BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Amid a sea of cowboy hats and boots, a touch of Western chic set the tone at country music singer Jordan Davis's concert Saturday on Musikfest's main Steel Stage.
There, a sold-out audience of 6,500 families and couples came together to enjoy the full moon show.
During his 90-minute set, a glowing Davis spoke about his newborn (he and his wife, Kristen, welcomed their fourth child, daughter Sadie, in July) and musical mentors.
Songs that were collaborations with Luke Bryan and longtime friend Thomas Rhett added Nashville flair to the evening, where young parents danced with their kids — future Davis fans in the making.
Davis dedicated much of the concert to his wife (they married in 2017), with heartfelt performances of 2024's "Banks" and "Next Thing You Know," the latter about fatherhood and missing out on precious times.
"I've got four kiddos back at the house — two boys, two girls — and I'll say this: I've got to do some amazing things through music and meet some amazing people, playing amazing places," he said.
"But the coolest thing I get to do is to be a dad. That is the best job in the world."
Fatherhood, as Davis pointed out, isn't always easy for roadies.
His new album, “Learn the Hard Way,” drops Friday, and he’s headed to Europe next year for a seven-leg tour in addition to U.S. dates.
"I think the only downside is the fact that we gotta travel so much," he said. "I spend so much time away from home. My little boy scored his first soccer goal today. That's pretty awesome."
Despite that, Davis kept the score high, tossing back tequila shots during a playful version of “Little Lime.”
Burnt CDs
One of the show's biggest highlights was Davis’s “burnt CD” medley — a six-song mashup of covers from his high school days, when music was available via the now-defunct Napster, Limewire and BearShare.
"There was no genre restriction," he said. "You could have Kings of Leon, Keith Urban, and Allman Brothers, all on one CD.
"I want to see if y'all were listening to the same music that I was driving around Shreveport, Louisiana, in the 1990 Dodge Dakota, trying to blow my speakers out."
The crowd, flashed on the big screen, sang along to Matchbox Twenty’s “3 AM,” Train’s “Drops of Jupiter,” The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside” and blink 182's “All the Small Things."
The fervor was left for Brooks & Dunn’s “Red Dirt Road,” a perfect land in the country setting.
It may have been his show, but Davis tackled vocal ranges with ease (step aside, Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty, Jack White of The White Stripes, and Pat Monahan of Train).
No encore needed
Davis may have left that Dodge Dakota back in Sheveport, but he apparently hasn't forgotten humble beginnings.
The concert, filled with fans of all ages, felt more like a backyard barbecue in Louisiana than a 6,000-plus seating.
"Thank you, Pennsylvania, for supporting us all these years," he said. "Back when we were touring with just a van and a trailer."
He left the audience with some of his best hits — the line dancing-approved tunes "Buy Dirt," a duet with Luke Bryan, and 2023's "What My World Spins Around."
