/tag/Nitty-Gritty-Dirt-Band/"The California rainy season is over!" declared Dustin Lynch, early in his headlining set at Boots in the Park, which came to SilverLakes in Norco today (March 16th), and at least for this weekend, it was.
and it could not have been a more beautiful day for the festival, which included not only live music, but also line dancing, as well as food and merch vendors, and butterflies - lots and lots of butterflies - which flew over the audience and throughout the venue.
The opening acts were given a generous amount of stage time, at least an hour each. Local favorite Daniel Bonte got the day started, playing his signature mix of traditional country with his own modern sensibilities, and included in his set, a Billy Currington song, a nod to last fall's edition of Boots in the Park.
Newcomer Ross Ellis included not only covers from Shawn Mendes and Post Malone, but also "Beer Money," from Kip Moore, and the songwriter's version of Tim McGraw's "Neon Church." The crowd sang along to "Barefoot Dancer," as well as his current single, "Ghosts," which some audience members danced a Power Jam line dance to. Other audience members offered Ross some spray-on sunblock when they noticed he was getting sunburned.
Clare Dunn's powerful, raspy voice, gracious presence, and rock 'n' roll influence earned her a warm reception from the crowd. She covered Tom Petty, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Bob Seger (a nod to her opening slot on a previous tour of his), and easily held her own while performing "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele. But her original songs, particularly "Move On," "Tuxedo," and "More," made it clear why she is deserving to be on CMT's "Next Women of Country" Tour later this year. She also shared her next single, "My Love," set to drop early next month.
California native Tyler Rich was performing for the second time at SilverLakes, having previously headlined Canine Country Fest in the fall. It was also his second time ever performing "Without Me," and although his cover of the Killers' "Mr. Brightside" had been retired for three days, Tyler decided to bring it back, noting, "When you open for Dustin Lynch, you gotta amp it up a bit." He noted that "Love Her Wild" was inspired by his fiancee's favorite poem by Atticus, and by name-checking Garth Brooks as the sticker on the Cadillac in Don Henley's "Boys of Summer," gave a hint of things to come later in the show. He wrapped his set with "The Difference," during which, one audience member dropped to his knee and asked his girlfriend to marry him (she said 'yes').
Dustin Lynch's opening number, "Hell of a Night," proved to be an indicator of how the rest of the evening would be. He kep the energy going with "Where It's At" and "Name On It," but turned romantic with "Mind Reader" and "Cowboys and Angels," inspired by his grandparents. And while his sound is fairly traditional, he also demonstrated his range of influence by including a cover of Bruno Mars' "Just the Way You Are," Matchbox Twenty's "3am" and Georgia Satellites' "Keep Your Hands to Yourself."
His latest single "Ridin' Roads" was well-received, and the audience collectively lost their minds when Dustin brought Tyler Rich back on stage for Garth Brooks' "Friends In Low Places." He wrapped up the show with the dynamic "Seein' Red" and "Small Town Boy."
Mark your calendar; Round 2 of Boots in the Park comes to Norco on Thursday, July 11th!
Setlist:
1. Hell of a Night
2. Where It's At
3. I'd Be Jealous Too
4. Name On It
5. Mind Reader
6. Ridin' Roads
7. Love Me or Leave Me Alone
8. Good Girl
9. Just the Way You Are (Bruno Mars cover)
10. Cowboys and Angels
11. Keep Your Hands To Yourself (Georgia Satellites cover)
12. Friends In Low Places (Garth Brooks cover, with Tyler Rich)
13. 3am (Matchbox Twenty cover)
14. Seein' Red
15. Small Town Boy
Tyler Rich:
1. Just Like That
2. Where I Wanna Be
3. Show You Mine
4. 11:11
5. Adrenaline
6. Without You
7. Made for a Small Town
8. California Grown
9. Boot Scootin' Boogie (Brooks & Dunn cover)
10. Take It or Leave It
11. Leave Her Wild
12. Kids In a Backseat
13. Boys of Summer (Don Henley cover)
14. Mr. Brightside (Killers cover)
15. The Difference
Clare Dunn:
1. Cowboy Side of You
2. I Won't Back Down (Tom Petty cover)
3. Her Strut (Bob Seger cover)
4. Fishin' in the Dark (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band cover)
5. Have You Ever Seen the Rain (Creedence Clearwater Revival cover)
6. Move On
7. More
8. Rollin' in the Deep (Adele cover)
9. Hurts Worse
10. Gold to Glitter
11. My Love
12. Tuxedo
13. Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin cover)
Ross Ellis:
1. Home for the Weekend
2. Wish You Would
3. Good Ol' Days
4. With You
5. Beer Money (Kip Moore cover)
6. Barefoot Dancer
7. You Go Through with Me
8. Kinda Like the Rain
9. Is It In My Blood (Shawn Mendes cover)
10. Neon Church
11. By and By
12. Every Heartbeat
13. Better Now (Post Malone)
14. How Do You Sleep
15. Ghosts