SHANE OWENS

Facebook Live! from 01/04/22

Tuesday January 4, 2022

Live From Samson, AL

(Review by: Jeffrey Kurtis)

There’s a lot of discussion today about traditional country music slowly fading away and being replaced by Top 40 pop country, but artists such as Shane Owens stand tall in the spotlight as one of today’s acts that is boldly, and unapologetically, carrying forward the traditional roots.

Jumping on Facebook Live, with both he and his accompanying guitarist (Mike) armed with acoustic guitars, Owens invited viewers straight into his living room in Samson, Alabama for a set of traditional country music.

With mounted deer heads and prize fish hanging on the slatted wooden wall behind them setting the perfect backdrop, Owens rolled into his set with “Love To Try ‘Em On,” a Billboard Top 50 that quickly set the tone of the night as he sang his nod to the classic country singers that came before him and paved the way, before sliding into another true country original, “Got Some Hurtin’ Done Today.”

“George Jones, Keith Whitley, and Haggard would be proud of that one right there,” Owens suggested, before asking the viewers if they had any requests.

“We had a request for some Randy Travis the last time we went live, so we’re gonna try to remember one for you here tonight,” Owens said as he rolled into Travis’ #1 smash from 1988, “I Told You So.”

“If we sound good, go ahead and give us a big ‘ol thumbs up or a heart…if we don’t sound good then don’t do anything,” Owens said laughing.

“Here is one of our favorite new songs,” Owens introduced as he played “Everybody Dies,” which featured the incredible, thought-provoking hook of “everybody dies, not everybody lives,” making it easy to see why it’s been one of his biggest hits at radio thus far.

Humbly thanking his fans for all their support throughout the years, Owens then jumped into the requests that had started pouring in with John Anderson’s “Chicken Truck,” a song that he had re-recorded with Anderson himself for his 2016 album, Where I’m Comin’ From.

Continuing to satisfy the request line, Owens jumped into “It’s A Southern Thing,” a song that he said at one point was on hold with Tim McGraw, before jumping into an impromptu version of McGraw’s “Refried Dreams.”

“This is one of my favorite of our songs; A little Shane Owens classic for y’all,” he excitedly introduced as he dipped back to 2005 to pull out “We’re Onto Something Baby.”

After mentioning his boys birthdays, Owens performed a quick, stone-country version of “Happy Birthday.”

“I’m in a Keith Whitley kind of mood tonight,” Owens admitted. “He’s one of my heroes and his music will never die,” he finished as he played a spot-on cover version of “I Never Go Around Mirrors.”

“I’m on a Sundrop diet now,” confessed Owens as he read/played another of the requests coming in with “All the Beer in Alabama” to close out the 45-minute performance.

Shane Owens said it best when he said that in between tour dates, he loves to do these Facebook Live’s to be able to stay close with his fans until he’s back out on the road.

Though the pandemic forced some artist creativity to reach their fans, in some ways this type of event is a true blessing that arrived because of it. While not every artist can connect with their fans through a screen, Owens absolutely did. His down-home personality shined, he talked directly with those who were leaving comments, and he allowed his music to take center stage while also highlighting the icons that laid the traditional groundwork before him.

FULL SET LIST

1) Love To Try ‘Em On

2) Got Some Hurtin’ Done Today

3) I Told You So

4) Everybody Dies

5) Chicken Truck

6) It’s A Southern Thing

7) Refried Dreams (Tim McGraw cover)

8) We’re Onto Something Baby

9) Happy Birthday

10) I Never Go Around Mirrors (Keith Whitley cover)

11) All the Beer in Alabama

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