Concert Review: Mark Chesnutt In Pittsburgh

What a thrill it was to see Mark Chesnutt perform on Saturday night in Pittsburgh. I took the road trip to the Steel City to see Mark at a free show at the Rivers Casino.I have to say that this show will now be in my top 5 favorite shows of all time. Mark hasn't lost a thing. The Beaumont Texas native has only gotten better. His voice is stronger than I remember and he played every song I was waiting to hear! From "Blame It On Texas" to "Too Cold At Home," Chesnutt owned the night along the Alleghany River.

The setting was perfect. It was clear, warm night and Pittsburgh was buzzing! The Pirates had a home game PNC Park is just a stones throw away from where The River's outdoor stage is set. Pontoon boats, speed boats and barges slowly passed behind the stage as Mark Chesnutt belted out "Old Flames, Have new Names." The show was free and the thousands that came out to watch were a mixed bag of us die hard Chesnutt fans and little old ladies that "never heard of him." Later durring his show I over heard one lady say..."this guy is really good." She was right. Mark Chesnutt, one of the most played artists of the '90s, has only gotten better. His band didn't miss a beat/note in their 2 hour set. He covered Conway, Haggard and Jones and blew me away when he said, "Nashville would probably kick my ass out of town if I showed up with this stuff these days."

As a fan of Texas swing, traditional sounding country and those hardcore, rip your heart out fiddle and steel guitar solos, this truly was one of the best shows I have seen in a long time. It couldn't have been more Americana being in Pittsburgh on a Saturday night with a cold beer in my hand, watching a concert just a block away from a Pirates game. The entire experience was one of the all time best!