Came for the TikTok songs, stayed for the insane musical talent

Photo via Carter Vail's Instagram

On Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, singer-songwriter Carter Vail had the crowd at Neurolux in the palm of his hand. Vail is currently touring his latest album “100 Cowboys” which was released July 19, 2024. Despite acquiring some of his fame from his catchy TikTok songs, as soon as Vail starts performing it is evident that his music talent extends far beyond his catchy thirty-second to one-minute hits. 

One of the first songs Vail performed was from his 2024 album “100 Cowboys”, entitled “Arizona”. Featuring a catchy chorus and some funky guitar riffs, Neurolux audience members belted out every word of what is sure to continue to be one of Vail’s biggest hits. 

Another major highlight of the show was during Vail’s performance of “Harder to Kill”, also off of “100 Cowboys”, in which the crowd enthusiastically participated in a call and response with Vail who excitedly exclaimed “Yeah!” after witnessing how engaged the crowd was.  

Keeping with the cowboy energy, Vail sang “Ready Aim Fire” which sounded almost identical to Vail’s Spotify recording and had everyone dancing and on their feet. 

After asking for a dimming of the stage lighting, Vail began performing his moody 2020 song “Tigers on Trains”. This song was a surprising tonal shift but was filled with tender lyrics and a delicate melody, allowing Vail’s vocals to really shine. 

Vail played his classic TikTok bops like “Dirt Man”, which has over seven million streams on Spotify, “Aliens Ain’t Sh*t” and “I’m A Cowboy You Wouldn’t Understand” which are filled with snappy guitar riffs and upbeat piano. 

However, a song that really brought the house down was “Baked Alaska” which seemed to act as a free therapy session for the audience. The guitar on this song is insanely catchy and the sass-filled lyrics are perfect to scream in a concert setting (or in your car after the show…) 

After several minutes of roaring applause and a combination of “one more song” and “Carter!” shouted by the audience, Vail and his bandmates (Keyboardist Andre Bernier, Bassist Reed Gaines and Drummer Garrett Fracol) returned to the stage for an encore performance.

Toward the end of the show, Vail sang the only cover his band performs on tour “Chevy Beretta” by Jonny Corndawg. The rock ‘n’ roll feel of this song accompanied by Vail’s high-energy electric guitar playing caused Marty McFly’s performance of “Johnny B. Goode” from “Back to the Future” to come to mind (the girls who get it, get it). 

Vail lamented that all the best songs were used during the official set but said he’d play one of his favorite songs he’s ever written, “Andrew”,  a slower coming-of-age song filled with emotionally intimate lyrics. Vail left the audience of Nerolux wanting more — it probably would’ve been a four-hour set if the crowd had had their way. 

Vail seemed to be falling in love with the Boise music scene and it seems that Boise loves him right back. 

Check out University Pulse’s exclusive interview with Vail on Instagram @universitypulse where Vail talked about everything from musical inspirations to pre-show rituals. 

Leave a Reply