Charleston, SC welcomed the Country Deep Tour presented by AT&T U-Verse with open arms Saturday night as hundreds of screaming fans could barely hold their excitement in for each artist. The Holy City knows how to party and Jana Kramer and company were well aware of the vibe of the crowd as the show went well into the night.
Austin Webb opened the show to a rowdy home state crowd that kept their hands in the air and swarmed the stage as he rolled through a set list the crowd was very familiar with. The Greenville native is riding high on his new single “Raise ‘Em Up”, a summer-time party anthem that the Music Farm crowd was happy to oblige to. Webb fed off the energy getting stronger and more confident with each song. His career is on a similar rise. Along with his new single, Webb also made his Grand Ole Opry debut in 2013. He represents a new generation of country artist with a soulful sound and an edgy look with a sleeve of meaningful tattoos. Webb wasn’t shy about meeting some fans. Right after his set he was out hanging in the crowd and taking pictures with the swarms of girls and guys around him.
Just after his performance Saturday night Canaan Smith shared a picture from the stage of the crowd going wild after his set. Smith’s not new to the country game, but he’s yet to break through with that big hit. Country Deep is all about showcasing the next hot artist and by the crowd reaction from Charleston they might be on to something big with Smith. Most of the news circulating him lately has focused on his recent engagement, but that will soon change with the release of his debut album. He did have some extra pep as they rolled through new songs and on to his best known single “We Got Us”, a straightforward love song with a universal theme.
As much as the crowd loved each opener, the night was about Jana Kramer. Whether they’re her fans from One Tree Hill, a rabid Friday Night Lights fan, or a pure fan of her music, Jana Kramer fans love Jana Kramer. She did a meet and greet for select concert goers mid way through Canaan Smith’s set where she took pictures, gave a lot of hugs and handshakes and made it a once in a lifetime experience for everyone involved. She was bubbly when she took the stage. Full of energy bouncing around dancing with each band member, and even reached the mic out to the crowd so they could sing along. As she ran through tracks from her latest self-titled album one of the biggest crowd pleasers was when she covered Alanis Morrissette’s 90’s hit “Ironic”. Kramer showed that’s she’s not only a great singer, but she knows how to put on a live show and get the most out of any crowd.
The overall theme for the night from all the artists was to have fun. They covered songs from Elvis, to bits of Tom Petty, to Alanis Morrissette, picking the crowd up each time. They all complimented Charleston, one of the most beautiful and historic cities in America and you could tell they were genuine about how happy they were to be there the whole time. Charleston knows how to treat an artist right. If you’d like to read more about the Country Deep Tour and learn more about Jana, Canaan, and Austin be sure to visit the Country Deep website. There you’ll find their tour diaries full of pictures and upcoming dates so you can tell your friends. The tour comes back to The Music Farm in Charleston May 16, this time headlined by David Nail.
