BETHLEHEM, Pa. — For much of country music star Riley Green's headlining concert Friday on Musikfest's main Steel Stage, it was fair to wonder what all the fuss is about.
Why Green has had 13 gold and platinum hits in the past seven years, and why a sold-out crowd of 6,500 came to hear him.
Through the first half of a 19-song, 80-minute show, his songs, and performances, were less than you'd expect from such a success.
His opening with the platinum 2023 hit "Different 'Round Here" showed a twang in his voice, even when the music was more rock.
He drank a shot before his 2020 gold hit "If It Wasn't for Trucks, which contained a heavy fiddle, and he and his entire five-man band quaffed brews during his "fun" drinking song "Half of Me," his platinum 2022 hit with Thomas Rhett.
And on last year's reasonably catchy Top 10 hit "Damn Good Day to Leave," he was sort of a tougher Brad Paisley — he had all the "elements" of country, but not enough substance.
A listener had to wonder whether Green's appeal — with his long hair under a Durham Bulls cap, moustache and broad smile — wasn't really music.
Reaction hints at something special
It didn't improve when Green sang Jamey Johnson's hit "In Color" — even though he sang it with intent, it actually showed how much better Johnson's voice is.
(Johnson plays Quakertown's Univest Performance Center at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8. Tickets, starting at $50.66, remain available.)
Green's 2018 platinum hit "Georgia Time" was pleasant enough, and he introduced his broken-romance "Rather Be" by apologizing for "bringing down the mood" by doing "one more song about my ex-girlfriend," but at least it was fun and catchy.
And, after saying it was "time to play love songs," he offered his 2018 platinum hit "When She Comes Home Tonight" and his double-platinum hit from last year, "You Look Like You Love Me."
On the latter, a pleasant story song, he had the crowd sing along — and they did, loudly, showing they were seeing and hearing something special, even if it wasn't obvious.
Only gets better
That shift in the concert took a sharp turn with Green's first hit, 2018's "There Was This Girl."
With more thump and emphasis to it, it was different, stronger, and by far the best of the night.
The momentum didn't diminish when Green told the crowd, "I'm having so much fun, I'm going to drink a little too much and play whatever the hell I want."
With that, he donned a black hat and sang Toby Keith's "Shoulda Been a Cowboy" and "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue." And while it, too, had Green falling short vocally, it came off as a sincere tribute to the late Keith, and shows how much he's missed. (As expected, the crowd took up a chant of "USA! USA! after the latter song.)
And it only got better for Green after that.
He offered "Jesus Saves" alone and seated, on acoustic guitar, and followed it with his recent platinum hit "Don't Mind If I Do," playing very good guitar.
His 2020 gold hit "Hell of a Way to Go" also started solo and acoustic before the full band kicked in, raising the energy level and substituting "Penn State" for "Alabama" for the team that whoops Tennessee in the song.
What the fuss is all about
After "Change My Mind," Green closed his main set by dedicating his recent double-platinum hit "Worst Way" to a woman he met during his meet-and-greet.
He showed her on the big screen (luckily, she didn't hide or run as in the viral Coldplay Kiss Cam video) and signed his cap and gave it to her.
The song was easily the best of the set to that point — believable, with his vocals invested and distinguishable. And his band met up to his challenge.
The encore opened with Green's biggest hit, his 2019 triple -platinum "I Wish Grandpas Never Died," again alone on guitar as he explained how he played the song opening for Brad Paisley on the same stage in 2018.
The audience again loudly sang the chorus before the full band kicked in.
Green closed the night with a loose and fun version of Alabama's "Dixieland Delight," changing the words to "on a Bethlehem Friday night."
That, like the last half of the concert, showed what all the fuss is about.
