Kip Moore: The UnReview
I was worried I’d forgotten how to love live music.
I’m ashamed to admit that when you go to concerts for a living, the shows can become more about the business than the pleasure.
My head is usually buried in my notebook, trying to take notes in the dark.
I have to shush people who ask me questions -- “Are you writing in your diary or something?” -- which always seems to be right when the artist is tuning his guitar and telling some great story to kill the time.
I document the backing band. Are there three guitars and a fiddle? Or did that steel guitar player just pick up a banjo? And who the hell is playing that harmonica?
I ask tall people to tell me what the artist is wearing.
And I assess the vibe of the crowd during every song.
But Kip Moore was my savior on Friday night (Oct. 23). I left my notebook at home and took the night off so that I could go to the show as a fan instead of a journalist. And I’m so glad I did.
It’s only been four years since Moore had his break out song "Somethin' 'Bout a Truck,” but he managed to fill the night with old hits, crowd pleasers, new tunes and cover songs. The sold-out crowd, myself included, sang along on nearly every one.
Moore made me realize that even though I'm lucky enough to make a living out of loving country music, sometimes it's cool just to love it.