UA student Myles Morgan opened for country music artist Blake Shelton in a sold-out show at the Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater in Tuscaloosa on Friday night with music ranging from his first song, “Austin,” to a newer song, “Texas.”
“While the openers were not very well known, they were very good at getting the crowd involved,” said Addi Campbell, a freshman majoring in biology. “I think it will be very helpful getting their name out there.”
Morgan, a junior at The University of Alabama, opened the night with his band, which includes two guitarists who are current UA students and a drummer who recently graduated from the school.
Their performance highlighted Morgan’s connection to Alabama, as he played “Is This Seat Taken,” a song about meeting a girl in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Hunter Flynn, a singer-songwriter from Summer Shade, Kentucky, was also an opener for the show. He followed Morgan with a mixed set of released and unreleased songs, including “Desperate Man’s Tune,” “Wasted Days” and “Blue Blooded Blonde Hippie.”
He ended his performance with “Rockstar” by Nickelback, which he grew up listening to.
“It’s a fun song, and I feel like a lot of people know it,” Flynn said. “I really do want to be a rockstar.”
Lauren Beck, a senior communicative disorders major, said that although she missed Morgan’s performance, she “really liked” Flynn’s music.
Shelton began his set with “Pour Me A Drink,” followed by “I’ll Name the Dogs” and “Sangria.” He also performed several early hits like “Redneck,” “Austin” and “God’s Country.”
Campbell said she was most excited to hear Shelton play “Austin” because she grew up listening to it with her parents. She also said it holds a special place because it was her brother’s middle name.
She described the crowd as “very energetic and into the music.” Her favorite moment from the concert was when Shelton returned to the stage to finish out the show with “God Gave Me You.”
“It’s one of those things where you might not listen to his music all the time, but when you hear it live, it’s nostalgic because you know the songs,” Beck said.
Opening for Shelton in Tuscaloosa was an incredible milestone in Flynn’s music career.
“It was an awesome opportunity to play in front of this many people in a place I’ve never been before,” he said. “It was very kind of Blake to invite us out, and I’ll do it anytime he wants me to come play.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated Oct. 21 to correct an error. The story previously stated that Shelton’s song, “Texas,” is his newest, but he has since released other music.
