Frequently the unsung (no pun intended) hero of Lady A, Dave Haywood was the breakout star of the trio's show at FivePoint Amphitheatre in Irvine Friday night (September 17th). While Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley was as entertaining and engaging as ever, it was Dave's virtuosic skills on the piano that really stood out.
Their set started with a look at where they are now, versus where they started, as their current single, "Like a Lady," kicked off their performance, followed by their very first single, "Love Don't Live Here." From there, it was a series of their hits, with a few covers from artists like Journey and Marc Cohn. Charles Kelley noted in his intro to "I Run to You" that this was his favorite song that they'd written together as a band.
Direct support Carly Pearce was riding high on the release of her third album, 29, Written in Stone, earlier that day, and she's never seemed more confident or happy on stage, celebrating not only the new collection of songs, but also being the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry. And she was clearly feeling at home in California, noting, "I feel like I'm in wine country tonight!" before diving into "Hide the Wine." The biggest (and best) surprise of the night came during her closing song, "I Hope You're Happy Now," when Charles Kelley joined her on stage to sing Lee Brice's part.
Openers Niko Moon and Tenille Arts, along with Carly, returned to the stage for the upbeat "Champagne Night," perfectly capturing the mood of the evening.
Setlist:
Lady A
1. Like a Lady
2. Love Don’t Live Here
3. What a Song Can Do
4. Downtown
5. What If I Never Get Over You
6. Compass
7. Heart Break
8. American Honey
9. Our Kinda Love
10. Faithfully (Journey cover)
11. Just a Kiss
12. Bartender
13. I Run to You
14. You Look Good
15. Champagne Night
16. We Owned the Night
17. Walking In Memphis (Marc Cohn cover)
18. Need You Now
19. Looking for a Good Time
Carly Pearce
1. You Kissed Me First
2. Heart’s Going Out of Its Mind
3. Hide the Wine
4. Should’ve Known Better
5. Everybody Gonna Talk
6. Man! I Feel Like a Woman (Shania Twain cover)
7. Liability
8. Every Little Thing
9. Messy
10. Ain’t Going Down (‘Til the Sun Comes Up (Garth Brooks cover)
11. Next Girl
12. I Hope You’re Happy Now (with Charles Kelley)
Niko Moon
1. No Sad Songs
2. Way Back
3. Dance with Me
4. Keep Me In Mind / Gone / Homegrown
5. Paradise to Me
6. Good Time