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Ozarks wins the hearts of Shane Smith, Whiskey Myers at latest show

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It was a good night for red dirt rock at the Ozarks Amphitheater last weekend as 49 Winchester, Shane Smith and The Saints and Whiskey Myers packed the house. While all three bands fall in the country music genre, none of them were afraid to rip a few rock riffs. 

49 Winchester took the stage first, playing several songs off the band’s fourth studio album, “Fortune Favors The Bold”.  Their seven-song set list also included fan favorites off their third album, “III”.

Touring with Whiskey Myers this year offers the band a chance to play sold out crowds across the country, however it won’t be long until either of these opening acts are headlining their own tours. 

Up next was Shane Smith and The Saints, a band who seemingly drew just as many diehard fans as the main act. Prior to the gates opening I noticed hundreds of folks wearing the band’s merchandise and the line to their booth at Friday’s show was a hot spot throughout the night. Smith, the bands lead singer and frontman said they were just as excited to be in the Ozarks. 

“This area is incredible,” he said. “We went to the Ha Ha Tonka castle ruins and that was amazing. We got to see the spring and that was beautiful. It’s great to be here.”

The East Texas band will be playing ahead of Whiskey Myers for the rest of their tour, playing tracks from their four albums, including the latest test album, “Live From The Desert”. 

“We’re just having an amazing time. We've been going since April with them and I know we're gonna be bummed out when this summer's over but the Ozarks was incredible,” Smith added. “We’re super glad to be here.”

The crowd erupted with the beginning of the Whiskey Myers set and the amphitheater echoed with each lyric. Fans belted the tunes so fluidly, when the band’s most notable song began, the audience didn’t miss a beat. Lead singer Cody Cannon began “Broken Window Serenade,” with a harmonica solo before saying, “A couple of pretty flowers,” to which the crowd then rehearsed every word of the first verse of the song in perfect unison.  

“You sound pretty,” Cannon told the Missouri crowd, which included travelers from several states away, including Colorado, Kansas, Iowa and Indiana. 

The song, made famous by appearing on season 2 of Yellowstone, wasn’t the only occurrence of a singalong throughout the night. The heat tampered off and the mild weather made for a perfect evening for live, outdoor music, which lasted into the midnight hour.

The Ozarks Amphitheater has dozens of shows remaining throughout the 2022 season. Live music is back and better than ever, with fan appreciation at an all-time high. For a full list of upcoming events, visit ozarksamphitheater.com