Justin Moore steals the show in Indy

Country music is an ever-evolving genre. Currently there are a lot of artists utilizing the rock sound within country music and it’s growing in popularity. Justin Moore is one of the fastest-rising artists in country and he recently stopped through Indianapolis on the Crushin’ It tour with Brad Paisley. Before Moore took the stage, though, newcomer Mickey Guyton took the stage to warm up the crowd and did just that. With the classic Toni Basil hit “Mickey” coming over the speakers, Guyton took the stage and revved the crowd up. It’s always hard opening a tour this size because a lot of people show up for the bands and artists they know and love and will skip the first act but with Brad Paisley and Justin Moore on the tour, fans made sure to fill the lawn pretty early. Guyton had more of a pop sound than country but featured just enough country sounds and the crowd loved every minute of it. Her debut self-titled album released back in May and her debut single- “Better Than You Left Me” has sold well over 100,000 copies and it made sense for her to close with that song. Guyton’s parents were in town and in attendance, which made for an even more special show for her. Guyton should be one of the biggest names in country music in the next year or two so remember her name. It wasn’t long before the lights went back down and Justin Moore took the stage to keep the party going. Honestly, he had the strongest set of the night too. With just eight songs, Moore stretched out his set to make it a personal and memorable show for everyone there. With the extended stage, Moore found himself up close and personal with fans for most of the show. The knockout punch came with the three-song combo of “Bait A Hook,” “If Heaven Wasn’t Too Far Away” and “Small Town Throwdown,” during which Moore said he wanted the crowd so loud that when Paisley came out he would have to ask “what the world did Justin Moore do out here!?”  He got exactly what he wanted- the crowd got loud and rowdy. Even though his set ended after “Small Town USA,” he wasn’t done yet, coming back out later to join Paisley for a song. After the song, the two even took a selfie together with a fan’s phone from the front row. -Reggie Edwards