MICHAEL RAY

Tuesday August 31, 2021

HonkyTonk Tuesday @ The Nashville Palace in Nashville, TN

(Review by: Jeffrey Kurtis)

www.michaelraymusic.com

2020 brought on so many complicated changes to our way of life that we all felt completely blindsided and oftentimes helpless. In our own backyard of Nashville, one of the most noticeable areas that was seemingly taken away from us - and coincidentally hit the hardest - was the entertainment industry.

But as the old saying goes, “every cloud has a silver lining.” Even though we couldn’t attend concerts in person, nor were the artists able to do what they love the most by hitting the road and being face-to-face with their fans, the pandemic forced entertainers to get a little creative and start trying out new things to keep a strong connection with their fanbase.

For Michael Ray, that meant the creation of his livestream series HonkyTonk Tuesday.

Michael Ray has come into our living rooms (via the computer screen) over the course of the past year to deliver a highly anticipated weekly series filled with stories, songs, and guest artists that have included Keith Anderson, Clint Black, Lee Greenwood, Terri Clark, Darryl Worley, Deana Carter, and more!

But as some of the restrictions began to lift earlier this summer, and live music started to return to concert stages across the country, it was time for Michael Ray to invite his supportive fans to Nashville’s famed venue The Nashville Palace for the first-ever, live-in person version of his HonkyTonk Tuesday.

With the crowd packed in front of the stage, the livestream feed rolling, and a smokey atmosphere setting the mood underneath the bright stage lights, the band (sans Ray) revved up the crowd with a swampy, rock-tilted extended intro of “Holy Water” that had the crowd swaying with the groove, as Ray then strolled out onto the stage to a huge ovation while singing the opening line of the song, “Somewhere inside them back Florida pines there’s a town with Choctaw name!”

“Welcome to the first ever live HonkyTonk Tuesday,” Ray said welcoming the crowd as the opening song ended.

“How we feeling Nashville, Tennessee?” he asked as he addressed the in-person crowd, before turning his attention to those who were tuning in at home. “And wherever you’re watching from, I hope y’all have a stiff drink of whiskey in your hand because we’re celebrating a lot. My EP Higher Education is out, and thanks to you guys here and to you guys watching, this song is sitting Top 20 at country radio right now!” he finished as he launched into his current hit “Whiskey and Rain” and instantly had the crowd singing along as he commanded all sides of the stage while pulling the audience further into the song when holding the microphone out towards them to hear only the voices singing back to him.

“We put this song on the EP because it reminded me of myself, it reminded me of you guys, it reminded of everyone watching at home or wherever you’re watching from. All of us that are unapologetically 100% how the Good Lord made us – good and bad,” he explained as the opening notes of “Just As I Am” played.

Ray paused at this point of his set to offer a toast the crowd and thank them for their support of HonkyTonk Tuesday – a podcast, which he revealed his fans had helped get ranked in the Top 30.

“When we started this, I wanted to be able to hopefully bring everybody out of what was going on. Turn the damn news off for a second, get with your family, and pour a damn drink and let’s have some fun with country music and try to make it feel like a festival in your kitchen, living room, or wherever you’re watching from. Y’all grew it to something way bigger than I even thought I’d be,” he said with pure gratitude.

“About this time last year, I was FaceTime drinking with my buddy Taylor Phillips,” he started with a laugh. “And we were talking about what it was like being back home and being in a town where it’s generational. You do the same things that your mom and dad did. You ride the same roads, do the same jobs, fish the same holes…that’s what’s great about small towns. We had this idea for a song, and I cut it, put it on this record, and it’s probably my favorite I’d ever written,” Ray explained as strapped on his acoustic guitar and played the autobiographical “Didn’t Know I Was Country,” eliciting a rousing ovation and earning several lifted drinks into the air as he sang the hook, “I didn’t know I was country, thank God I am.”

Before performing his ultra-personal song “Picture,” Ray offered the story behind it while giving a hard-earned life lesson to the audience by explaining the importance of savoring all the moments we have with those we love.

“I lost my Uncle Terry last year unexpectedly and he was the life of the party, the fun guy, he made everyone laugh. We wrote this song not to be sad, but to be a reminder that no matter where you’re at, take the pictures cause one day that’s all you’ll have left of each other and you’ll be so grateful you did.”

The song, and this heartfelt performance of it, clearly struck the hearts of several in the audience as many of them could be seen wiping misty eyes as he sang us through that heart-tugging reminder in the chorus.

To follow a touching song like “Picture,” and reset the party atmosphere, Michael Ray excitedly encouraged, “Let’s crank this party up a little bit…I want to take y’all back to some of my favorite songs back in the day.”

He then got the crowd screaming the lyrics and dancing with cover versions of Tim McGraw’s “I Like It, I Love It” and Joe Diffie’s “John Deere Green,” the latter which he said they played every night and always send up to his dear friend, the late Joe Diffie when they do.

He rounded out his set by first getting the crowd bopping along with his smash hit “One That Got Away,” but then by shocking the audience with an “only in Nashville” moment when he brought his high-profile guests to the stage – Kid Rock, Billy F. Gibbons of ZZ Top, Lee Brice, and Tim Montana – who all jumped into their respective roles on “Higher Education” to close out the incredible 40-minute performance.

FULL SET LIST

1. Holy Water

2. Whiskey and Rain

3. Just As I Am

4. Didn’t Know I Was Country

5. Picture

6. I Like It, I Love It (Tim McGraw cover)

7. John Deere Greene (Joe Diffie cover)

8. One That Got Away

9. Higher Education

Do you wanna see this whole show? Click play below and check it out! 

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