It would have made sense for Hardy to tone down his first-ever set at Rodeo Houston on Saturday night. Family crowd. Country venue. Corporate environment. Some even predicted as much (good job by me).
Hardy doesn’t roll that way. And that’s what makes him one of the hottest, most unique artists in the country scene today.
The opening Saturday is always a big slot, and Hardy more than delivered, blaring through a 14-song, hour-long set that was long on rock and short on subtlety.
He kicked the set off with two rockers – “Sold Out” and “Kill Sh!t Till I Die.” He mostly refrained from profanity, though he certainly encouraged the crowd to pick up the slack on that end. His band sounded more 90s rock than 90s country.
Yeah, it was that kind of show.
Of course, anyone who considers themselves a true Hardy fan shouldn’t have been surprised. The man has made no secret of his affinity for genres outside the traditional country box – namely, rock and hip-hop – and both were on display in full force on Saturday night via tracks like “Rockstar” and the show-closing “Quit!!”
That said, Hardy at his core remains a true country artist, so he certainly made room for more Rodeo-friendly music. “Wait in the Truck,” with Lainey Wilson piped in on the video board, really drew a response. The poignant “Give Heaven Some Hell” had some folks on the video board crying and singing along simultaneously. And “God’s Country,’ which Hardy wrote and Blake Shelton (who opened this year’s Rodeo) originally performed, really engaged the crowd.
The show probably peaked when Hardy sang “Boots,” “Truck Bed” and “Unapologetically Country as Hell” in succession, if only because those are three of his catchiest and most known, accessible songs. If any songwriter in the game today knows how to craft a hook, it’s Hardy.
By the time Hardy jumped in the back of a Ford pickup truck for the customary ride out, many in the crowd were ready for more. Hardy more than made the most of his first trip to Rodeo Houston. Here’s hoping it’s the first of many.
Set List
Sold Out
Kill Sh!t Till I Die
Jack
Boots
Truck Bed
Unapologetically Country as Hell
Rockstar
One Beer
Wait in the Truck
.30-06
Give Heaven Some Hell
Rednecker
God’s Country
Quit!!
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
