Quoting the lyrics of the song that cemented his place among the country greats, I can safely say that Chris Stapleton is indeed as smooth as Tennessee whiskey, and his voice, with its flawless rugged charm, is as sweet as strawberry wine.
For a spellbinding two-and a-bit hours, the Kentucky-born master musician took his suited and booted Spark Arena audience to the friendliest, most rambunctious country-rock bluegrass jam session they could’ve ever imagined.
A ticket to the gig was probably the hottest in town with two sold out nights, and it’s no secret as to why. If there was a Mt Rushmore of country singers, Grammy-winning Stapleton would be front and centre hence why there wasn’t an empty seat in the house.
After a rousing performance by South Carolina singer Marcus King, Stapleton and his all-star band appeared on a curtain draped stage featuring old-timey footlights and a triangle backdrop.
As soon as I saw legendary steel guitarist Paul Franklin (who I’ve idolised since his days playing for Dire Straits), and Stapleton’s revered back-up singer and wife Morgane, I knew I was about to witness a well-oiled country machine.
Chris Stapleton gave Aucklanders one of the best jam sessions we've ever seen. Photo / Tom Grut
I was right. After the brooding opening tremor of White Horse, Stapleton’s voice hit us like a freight train and the chemistry and synchronisation between him and his band was unmatched.
For a concert of this size, it felt amazingly intimate, like we were all collectively in a Nashville dive bar or regional theatre singing along with our mates.
“Hello Auckland, thanks for being here with us,” Stapleton said three songs in from behind his bushy beard, marvelling at the elated crowd.
Captivating, cool, and calm, he quickly wins the hearts of all the fans who’ve waited years to see him come down under.
A man with a mission, he noted he “wasn’t going to do much talking” so “everyone could have the best time they could possibly have,” before launching into Kevin Welch cover Millionaire.
“Give it to us Chris!” a guy next to me shouted, as Stapleton took a guitar and shredded it in a way I reckon would’ve made Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits sing his praises.
It Takes a Woman slowed down the pace and spurned a collective singalong as couples around the arena slow danced in their seats.
Think I’m In Love With You turned the dive bar/theatre into a disco club as the band seamlessly switched to country funk led by Stapleton’s soulful voice (I’ll note the man didn’t put a note wrong the whole night).
“This is the part where I fire the band for a few songs,” Stapleton joked before grabbing the acoustic guitar and playing the soothing Mountains of My Mind.
Chris Stapleton captivates a sold-out Spark Arena. Photo / Tom Grut
His humble, friendly charm was impossibly endearing, and you could tell he was at home on the stage.
“It used to be just me and a guitar,” he recalled, as I started to realise just how much hard work this legend has put into his career over two decades in the business.
“Are you drinking tonight? I am, so let’s sing a drinking song,” Stapleton continued as we collectively raised a glass to Whiskey and You.
Parachute sent the well-oiled train into full steam ahead mode again, with boots stomping on the Spark Arena floor and the backdrop lights flashing in time with the driving beat.
After crowd favourites Joy of My Life and You Should Probably Leave, Stapleton then took things into the country-rock stratosphere with an electric eight-odd minute musical break after I Was Wrong.
“You still hanging in there?” he asked afterwards. Of course we are, we could go until the early hours of the morning if you were allowed to keep playing!
Thanking the crowd for their support of his music over the years, he treated us to Traveller, which in his words was “the song that kicked it all off”.
And while Broken Halos inevitably brought the house down, it was David Allan Coe cover Tennessee Whiskey that rightly saw the biggest crowd response.
This was the song that introduced me, and I’m sure plenty of others, to Stapleton, and I’ve got fond memories of sitting around a Florida lakeside with my mates losing my voice singing it.
As the iconic riff played and the singer introduced his band, I smiled, reflecting on the power of country music and how the genre really does bring people together.
“I think we’ve got one or two left in us if you’ve got a couple more left in you,” Stapleton teased, returning after a brief break for an encore of Might As Well Get Stoned and Outlaw State of Mind.
If there was a Mt Rushmore of country, Chris Stapleton would be front and centre. Photo / Becky Fluke
Summing up the All American Road Show Goes Down Under is tricky, because every single person would’ve left Spark Arena with a different core emotion or feeling owing to Stapleton’s diverse discography.
Two things everyone could agree on though, is that Kiwis' love for country music is stronger than ever, and that we all witnessed a form of true musical magic on the stage tonight.
We’re blessed to get this calibre of country talent here, and if the crowd reactions to Stapleton’s tour de force performance are anything to go by, it’s only going to continue.
Chris Stapleton performs another show tonight (Saturday, March 8) at Spark Arena.
Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald’s entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke’s Bay Today.
