Straight Line Sober, Blackjack Billy at Boots & Hearts 2018
Blackjack Billy is always ready for a good time. On Thursday night at the Boots & Hearts 2018 Coors Banquet Kickoff Party, they proved it again.
Noll, Jeff, Clay, and Wes came to the stage and were welcomed by cheers and screams before they even played a note. And when they did start to play, it got even louder. The boys fed off of that energy and gave it all right back, leaving everyone ready for LOCASH and setting the stage for a helluva weekend.
We caught up with Blackjack Billy earlier in the day to chat and asked them about playing for Canadian fans. They told us that there’s a different vibe up here. There’s something they can feel when they play for Canadian crowds that’s different than in the U.S., and they’re totally okay with that. As much as they love Canadian country fans though, they love playing their music for a living even more.
The enthusiasm from every member of the band during their set can’t be ignored. They jump up and down, they move all over the stage, and they engage with the audience. Hell, Noll straight up dove into the front row faithful during the medley and did a little crowd surfing.
We asked about that party vibe that we’ve come to know from the band, and they explained that it’s not necessarily intentional. They’ve never gone out of their way to be a party band. It isn’t about getting drunk and sloppy for them. But they told us that the crowd is never going to have a better time than they are. So when the thousands of Thursday night fans showed that they were into it, the band followed suit.
While we were hanging out we also asked about writing music and what they want to accomplish in their careers as music makers. They told us that when it comes to writing, they feel the most free and comfortable when they’re not thinking about the next single or radio hit. They love to just let it flow and see what they come up with as artists and music lovers. It makes sense, and as music fans, we’re happy to hear that they have those opportunities.
They also told us that they would more than welcome any and all radio success, but that it all serves one purpose – allowing them to play more shows.
Their live show, the one that wows country fans across Canada and the United States was on full display on Thursday night. The volume of the sea of voices was insane for I Got A Feelin’ and Booze Cruise. And when they played their medley, spanning genres and generations, everyone was into it.
Blackjack Billy is a collection of four dudes that grew up listening to music, buying tickets to concerts and festivals, and pinching themselves that they get to be on the other side of the barrier now. And while they might be playing big stages under bright spotlights, you’ll still find them sneaking back out to watch other artists do their thing. We like that.
Before we finished our hang out, the guys told us that they’d be happy to come back to Boots & Hearts every two years to play the festival. After seeing them entertain the hell out of the Coors Banquet Kickoff Party audience, we’ve got a feelin’ that everyone else would be happy with that too!
Blackjack Billy Setlist, Boots & Hearts 2018
☞ Sugar Cane
☞ Blood Sweat And Beer
☞ Straight Line Sober
☞ Slow Dancing Under The Sheets
☞ Tread
☞ Working On You
☞ Born To Ride
☞ I Got A Feelin’
☞ Crazy Bit*h / Give It Away / American Woman / Whole Lotta Love / Lose Yourself / No Diggity / Thrift Shop
☞ Booze Cruise
Photos of Blackjack Billy at Boots & Hearts 2018
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