem” exclusively for this historic venue.
A true highlight was when Allen performed a resonant and expressive version of “Pray,” which was incorporated as a medley with Maverick City’s “Jeriah,” which was a real treat.
He managed to get the audience to wave their hands up in the air during his chart-topping single “Best Shot.” Allen accompanied himself on acoustic guitar during his stirring version of “Down Home,” which included a mash-up of Chris Daughtry’s “Home” towards the end.
“Did we have a good time tonight, New York?” he asked, and he introduced his band members prior to closed with the upbeat and electrifying “Freedom Was a Highway,” which was the quintessential send-off.
Carrie Underwood
A country megastar, Underwood kicked off her set with “Good Girl” and she immediately broke into “Church Bells,” and “Undo It,” where she had the audience singing along with her, and repeating the chorus after her.
“New York City. How are you feeling tonight? Welcome to the ‘Denim & Rhinestones’ Tour. My name is Carrie Underwood. You’re going to help me blow the roof off this place,” she said.
After a sip of water, she performed “Hate My Heart,” which she described as her latest radio single. Prior to “Cowboy Casanova,” she stated, “If you know one, you need to sing it with me.”
She underwent an outfit change and returned to sing her chart-topping duet “If I Didn’t Love You,” sans Jason Aldean.
Underwood took her audience on a trip down memory lane to her debut studio album “Some Hearts” with her hit single “Wasted,” which she claimed as one of her personal favorite songs on there.
She changed into a cowgirl outfit and went on to sing “She Don’t Know,” which was one of the more traditional sounding tunes in her set. “You are at a country music concert. We are country, we are so country where we have two fiddles,” she told the Big Apple audience. She went on to express her love for Ms. Dolly Parton.
Underwood began singing “Blown Away” sitting on a stool, and then it built up in the powerhouse vocal performance that it was, proving that she is one true force of nature. Her delivery was controlled and brave, and she had the fans with her every step of the way.
She slowed down the tempo and walked to the latter stage to perform “Burn,” which involved a pyrotechnics spectacle. “Cry Pretty” was bold and unapologetic that featured her magnanimous vocal range.
Underwood went on to perform the stirring Ghost Story” while she was suspended over the audience, and as she was transported from Stage A to Stage B.
Equally noteworthy was her rousing rendition of “Two Black Cadillacs,” where she accompanied herself on electric guitar. This song became an instant crowd favorite.
This was the point of the show where she had a heart to heart with her fan-base. She had that the last time she was in New York City was back in February of 2020, and that “a lot has changed since then” and that “a lot has has happened since then.”
She revealed that the silver lining for her during the pandemic involved recording a Christian music album with hymns and other gospel songs. “We are blessed to all be here in New York City tonight,” she said, effusively. She sang “Garden,” which she described as a “very special song” with “a lot of heart” to it. “Garden” was a soothing and delicate vocal that ought to be enjoyed for its beauty and simplicity.
She went on to sing her breakthrough hit single “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” where she encouraged everyone to sing along with her because everyone knows it. She incorporated it with a medley of the inspirational standard “How Great Thou Art,” where she hit the high notes and held them for many seconds.
“Crazy Angels” was an impressive song, which helped her travel back to Stage A all while been suspended over the crowd. “How is everybody doing tonight?” she asked. “Do we have any crazy angels in New York City?”
“Welcome back to the stage Jimmie Allen,” Underwood said and he joined her for a duet performance of “Denim & Rhinestones.” They showed off their neat dance moves together.
She got the fans to put their hands together for the up-tempo “Flat on the Floor,” which featured banjo and fiddle instrumentation.
After “Poor Everybody Else,” she introduced each of her talented band members, and she went on to perform a fun drum solo, which was well-received. “Give them some love people,” she told the audience.
She closed with her Grammy-winning “Last Name” and on an inspirational note with “Something in the Water,” which was sheer bliss especially since she incorporated a mash-up of “Amazing Grace,” which once again, displayed her trademark pipes.
Encore
For her encore, she belted out the rock classic “Welcome to the Jungle” all while she sported a Guns N’ Roses jacket. She closed with her signature tune, the vivacious “Before He Cheats,” before she expressed her gratitude to everybody for coming out and wishing everyone a good night.
“Hit after hit, for over two hours, Carrie Underwood took us on a journey of sound and emotion, accompanied by a tight band and mesmerizing visuals,” said Nick Tangorra, fan and attendee. “It was a night to remember for sure. A night that reminded me just how amazing it is to see your favorite artists live in concert doing what they were put on this Earth to do… entertain!”
The Verdict
Overall, Carrie Underwood and Jimmie Allen were superb at Madison Square Garden. They gave New York a night of country-pop music to remember, and both artists proved that they are at the top of their game vocally, and musically.
Carrie Underwood exuded a great deal of charm and charisma, and it was evident how such country queens as Martina McBride and Reba McEntire served as a musical influence in her life, and helped mold her into the artist that Underwood is today. Underwood and Allen’s live set at The Garden garnered an A rating.
