The temperatures were nice and mild most of the week and then Saturday was HOT. Just so happened that we spent our Saturday at Country in the Park at Cal Expo in Sacramento and so we felt that heat for sure. Thank goodness for shade and the breeze!
We did the smart thing and decided to stay in Sacramento one night instead of heading back home after the concert. The hotel was close but we took Uber both ways, which was the perfect thing to do. We also didn’t stay for the whole show (sorry Dustin Lynch, but Happy Birthday anyway!), which made our departure smoother, I’m sure.
Our draw the show was Tyler Rich, of course. Even though we weren’t able to say hey to Tyler, it was still such a good time and totally worth the heat and the crowd and the beer drinking. Tyler was fantastic, of course, and it was amazing watching him perform in front of such a large crowd. I felt so proud of him and so happy. Oh, and the band is badass. Just saying’.
And the rest of the lineup fared thusly:
- Nate Smith – I don’t know much about him but I think I’ve heard a song of his before. He sounded good!
- Priscilla Block – The only female in Saturday’s lineup was good! I liked her a lot and she had a great voice and fun songs. I did notice that she was never more specific than “California” when addressing us. Other than that, she was pretty cool even though the only song I’d ever heard of hers before Saturday was “My Bar” because we heard it at one of local bars. How funny is that?
- Niko Moon – Okay, I’ve heard a song or two or his before and he skirts the usual definition of “country” for most folks, I’m sure but wow, I really enjoyed his set so much. You can’t help but move to his songs and he has good moves on stage. Loved his whole set and his vibe. He was the only one I recorded for my IG story and he actually liked it and sent me a short message so yeah, I’m feelin’ it for him. He was the most fun to watch (besides Tyler) for me.
- Tyler – Loved his set, of course, and the only thing I wished for was hearing “A Little Bit of You” live but that’s what happens when you so many songs and not enough time. I managed to record his upcoming single, so go me!
- Chris Lane – I decided to take a trip to the ladies room at the beginning of Chris’ set and ended up missing a lot of it. I could hear it but I missed a few songs. When I was finally back in my seat, I enjoyed it for sure. I especially liked when Chris’ brother Cory sang with him. I know they’re identical twins but hot damn, Cory wears a white t-shirt and jeans so well. He’s also great on drums.
- Chris Janson – This Chris is so good on stage. He plays the HECK out of the harmonica and he’s got such a positive energy and it’s infectious. I choose to believe that he’s all about EVERYONE and not just the dumbasses who thought it was right to show a flag that has nothing to do with anything anyone wants to see while he was on stage. The American flag though, I can dig it. He’s filled with the ideal sort of hope and conviction that’s meant to be unifying. He’s a good show.
- Dustin Lynch – Well, we didn’t stay for Dustin but I’m sure he was fantastic on stage. It was his birthday, after all.
I did check out Tyler’s merch table and ended up buying the Sabina t-shirt. Other than that, I stayed in our seats. We found a great spot in the grandstand and other than the fact that one of us had to stay there to keep our seats, it was a sweet deal and gave us a great view of the stage and the people milling about below. Now we know what we’ll do should we go to another show there. (Get Jordan Davis and Old Dominion to CITP and I’m probably going to want to be there for sure.)
For my Saturday look, I decided on my new black summer dress, fishtail braids, 1888 Design earrings, Rootless necklace, and Tyler’s guitar pick necklace. The Rootless pendant has #MYSPELLBREAKER on one side and the coordinates to Ace of Spades on the other (which is where I first met Tyler), so yes, I was a bit Tyler Rich fangirling in mostly subtle ways. (Or not so subtle ways?)