The last time I saw the Brothers Osborne was in Oct. 2014 in Springfield, Mo, shortly after their country music careers took off. John’s red beard is a little longer and T.J.’s hair a bit lighter in color, but their voices haven’t changed a bit.
I knew they were going to make it big with their classic twang and outlaw country sound. However, I didn’t expect the duo to hit the charts as quickly as they did. The brothers will be, in my opinion, a pivotal point in country music history.
They kicked off the show at Ozarks Amphitheater with “Skeletons,” “Headstone,” and “Shoot Me Straight,” which gave the crowd ample energy to rock out with the brothers.
“Yal came to party, I like that baby! This is a song that a good friend of mine, Dierks Bentley, asked me to sing with him,” T.J. told the crowd. “I want you to sing along.”
And boy did they. The crowd was electric and on a personal note, it was incredible to see a song written by a pal of mine belted out by thousands of people in one place. S/O Bobby Pinson, my all-time favorite lyricist and biggest writing inspiration.
The next hit “Stay a Little Longer,” was equally as echoed throughout the amphitheater, as fans had anticipated it since the night began.
Halfway through the show, T.J. addressed the crowd discussing the many changes that have taken place over the last few years. Of course, he was referring to the pandemic and the rapidly changing rules for live music and venues as well as the changes in his personal life.
He spoke from the heart and expressed his gratitude for the kind comments and warm welcome he received from fans following the pandemic and his coming out. The morning following the Ozarks show, T.J. led the PRIDE parade in Downtown Nashville.
What happened next was my favorite part of the evening. While we’ve seen that the Ozarks Amphitheater stage can host some of the biggest rock bands of all time, it also offered an intimate setting for the band to circle around and pick as if they were sitting back on a porch, just relaxing with their friends.
The next song they sang was “Younger Me,” a letter written by T.J. to his younger self following coming out. The entire experience was something to smile about. I didn’t see one person in the crowd scoff or roll their eyes. They just loved and appreciated his art.
Shockingly, I heard a tune that was new to me and reminded me of an epic cross between an Eric Church or Chris Stapleton ballad. The song was titled “Weed, Whiskey and Willie,” and it stung with pain as the audience recited the lyrics word for word in the seemingly small and homey setting.
As soon as the band stood back up and the light effects came out in full blast, they gave the crowd another hit with a riveting rendition of their song “Rum.”
As always, the Ozarks Amphitheater offered a night of memorable music in a beautiful atmosphere. And it’s not over yet – the venue has nearly a dozen big names coming through September of this year, including the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Kansas, Foreigner, Jamey Johnson, Little Big Town, Darius Rucker and Cody Johnson. For more information, visit ozarksamphitheater.com.
