NIKO MOON brings the hope of "Better Days" to Huckabee

Friday January 5, 2024 (Taping Date)

@ Huckabee Theater in Hendersonville, TN

(Review by: Jeffrey Kurtis)

There’s always something so special about turning off the main road and onto the hallowed property of Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN).

An aura of legends past echo through the sprawling acreage that Conway Twitty once called home, reminding you of the layers of music history that the grounds hold within its fabrication as you make your way to the check-in point for that night’s taping of Huckabee, becoming part of the next page in the family photo album as a member of its vibrant studio audience.

The overall mood is always one of small-town USA as return guests get caught up on all things happening in their lives, while newcomers to the show are welcomed into the fold with open arms and get to know you conversation.

But as good as the mood always is at a taping of Huckabee, there was an additional vibe looming in the air, a “Good Time” feel if you will, as laid-back singer-songwriter Niko Moon would be bringing his positively chill personality to the stage later that night as the featured musical guest.

The amazing talk show that you see on TV is only part of the experience that comes with being blessed to be there in person. In many ways, the salt-of-the-earth cast of personalities makes all that you don’t see on camera a grateful celebration of you from the minute you begin to soak in the moment.

Before the cameras even rolled on this taping, veteran comedian John Pate shared belly laugh stories from his own life, livening up the audience as he successfully amped excitement for things still to come.  

Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame announcer Keith Bilbrey brought his naturally gifted, down-home humor to the stage as he ran through a list of the birthdays being celebrated by several folks in the crowd.

Governor Mike Huckabee then ignited the audience with his appreciative smile as he not only encouraged them to laugh out loud and clap if they liked something during the show, but to also say thank you to everyone for being an integral part of it.

The stage crew finalized the lighting and set their cameras for the opening sequence as the ushers hyped the crowd one last time when the countdown to showtime reached its final tick and the audience hit eruption level, surrounded by Tré Corley and The Music City Connection pumping out the opening theme as Keith Bilbrey enthusiastically announced that night’s guests and brought Governor Huckabee to the stage to a deafening ovation to officially open the show.

As the status of our world right now dictates, there were unavoidably somber topics that needed to be discussed during the opening monologue as Governor Huckabee tugged heartstrings with a detailed account of the devastation, both on the ground and within families, that he personally witnessed on his recent trip to war-torn Israel.

With a noticeable hush murmured over the crowd as he spoke, the first-hand photos on the screens across the theater added stark visual representation to his first-hand account of the hard-to-digest evilness that has erupted in the Holy Land. 

However, layered underneath the topical heaviness, a message of hope arrived and became the emotional drive for the remainder of the taping.

“My only comfort is in reading the end of the book and knowing that in the end God overcomes,” Gov. Huckabee shared as he wound down the opening segment of the show. “Evil, death, and hate will be forever more relegated to an everlasting hell and those of us who have placed our trust, and our very lives, in the hands of the one God…the true God…will forever experience an everlasting life!”

Continuing within that atmosphere of hope, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey offered transparent insight into the ongoing fight that he’s leading against censorship in efforts to uphold our freedom of speech, while comedian Jeff “Big Daddy” Wayne layered the night with stories of growing up in nearby Newport, KY, hilariously parlaying the southern way of life against the total misunderstanding of it which he experienced at a Beverly Hills party.

Through the “Huck’s Heroes” segment, Blake Brewer brought tears to eyes as he gave an account of the day he unexpectedly lost his father during a snorkeling excursion, but explained how he leaned on the hope that he found through a letter that his dad had written to give to him during that trip; relaying that the hope he found in that most tragic moment was a pure act of God’s comforting hand being firmly placed upon him.

In what can only be described as God taking what was meant for harm and turning it into something good, Brewer has since gone on to start The Legacy Letter Challenge, which he excitedly talked about as he shared their lofty mission of striving to help 1 million parents craft meaningful, hope inducing Legacy Letter’s to their own children.

The crowd had absolutely experienced a gamut of emotions up to this point in the night as “Happy Cowboy” Niko Moon arrived with a much needed reminder of hope when he performed his feel-good single “Better Days,” telling us through his always positive smile that although we might be knocked down right now, we still have so much good to still do in our lives.

“No matter who you are, if you’re going through hard times right now…just know that better days are ahead,” he encouraged over the intro of the song as the soft groove kept everyone swaying along with a bounce in their shoulders as he hit the uber inspirational chorus:

“I’ve still got good friends that I never met

And some big dreams that I’m trying to catch

And some memories that I wanna get

But I still ain’t got to make

It’s a simple life that I wanna live

And a lotta love that I gotta give

And a coupe checks off the bucket list

That I still ain’t got to make

So when I think my bend’s gonna break

I hold onto the hope of better days”

Huckabee airs on TBN on Saturday’s at 8PM EST/7 PM CST & on Sunday’s at 9PM EST/8 PM CST. Check local listings!

For an additional performance by Niko Moon of “Falling For You,” to watch full episodes, or to register for your free tickets to be a part of the studio audience, please visit: https://www.huckabee.tv/

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