Within seconds of ‘White Horse’s first notes ringing out around a packed Spark Arena, every hair on the back of my neck was on its end. I have no doubt everyone in the crowd experienced the same sensation.
When country megastar Chris Stapleton opened his Friday night Auckland show with one of his biggest hits, he set the tone and provided an enormous jolt of energy that would be sustained over two incredible hours.
A rapturous sea of cowboy hats, boots, flannel and denim made up a diverse crowd of both young and old, in for a night of anthem belting as Spark Arena did its best impression of Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry.
The staging was immaculate, from the traditional floorlights to the parquet triangle nestled behind Stapleton and his band - what one can only assume is a nod to the hardwood floors found at honky tonk bars all around the southern states of the US. A screen spanning the width of the stage let the intricacies of the steel guitar shine. It truly felt like we had left Auckland.
Stapleton’s performance itself was nothing short of spectacular. His voice was raw and powerful, exceeding studio quality with the added gravel of a vinyl’s crackle. The only thing close to matching his voice was his ability with an instrument in his hands. Swapping guitars every other song and never missing a beat, Stapleton provided an absoute masterclass in artistry.
A self-admitted man of few words, Stapleton let the crowd know their only job was to have as much fun as possible, while his job was to play as much music as possible. Both parties held up their ends of the bargain.
Cycling through the hits - ‘Millionaire’, ‘It Takes A Woman’ and ‘Think I’m In Love With You’ showed off Stapleton and his band’s range and took the crowd on a sonic journey that ebbed and flowed throughout the night. Every breakdown was filled with cheers - there was no chance of dead air.
To break the show up, the band were ‘fired’ halfway through leaving just one man and a guitar.
‘Mountains Of My Mind’ was a standout during this stripped back section, before the band were ‘hired back’ and the energy ramped back up as we charged through the second half of the show.
‘Parachute’ was a crowd favourite and had my section out of their seats - along with hollers of ‘GIVE IT TO US CHRIS’ from a few rows back. (The same guy also yelled requests for Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi and Hangi Tonight throughout the evening. Unfortunately but unsurprisingly, he didn’t play either of these).
‘Joy Of My Life’ had the crowd swaying and swooning as I flashed phone lights with my partner sitting a few sections over (this was the hottest ticket in town and I only managed to snare one through work).
‘You Should Probably Leave’ and ‘I Was Wrong’ were personal highlights in the show’s second half, alongside a hypnotic guitar solo from Stapleton that seemed to span hours.
To finish us off, ‘Tennessee Whiskey’s opening notes played through the arena and everyone was on their feet - although the crowd were teased a little while Stapleton sung a heartfelt tribute to each of his band members during the song’s intro.
A thousands-strong singalong of his biggest hit capped a magical night of real country music, and when everyone left the stage the rumbling noise from the crowd didn’t cease until they returned for an encore minutes later.
When it was finally all said and done, Stapleton once more thanked the band and the fans for an unforgettable night, laying his guitar to rest where it’s ready to be picked up once more for another sold out Auckland crowd.
