There is no better ‘welcome back to the school year’ celebration than having Toby Keith and Brantley Gilbert on the same stage!  Though many students are back in class today, the weekend was a wild one while the patriotic singer gave the audience a memorable, loud and pyro-filled show.

Though Thomas Rhett was sick over the weekend, the opening slot was filled by a surprising guest… his father!  Rhett Akins is known for his hit “That Ain’t My Truck” as well as the songwriting force behind “Honey Bee” by Blake Shelton, “All Over Me” by Josh Turner, and “Farmer’s Daughter” and “Take a Back Road” by Rodney Atkins. After a quick set to get the crowd going, insanity filled the amphitheatre as country fans cheered, screamed and made as much noise as they could for the country rocker himself, Brantley Gilbert.

Starting the set with a simple “let’s rock,” it was all it took to get the crowd going.  Playing a long set for an opening slot, Gilbert made sure all his hits echoed throughout the venue while everyone sang every word.  Of course, no matter how much energy was exuded from the BG Nation, everyone was full of pride and excitement when Toby Keith hit the stage.

The lights dimmed as “You Shook Me All Night Long” rang through the venue with the crowd singing at the top of their lungs just before a three-minute video showing the birth of Clancy’s Tavern.  Last year, Keith had the same type of video but with talking dogs and lots of Fords.

When he finally hit the stage, the crowd was deafening as pyro, sparks and fog rained across the stage with each passing song.  Ending the fun filled set with the iconic “Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue”, Military personnel and fans alike sang as loud as they could.

Check out the pictures from the show and our pre-party tailgate with the David Michael Band.