‘Reasons to Drink’ before spring break

Photo by Kayla Michaud |CIGAR| Saturday, March 3 Cole Swindell performed at the Ryan center along with his opening acts Chirs Janson and Lauren Alaina.  

On his “Reasons to Drink” 2018 Tour, country singer and songwriter, Cole Swindell made a stop at The Ryan Center this past Saturday night.  He had fans of all ages excitedly singing along with him during every song throughout the night.

Swindell sang some of his recent top hits including “Break Up In The End,” “Flatliner,” “Ain’t Worth the Whiskey,” “Chilling It” and “Middle of a Memory,” along with many others. Throughout the entire concert he kept the energy going, making sure that every member of the audience was having a good time.

During his performance of “You Should be Here,” Swindell struck the audience with his raw emotions, drawing a connection between him and his audience. This song was in dedication to his father and everyone in the audience who had lost someone close to them. Even from the top section in the Ryan’s Center, it was clear how difficult it was for him to sing “You Should be Here” and how much meaning the song has to him.

Showing that he’s not only a strong performer, Swindell showcased his songwriting talents as he sang songs that he’s written for other well known artists. Songs included “Rollercoaster” sang by Luke Bryan, “The Is How We Roll” sang by Florida Georgia Line and “Get Me Some of That” sang by Thomas Rhett. Along with these songs, he also sang a medley of songs that he wrote for other people over the past five years.

On his tour, he has country singers, Lauren Alaina and Chris Janson opening for him. Both Alaina and Janson entertained the crowd as they built up the excitement for Swindell to come on stage. During Swindell’s performance he brought Alaina back on stage to sing “Middle of a Memory” with him. The dynamic they created with each other onstage was one that invited the audience to fall in love with their performance.

He also brought Janson back on stage to sing “A Lot About Livin’ (And a Little ‘Bout Love)” with him. Swindell and Janson put a twist on this older country song as they covered it.

Another twist Swindell brought to his audience was his cover of Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You.” The performance of “Shape of You” detracted from the country feel of concert. This particular performance also seemed to weaken Swindell’s connection with his audience as it was clear some members of the audience didn’t know the song. However, his following performance of “You Ain’t Worth the Whiskey” made up for it and restored his connection with his audience.

During the concert, Swindell mentioned that he started out selling t-shirts for Luke Bryan. Now, he has someone else selling t-shirts for him. Even with all his success Swindell stayed humble during the concert and it was apparent that he truly appreciates everyone’s support and isn’t a performer who is caught up in all the fame.

Overall, Swindell put on a great performance for all his fans in the Ryan Center last Saturday night and it looks like the rest of his “Reasons to Drink” 2018 Tour will be a successful one