Hunt’s country colors come through at first rodeo
Between love songs and odes to small towns, Sam Hunt told the NRG Stadium crowd that being there reminded him of growing up attending rodeos in Cedartown, Ga.
“I had big dreams of being a bull rider one day,” he said. “Unfortunately, my rodeo aspirations have not panned out yet.”
Music, however, is what did get Hunt on the Rodeohouston stage for a Monday night crowd of 70,263. He’s released just one album, but he is one of the biggest breakout stars of the past few years.
Aside from it being his debut, Monday night’s show boasted another milestone: Hunt was the first act this year to jump offstage and greet fans at the rails during the booming bass of “House Party.”
He played a few seconds of catch-up with kickoff tune “Leave the Night On,” which started before he was even on stage. He hurried into place wearing a white T-shirt, black ball cap and high-top sneakers.
Much has been made of Hunt’s aversion to play by even the loosest of genre rules. On record, he strains modern country through pop and R&B, more Justin Timberlake than George Strait.
“Saturday Night” boasts a brief rap break. “Take Your Time” and “Make You Miss Me” could be huge hits for any number of pop stars.
He interspersed a bit of Rihanna’s “We Found Love” into “We are Tonight,” a song Hunt cowrote for Billy Currington.
But the country colors come through a bit more clearly on tunes like “Ex to See” and “Raised on It.”
Hunt told the crowd he’s so far sung slinky new single “Body Like a Back Road” only in Texas. He performed an identical set last month during Super Bowl week at Club Nomadic.
Hunt reminisced about performing at the Rodeohouston barbecue cookoff “for about 70 folks,” staying at the Red Roof Inn and “eating gas station pizza.”
What a difference a hit album makes.
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