Dust off your cowboy boots and grab your Stetson, loser- we’re going to see Cody Johnson! With openers Drake Milligan and Justin Moore, Cody Johnson performed on April 25 at Extra Mile Arena as a part of his 2024 “Leather Tour.”
To kick things off, Drake Milligan had a rockin’ start with his cover of Elvis Presley’s “Blue Suede Shoes.” Milligan’s aesthetic is heavily inspired by “The King,” and it shows. Full of hip wiggling and guitar choreography, Milligan was positively electric.
His songs “Long Haul” and “I Got A Problem” were particular standouts, along with his energy-infused outro hit “Sounds Like Something I’d Do.” Full of Idaho shoutouts, Milligan’s performance was lively and intimate; it’s evident that this is just the beginning for this rising country star.
If you didn’t know you were at a country concert you sure did after Justin Moore’s all-American set. Moore played all his fan favorites from radio hits like “Bait A Hook” to “Small Town U.S.A” to “Why We Drink,” — any fan of country radio would be in heaven. Moore’s sound has a deep country twang and had the crowd singing along from start to finish.
Now for the main event, Cody Johnson. While I may not personally agree with Johnson’s political ideology that was peppered in throughout the show, he and his band are incredibly talented musicians who delivered a fantastic performance. Johnson started off strong with two of his biggest hits “Me and My Kind” and “Dance Her Home,” which had the entire arena on their feet.
Johnson played some of his heartwarming ballads “Human,” which depicts the struggle to remain grounded while rapidly increasing in popularity as an artist, “On My Way To You” and “The Painter” which are incredibly moving love songs dedicated to Johnson’s wife.
After a false ending, Johnson played two hits to a roaring crowd. The song “Diamond in My Pocket” was a special treat for longtime Johnson fans and his cover of Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings’ classic song “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow up to Be Cowboys” was a total crowd pleaser.
Johnson’s band featured some unbelievably talented musicians and while some artists sound completely different live, this show sounded like you just turned on the country radio.
This was a show that had me on my feet from start to finish. From the retro country stylings of Drake Milligan to Justin Moore’s high-energy set to, of course, the star attraction Cody Johnson, this was a fantastic way to kick off the summer.
