“How ya’ll doing? It’s going to be a good night,” he said, and he kicked off his set with the upbeat “Down Home Boys.” Towards the end of the song, he inquired where his “down home girls” are in the audience.
He continued with “Hope You Get Lonely Tonight,” as the video of the song played in the background. He went on to thank the crowd for giving him his second No. 1 song. It was followed by “Up,” where he interacted well with the fans and had them clapping along. “I wish I could describe the feeling being up here,” he said, graciously.
His breakthrough hit, “Chillin’ It” made everybody in the audience sing along, as the video played yet again on the giant televised screen. “Anybody want to get laid back and lazy?” he asked. “What a beautiful night.”
Swindell performed his latest radio single “Middle of a Memory,” as blue lights dimmed on the stage, where he personalized one of its lyrics as follows: “And we’d be hanging out with Florida Georgia Line.”
He picked up the pace with the up-tempo “Let Me See Ya Girl,” and he had the entire venue waving their hands up in the air. The Georgia native revealed that he wrote “Flatliner” for the girls, and he delivered a solo rendition of the tune. “Ya’ll feeling pretty good tonight?” he asked, and he continued with the party song “No Can Left Behind,” which was a great deal of fun.
“You Should Be Here” was the most poignant song in his set, which tugged at the heart. His country fans lit up their iPhones, and Swindell was moved by that gesture. “I see your cell phones. Thank you all so much,” he said, and went on to dedicate the song to anybody who has lost anybody special in their lives.
He dedicated the closing tune “Ain’t Worth the Whiskey” to all the exes, and he included a medley of Justin Timberlake’s “Drink You Away.” He was presented a large American flag, and thanked the men and women that are serving our country, as well as the local heroes, which include the police and fire department, among others. He serenaded these heroes by singing an additional verse of “Cheers to a good country song,” as the audience served as his back-up choir.
The Verdict
Overall, Cole Swindell was terrific at the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater. His energy level was contagious, and he knows how to entertain. He gets better each time he steps foot on stage. His warm personality was evident throughout his set. His show garnered an A rating.
