On Tuesday, July 1st, country star Cole Swindell hosted his album release show at New York City’s Webster Hall. While there was no opening act for this concert, Swindell performed for a great turnout (a sold-out venue).
This was in support of his fifth studio offering “Spanish Moss,” which was just released on June 27th via Warner Music Nashville.
Swindell kicked off his Webster Hall set with the spitfire “Kill a Prayer,” and he immediately broke into “Left to Get Right.” “Let’s go,” Swindell exclaimed.
Swindell greeted the New York audience. “Wow, what a cool venue! How are y’all doing? Are you all feeling good?” Swindell inquired, and the answer was a resounding “yes.” “It’s a Tuesday night, a weeknight but it means the world that you are here.”
“This is such a special night for all of us,” he admitted. “We were up at 4 a.m. to do the ‘Today Show’ this morning.
He continued with the acoustic ballad “Dirty Dancing,” whose lyrics are pure poetry.
“That is one of my favorites,” he admitted. “Thank you so much,” Swindell said, following its warm reception.
“Please go check out the album after this, if you haven’t already done so,” Swindell said. “We are going to be playing some brand new songs you’ve never heard live before for the very first time, and we are going to play some of the hits!”
“For right now, y’all buckle up and let’s keep it going right here,” he added.
“If you came here tonight and you are going through something (that maybe we don’t know about) and you are here to have a good time, and forgot what is going on, then let’s go ahead and get to the ‘Bottom of It’ right here,” he elaborated, and went on to perform “Bottom of It.”
“When I got to the ‘Bottom of It,’ I’ve already been there and done that, and you know what I found out? They ain’t worth the whiskey,” he said.
As expected, Swindell took his audience on a trip down memory lane to 2014 with “Ain’t Worth the Whiskey,” which earned a raucous response.
“It’s crazy to have made a fifth album,” he observed. “A lot of you here have been following me since day one, and hopefully, you will keep coming to see us. Who here hasn’t seen us live before? Anybody? Thank you all for being here tonight,” Swindell said, effusively.
Swindell revealed that his “One Day” is named Courtney and he went on to sing that song in her honor. His wife couldn’t be there because she is expecting their first baby next month.
“You might meet somebody tonight who may be your ‘One Day’,” Swindell reassured his fans that are single. His delivery and execution of “One Day” was sheer bliss.
Equally stunning was his performance of his gorgeous wedding song “Forever To Me,” which he wrote for his wife, and it was a catchy ditty. He went on to thank his fan-base for being an inspiration to him.
“Middle of a Memory” was another fan favorite that the crowd was reciting the chorus verbatim. He had the Big Apple audience take on Lainey Wilson’s part in “Never Say Never,” and they delivered. “Lainey would’ve been proud,” Swindell said, complimenting everyone for their singing efforts.
He went on to perform his current radio single “We Can Always Move On,” where he showcased his rich, rumbling voice, and he susbequently took it back to “Chillin’ It,” which is the song that jump-started his country music career (back in the fall of 2013).
Swindell shared the story behind the title track of his new album “Spanish Moss,” and how it reminds him of his late father. The somber portion of the show continued with a melancholic yet beautiful rendition of “You Should Be Here” and incorporated it as a medley with the newer song “Dale Jr.”
He showed the crowd how to have a good time with “Happy Hour Sad” from his new album, and the infectious “Let Me See Ya Girl,” which was ear candy.
After the fun singalong and drinking tune “Drinkaby,” he sang the upbeat Dierks Bentley duet “Flatliner” sans Bentley, and nailed a medley of ’90s country songs.
These ’90s country tunes were nostalgic, and they included Brooks & Dunn’s “Neon Moon,” “Carrying Your Love With Me,” “Pickup Man,” the late Toby Keith’s “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” John Michael Montgomery’s “Be My Baby Tonight” and Garth Brooks’ “Aint’ Goin’ Down (‘Til the Sun Comes Up),” which was quite the mouthful.
Speaking of ’90s country, he closed on a fitting note with “She Had Me at Heads Carolina,” which was a clever interpolation with Jo Dee Messina’s “Heads Carolina, Tails California” (which was released nearly three decades ago in 1996).
Swindell revealed that it was his biggest hit to date, and the New York audience loved it and sang along with him every step of the way.
His album “Spanish Moss” is available on digital service providers by clicking here.
The Verdict
Overall, Cole Swindell’s album release show at Webster Hall was vivacious, engaging, and a great deal of fun. He found a neat way to introduce each song with a story that segued into the next tune.
Judging from the crowd response, his new music from the “Spanish Moss” album resonated with the fans on an emotional level (especially the love songs and the heartfelt ballads).
It is highly recommended that one sees Cole Swindell perform live whenever he comes to town. Swindell never disappoints, and the same holds true for his new album “Spanish Moss,” which is a keeper.
His live album release show at New York’s Webster Hall garnered two giant thumbs up. Well done.
For more information on country artist Cole Swindell, follow him on Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), and Facebook.
Read More: Cole Swindell “Spanish Moss” album review.
