Chris Stapleton’s visits El Paso for his All-American Road Show tour
May 12, 2023
The anticipation and eagerness ran high as the crowd was ready to see Grammy Award-winning country artist, Chris Stapleton, take the stage in his first stop, El Paso. Marking the opening of his All-American Roadshow Tour, announced in early 2023.
UTEP’s Don Haskins Center was greeted by the artist, surrounded by fog and warm red and orange lights, which intersected on the crowd Some were so excited that they pressed up against the stage’s barricades waiting for the show. Stapleton was joined on stage by his wife, Morgane, who often performs alongside her husband.
Stapleton plucked at the string of his Fender Jazzmaster, one of his many signature guitars, playing the opening riff to “Nobody to Blame,” his first single from his 2015 debut album. The crowd roared, their cheers echoing as Stapleton’s band joined in.
Stapleton transitioned masterfully to “Parachute,” followed by “Second One to Know,” which are more songs from the artist’s debut album. This setlist was a treat for those who have been fans of the singer since his earlier music.
After opening with songs from the album that won Stapleton his first two Grammys, the crowd heard “Starting Over,” the title track from the artist’s most recent album. This album was released in late-2020 and garnered almost 200 million streams on Spotify.
Stapleton then played his songs “Millionaire” and “Hard Livin’” from his 2017 album, “From A Room Vol. 2,” which was released the same year as his album “From A Room Vol. 1.” The name of both albums is a pun for the recording studio Stapleton produced them in, RCA Studio A.
The historic RCA Studio A, on Nashville’s “Music Row,” is run by the producer and bandmate to Stapleton, Dave Cobb.
The country artist transitioned the audience back to his most recent album by playing his newly released cover version of “Worry B Gone,” highlighting wanting to “puff” away the bad times. The band then played, “What Are You Listening To?”, released as a single in 2013.
Stapleton then shifted gears back to his debut album, with its title track “Traveller,” followed by another off the same album, bringing down the tempo with “Whiskey and You.”
Following this trend, the country artist then played two more songs from his most recent album, “Arkansas,” to hype the crowd back up, followed by “You Should Probably Leave,” sitting second on the artist’s top-played tracks, according to Spotify.
Keeping the crowd fired up, Stapleton belted “Midnight Train to Memphis,” and “Might as Well Get Stoned,” from both the “Vol. 1” and “Traveller” albums respectively. Stapleton followed with a ballad, “Cold” from the country artist’s most recent album, undoubtedly leaving the crowd with chills.
Stapleton then took a detour from his own work, to cover Lynard Skynard’s “Freebird,” a song known for a challenging and extended guitar break in the middle. However, the artist played it skillfully and Stapleton continued with, “The Devil Named Music,” from his album “Traveller.”
After the cover, Stapleton graced the crowd with a guitar-heavy rendition of his song “I Was Wrong,” from his “Vol. 1” album. After a song about unrequited love, the artist masterfully followed with “Joy of My Life” from his most recent album.
The country artist led into “Fire Away,” a song from his debut album, which gained fame for its music video that brought attention to mental health, and is touted for helping change the perception of those experiencing mental health crises.
Stapleton then took a beat to introduce his bandmates and recognize their hard work in helping to put on a lively show. Getting back into the music, he played what is arguably known as the song that put the country star on the radar of country-western listeners, “Tennessee Whiskey,” from his debut album. Tennessee Whiskey is his most played song, through various music streaming platforms.
To end the night and to keep the concert-goers satisfied, Stapleton played “Outlaw State of Mind,” another from his debut album.
Stapleton’s All-American Roadshow Show Tour hosts a revolving cast of opening acts. Scheduled to appear is Charlie Crockett, Allen Stone, Margo Price, Marty Stuart, Marcus King and The War & Treaty.