Jason Aldean brought his Songs About Us Tour to Charleston Friday night, delivering a sold-out evening of attitude, energy and unapologetic country rock.
Elizabeth Nichols opened the evening with a 30-minute set that proved she needed little more than an acoustic guitar, a three-piece backing band, and plenty of personality to make an impression. Dressed in a white sundress and tall red country boots, Nichols delivered story-driven contemporary country with a sharp wit, plenty of attitude, and just enough flirtiness woven throughout. With no backing vocals, her personality and voice remained squarely out front. A playful cover of Katy Perry’s “Hot N Cold” fit naturally into the set, but one of the best moments came late. Noting that her dad was in attendance, Nichols joked that she had to honor him by playing his least favorite song of hers before launching into “Mama.” She closed with “I Got a New One,” capping off a fun, charismatic performance and proving to be a great opener for the night.
If Elizabeth Nichols eased the crowd into the evening, Chase Matthew had something entirely different in mind. Taking the stage with his five-piece band, Matthew delivered 45 minutes of in-your-face country rock built around screaming guitars, a strong voice, and a commanding stage presence. He knows how to use his voice—and, just as importantly, where its limits are.
Early performances of “Love You Again” and “Drives My Truck” immediately grabbed the arena’s attention, followed by “Holdin’ It Down.” Matthew made his intentions clear when he yelled, “Can I get a hell yeah? We’re here to get this place rowdy for Mr. Jason Aldean tonight.”
Then things got loud.
Strapping on a guitar, Matthew and his band ripped through a genre-bending medley featuring a country-fueled “Back in Black,” Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Give It Away,” Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name,” and “You Shook Me All Night Long,” complete with screaming guitar, bass, and drum solos. The arena-shaking energy continued when Matthew jumped behind the drums for “Let’s Get It Started,” followed by a lights-down crowd call-and-response leading into “Small Town Shit.” Matthew closed strong with his current Top 10 Lauren Alaina collaboration “All My Exes,” “County Line,” and his first No. 1 hit, “Darlin.” It was a high-energy set that accomplished exactly what Matthew promised—getting the place rowdy for Aldean.
At about 9:20 PM, the lights went down and the unmistakable opening bells of AC/DC’s “Hells Bells” rang through the arena. With an already energized sold-out crowd of over 9,000 on its feet, Jason Aldean‘s massive stage remained closed until an impressive video wall slid open like a giant vertical door, revealing Aldean and his band ready to unleash 90 minutes of pure, in-your-face country rock.
They wasted no time, launching directly into “Hicktown,” followed by “Lights Come On” and “Amarillo Sky.” It was vintage Aldean from the start—a fusion of country and rock with Southern grit, screaming guitars, and anthemic choruses built for an arena.
After the opening three songs, Aldean welcomed both longtime fans and first-timers before offering a little advice: “You guys need to drink up. The more you drink, the better we sound.” He then introduced “Anytime Soon,” a new single from Songs About Us.
The production continued to grow throughout the night. As the lights dropped for “Burnin’ It Down,” a guitarist made his way to the end of the thrust before red lights and smoke engulfed the stage. Aldean followed with the recent No. 1 “How Far Does a Goodbye Go,” while “Crazy Town” pushed the show back into full rock mode with flashing lights, driving guitars, and powerful backing vocals.
“Big Green Tractor” provided one of the night’s biggest visual moments as the stage itself elevated into the air while the massive video screen created the illusion of Aldean and his band riding atop a giant green tractor. The stage descended again during “Take a Little Ride,” but the show’s momentum never did.
Aldean also reached deeper into his catalog. Noting his love-hate relationship with social media, he said fans continually posted about older songs they wanted to hear. That convinced him to bring one back into the show: “The Truth.” A wah-wah-soaked style lead guitar then helped drive “Tattoos on This Town”.
Later, Aldean spoke about the things he and others had watched unfolding on the news before the opening notes of “Try That in a Small Town” sent the arena into an eruption.
But perhaps the night’s biggest connection between artist and audience came near the end. Aldean reflected on years spent opening for acts including Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Toby Keith, and Keith Urban before acknowledging what it meant to now have fans filling arenas to see him. “It’s completely sold out tonight”, Aldean told the Charleston crowd before introducing a song he credited as part of the reason they were all there. Then it was time to take things down a dirt road. The opening of “Dirt Road Anthem” ignited another huge response before Aldean closed the night with the one-two punch of “My Kinda Party” and the mega-hit “She’s Country.”
22 songs. 90 minutes. No shortage of guitars, lights, smoke, or attitude. Years into a career filled with No. 1 records and arena tours, Aldean still knows exactly what his audience came to see—and in Charleston, he gave it to them with 90 minutes of unapologetic, arena-shaking country rock.
