Screams and yee-haws filled the eaves of Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium on Thursday night as Chris Young took the stage for a night filled with country twang and steel guitar.
The show sold about 1,600 tickets and the crowd was a range of people from teenagers to senior citizens. Andrew Holzaepfel, associate director of the Campus Involvement Center, said he was pleased with how the concert went.
“I think, based on the concert atmosphere, everybody really enjoyed themselves,” Holzaepfel said. “It’s pretty easy when you have an artist like Chris Young, too, who has so many hits, the whole time is filled with music that people know and enjoy.”
Joanna Smith opened the show with a bubbly attitude and a set list that included her latest single that was released this week, “We Can’t Be Friends.”
The mood switch between Smith and Young was noticeable, Holzaephel said.
“I thought (the mood) was different over the course of the night,” Holzaephel said. “I think Joanna Smith did a really great job, but there was a totally different feel than when Chris came on. It was kind of electric.”
The concert featured all five of his chart-topping singles, including the Grammy-nominated “Gettin’ You Home,” as well as covers such as “Signed, Sealed, Delivered.” He also played a song titled “Dashboard”, which he wrote for the troops and prompted a “U.S.A” chant from the crowd.
Dani Owens attended the concert and said she thoroughly enjoyed it, adding that Young interacted well with the crowd.
“It was awesome,” she said. “We loved all of it. We loved him.”
Blair Crombie, a graduate student studying in the Campus Personnel program who works with the Campus Involvement Center, said it was Young’s onstage antics that created the fun atmosphere.
“There was lot of this-side to this-side and telling his stories and throwing the guitar picks,” Crombie said. “He’s adorable. The crowd couldn’t be better. We were all enthusiastic but we stayed under control.”
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