Nickelback: Fan or Liar?

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Nickelback set the night on fire at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee during the highly anticipated Get Rollin' tour. As if the night wouldn't be hot enough with country newcomer Josh Ross along with country outlaw Brantley Gilbert as opening acts, the band ignited fans with surprise guests Jelly Roll, HARDY, Chris Daughtry, Bailey Zimmerman, and ERNEST.

With doors opening up at 5:00 pm on a Tuesday night, many fans left work early to ensure they got a great spot on the floor in the GA section right up front. Some fans called in sick and took the day off, while others took today off knowing they would need to recover from their night of drinking and having fun. In any case, it is safe to say those decisions were well worth it. 

Taking the stage first was country newcomer, Josh Ross. His new single "Aint Doin' Jack" was a crowd favorite, though it was his performance of "Red Flags" that stood out to me as he sang it to the sweet young woman next to me that was singing every word to him. That moment was genuine and it seemed as though the two made each other's night. Ross even allowed fans to meet with him after his performance before Gilbert took the stage.

As Gilbert took the stage, fans erupted with excitement. His energy on stage was infectious, but It was Jason Aldean that caused the first enormous roar from the crowd, however, as he joined Gilbert on stage to perform "Dirt Road Anthem", a song that inarguably changed both artists' lives. The crowd continued to rev up as Gilbert brought his lovely wife and two kids on stage. In fact, his kids simply stole the show and it would not have mattered what Gilbert did at that point. Though, Gilbert packed an extra emotional punch and brought MANY female fans to tears, including me, as he sang "You Don't Know Her Like I Do" as he danced with his wife Amber and his son and daughter on stage. To stimulate fans even further, Gilbert and his band began throwing pics and drum heads into the crowd after they concluded their set. To my shock and surprise, I unknowingly caught one of Noah's guitar picks in my top. That was a definite first-time experience for me, however, I am unsure if Noah has practiced his throwing skills or if this was simply a lucky shot.

With the powerful performance that Gilbert just displayed, I overheard a few fans exclaim that if Nickelback was going to top them, this was going to be one hell of a concert. Indeed it was. From the moment that Chad Kroger, Ryan Peake, Mike Kroger, and Daniel Adair took the stage, the surprises got bigger and bigger. Fans screamed0,0 sang every word, danced and had the best time. The Bridgestone Arena was absolutely on fire. Seriously, the fire displays were hot and executed brilliantly. The night was filled with euphoria. For a brief few hours, there was not a care or worry in the world. We were all ONE. The comradery between Nickelback and each of their surprise acts was quite simply put, amazing. We, the fans, knew every song, old and new. We did not want the night to end. Perhaps we won't have to wait that long for another tour. Chad teased the idea of a stadium tour with Hardy and Gilbert next year, so maybe we will get lucky and have another chance to rock out as hard as we did last night. 

I have been to a lot of shows. I have seen a wide variety of acts. In my opinion, the Get Rollin' tour is going to be a difficult one to top. I am not quite sure it can be. Well done Nickelback. You definitely get a 10 out of 10.  ~Missy