Why Tim McGraw Is Currently The Undisputed King Of Country [Cheyenne Frontier Days Review]

I genuinely had things to do yesterday. I had tons of housework, Inquisitr articles to write, and new business endeavors to map out.

But when a friend texts and says that they have two free tickets to see Tim McGraw live at Cheyenne Frontier Days, you do the natural thing. You drop everything and go.

And that is what I did. Actually, I was joined by 11-year-old daughter. We promptly packed up the car and headed up the hill to the see this epic showman in action. Luckily, for me, I only live an hour from Cheyenne, so the drive was quick. Parking took almost as long as the drive itself, but trust me when I say: it definitely was a win in the end.

Tim McGraw is currently touring with Cassadee Pope, Season 3 winner of The Voice, and they were joined by special guest Kip Moore. The show started promptly at 8 pm, and Cassadee took to the stage to sing her latest hits from her latest self-titled EP, and soon had the crowd engaged. I wasn’t a huge fan of Pope’s on The Voice. While I thought she was certainly talented, she wasn’t my favorite. Perhaps that is the 30-something curmudgeon inside me speaking, but I kind of had a personal aversion to many of the artists she chose as influences on The Voice. Therefore, I wasn’t taken with her completely. All of that changed with her performance at Cheyenne Frontier Days, when she showcased more of her personality through performing her own material. Now I get it and of course, my 11-year-old daughter, who is a wide-eyed musician-in-the-making, was impressed. To directly quote my little one, “She’s really good.” There you have it folks, it’s official. Cassadee Pope is on the map.

Next up, Kip Moore took the stage. If I’m honest, (and I most certainly always am, unless you ask my age) I wasn’t as impressed by his performance, but the crowd loved him enough. Perhaps it’s just that I wasn’t buying what he was selling, perhaps it’s that his bass player’s monitor was turned up way too loud and was overly distracting to the overall sound during his set. Kip definitely played to the audience, though and at times playfully flirted with the gaggle of girls in the front of the stage.

After Kip left the stage sufficiently warmed up, it was time for the main event. After a short intermission, the headliner took over Cheyenne Frontier Days, opening his set with the following song:

It’s safe to say that every single person in the outdoor arena got immediately to their feet, screaming and cheering; yes, McGraw had the record-breaking crowd of 26,000 fans eating out of the palm of his hand; every single one of them singing along. There’s something magical that happens to a musician when they look out over a crowd that size and see them all mouthing his own words back to him. I don’t care if you are Tim McGraw and you’ve been doing this for more than 20 years; you’re still affected by it. McGraw would simply smile that famous dimpled smile of his and launch into a bevy of some of my personal favorite tunes (cough, cough, his “older” material) all while playing to his audience of adoring fans. Yes, McGraw delivered on some of his more popular classics, like “I Like It, I Love It,” “Down on the Farm,” “Just to See You Smile,” while throwing in a few newer hits for good measure.

When Tim playfully asked, “Do we have any southern girls in here tonight?”, the ladies absolutely lost their minds. Of course, he followed up the question by crooning about his love for them as he launched into “Southern Girls.” At times, good ole McGraw got down on the fans’ level, singing directly into their cell phones, and taking selfies with the girls dancing and singing along just in front of the stage.

Alas, the kiddo was fading fast and I didn’t get to stay until the end of the show. Yes, I know what you’re thinking. How do I qualify to write a review when I didn’t even stay until the end? Let’s just say that I saw all I needed to see to understand what type of influence and tenacious relevance McGraw has to this day. Perhaps that is why he has maintained a career that has endured since the early 90s, when he first took to the country music scene. He does it all with the comfort, ease, and professionalism of a seasoned vet just having a rocking good time, which is why Tim McGraw has effectively earned the crown as the current King of Country music. I wonder what he’ll do over the next 30 years.

To see some candid shots that I took from last night’s show, please find me on Instagram.

[Photo credit: She Knows/Billboard/Follow Features/Univision]