Chris Stapleton comes off as smooth as 'Tennessee Whiskey' at Star Lake

Country musician Chris Stapleton is just plain good in concert.

With no frills, only great musicians behind him — including his wife, Morgane, onstage singing backup — the multi-platinum singer-songwriter put on an unforgettable show for a sold-out crowd at the Pavilion at Star Lake on Friday night as part of his All-American Road Show Tour.

While the 10-time Grammy Award winner cuts an everyman figure onstage, with his flowing hair and beard and cowboy hat, his voice is anything but unassuming. His bluesy growl can seem to shake the ground when he really lets it loose.

Stapleton gave the audience a two-hour-long set that kicked off with “White Horse,” from his 2023 album “Higher.” With its long, dramatic intro and the soaring “oh-oh-oh”s of its chorus, it suited the opening slot.

“Nobody to Blame,” an upbeat tune, came next, bringing the fullness of the band to bear — the organ and harmonica blended especially well with the layers of guitar on this one.

After “Second One to Know,” where Stapleton showed off his guitar skills, he paused to talk to the crowd. “Those of you who have been with us know I’m not someone who does a whole lot of talking.” he said. It was true — while he was friendly and gracious, giving a polite “thank you” after almost every song, he wasn’t much for excessive stage banter. Friday night’s show was very much about the music.

He did throw out a little context here and there. After the love song “Millionaire,” he paused to ask, “We got any truck drivers out there tonight? … We got anybody who uses things that truck drivers bring us every day? That’s all of us.” Then he launched into “Crosswind,” a song that smoothly captured the rhythm of the road and featured a pedal steel guitar solo that trailed off like the wind behind a truck on the highway.

Stapleton has written songs for some of the biggest names in country music, like George Strait and Luke Bryan, and many of his songs follow well-trodden country themes in particularly poignant ways.

He performed one such poignant song, “What Am I Gonna Do,” with his wife heavily featured on vocals, and they made a lovely sounding pair. Following that was “Think I’m In Love With You,” his latest single, which received a big reaction from the crowd.

At the song’s close, he took a look out at the crowd. One audience member screamed out an “I love you!” and he responded, “I love you too, thanks for screaming. Thank you for losing your voice tonight.”

After reading a few of the signs that audience members held up, he gave a shout-out to anyone celebrating a birthday, an anniversary or being cancer-free. “That makes me feel so good, I’m gonna have to bring it back down and play a sad song,” he joked.

In one of the set’s high points, he took to the stage alone to play “Mountains of My Mind” and “Whiskey and You.” After spending most of the previous songs demonstrating the power of his vocals, hearing him take on quieter songs was surprisingly emotional.

When the band came back, they showed off the breadth of Stapleton’s almost-decade-long solo discography with faster songs like “Arkansas,” which would fit in well at a honky tonk, and quieter tunes like “Starting Over,” which felt ideal for a Sunday morning backroads drive. He sweetly sang a cover of John Fogerty’s “Joy of My Life,” brought the tempo up again with “Parachute” and then let the full power of his voice out in the ominous-sounding “Cold.”

There was more than one shout of “Free Bird!” throughout the show — as there is at every concert — but this time it got results. Stapleton and his guitar performed the first verse of the Lynyrd Skynyrd classic before his band helped him with a harmonica-filled transition into “The Devil Named Music,” another highlight of Friday night’s performance.

Wrapping up the regular set were the title track from his first solo album, “Traveller,” followed by the ballad “Fire Away,” when he encouraged everyone to hold up their lighters and cellphones. The whole pavilion and lawn were lit with swaying pinpoints of brightness in the dark, and he said, “That feels like magic to me.”

After the rip-roaring “Outlaw State of Mind,” with a crashing ending from the whole band, they began to play the opening of “Tennessee Whiskey,” a cover originally recorded by country legend David Allen Coe. Stapleton’s version is certified Diamond by the RIAA.

He took the opportunity to sing-introduce his entire band with genuine affection and humor, a unique way to give credit where it was definitely due. He wrapped up with his wife by singing, “This here’s my lady, who also happens to be my wife and the stone-cold love of my life.”

Then he sang, “Now let’s drink some whiskey” and started in on his most recognizable song’s first verse, with heavy help from the audience, though he didn’t need it — as rough around the edges as Stapleton’s voice may sound, it fit this ballad perfectly, and his vocal runs were incredible to hear live.

At the song’s end, he thanked the crowd sincerely and left the stage, but their applause soon brought him back for an encore. He sang the very country “Broken Halos” and the much bluesier “Sometimes I Cry,” really showing off the range of his talent, before saying “thank you” for the last time.

Country and blues fans had plenty to enjoy even before Stapleton took the stage. Kicking off the evening was Nikki Lane, also a singer-songwriter who delivered a half hour of her own music. Her songs were full of attitude and nostalgia, with “Denim and Diamonds” a fun highlight.

The second opener was The Marcus King Band, and they were a party all on their own, filling the stage with musicians and the pavilion with bluesy southern rock. They especially hit with The Allman Brothers Band’s “Ramblin’ Man.”

Overall, it wasn’t a spectacle of a show, but it was spectacular. Stapleton is an artist who seems to be passionate about music, and it showed in every note on Friday night.