An incredible singer, great songs and a talented band, really what more can a country fan ask for? On January 27th in Rancho Mirage, CA Easton Corbin and his band showed up in full force. Excited fans poured into the ACM nominated Agua Caliente Casino for what turned out to be a night of fantastic country music and, quite simply, a lot of fun. As soon as Easton took the stage he connected with the audience giving me an immediate feeling this was going to be a GREAT show.

Easton has definitely worked hard to be the performer he is today. Born in a small town, Easton started playing guitar at 15 years old. His mentor, a former Nashville session guitar player Pee Wee Melton, encouraged Easton to follow his dream of being a country singer and boy are we glad he did! In 2006 Easton moved to Nashville and that dream really began to take shape. His debut, self titled album has garnered 2 number one hits and has country fans everywhere singing, “I’m A Little More Country Than That.”

Easton’s drive and pure love for music was more than evident during his live show. He started with “The Way Love Looks” and went right into 2 other songs off his album. After that he kept the show going strong with a great mix consisting of his songs and some incredible covers. It is always a treat to hear something at a concert that you can’t hear on the artist’s album. It makes for a unique experience and allows you to see what else the artist is capable of. The way Easton worked in the covers and worked the crowd is a testament to his already seasoned skills as a performer. The first cover he did was the Brooks and Dunn hit “Put a Girl In it.” This song quickly had the crowd up on their feet dancing and singing along. He also covered a few Alan Jackson hits, some Kenny Chesney, Gary Allan, Alabama and a Merle Haggard classic. He shared with the crowd how Merle has always been one of his heroes and then kicked off a fiery rendition of “Workin’ Man Blues.”

Another highlight of the night was getting to hear some new music. Easton discussed how many people have been asking him when he was going to release a new single. Well, the time has just about arrived. Easton treated us to his new song, “Loving You is Fun,” set to be released February 13th, just in time for Valentine’s Day. I really enjoyed the song and have no doubt this one will grab the attention of country radio and its listeners.

Of course an evening with Easton would not be complete without hearing “I Just Can’t Love You Back,” in which he enlisted some help from the crowd during the chorus. This is Easton’s current single and was clearly a crowd favorite. After delivering one great song after another Easton ended the set with “Roll With It” and he and the band said goodnight. The crowd went crazy and continued to cheer, which brought the gang back on stage for 3 sensational covers. He started the encore with a little George Strait, someone Easton has often been compared to. He sang “It Just Comes Natural” and I think George would have been proud. They officially ended the night with “Little Sister.” It was a hit for Elvis in 1961, a 1987 Billboard chart topper for Dwight Yoakam and, in my opinion, if Easton cut that song today it would be a hit for him as well. He did the song proud and it was the perfect way to round out an already great show.

Easton has a terrific band, which really added a lot of flavor to the show. After the last song was sung, the band played a musical mix of “Roll With It” and “I’m A Little More Country Than That” while Easton leaned into the crowd shaking hands, and signing hats, CD’s and pictures. He really took his time and I found this to make the show very personal. He also took the time to thank the crowd for coming, and in addition he thanked the casino and country radio. His sincerity was refreshing and was just another moment that made an Easton Corbin concert time well spent. I went into the show being an Easton fan, and left the show being a highly impressed fan. I would check out Easton’s tour schedule and if the wind blows him your way check out his show. You will have a blast!

To see more pictures from the show visit our Flickr page here.

Set List
“The Way Love Looks”
“Don’t Ask Me About a Women”
“A Little More Country Than That”
“Put a Girl In It” –Cover (Brooks and Dunn)
“This Far From Memphis”
“I Don’t Even Know Your Name” – Cover (Alan Jackson)
“Loving You Is Fun”
“Leavin’ A Lonely Town”
“A Lot to Learn About Livin’”
“Watching Airplanes” –Cover (Gary Allan)
“I Just Can’t Love You Back”
“It Must Be Love” –Cover (Don Williams/Alan Jackson)
“Workin’ Man Blues” –Cover (Merle Haggard)
“That’ll Make You Wanna Drink”
“Don’t Happen Twice” –Cover (Kenny Chesney)
“Roll With It”

ENCORE
“It Just Comes Natural” –Cover (George Strait)
“If Your Gonna Play In Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)” –Cover (Alabama)
“Little Sister” –Cover (Elvis Presley/Dwight Yoakam)

CMTT Music Contributor
Krissie Humphrey
@khmusic12
Krissie@countrymusictattletale.com