Billy Currington Kicks Off Stay Up ‘Til The Sun Tour At Verizon Center Mankato

I’ve seen Billy Currington a total of 4 times (including tonight). The Verizon Center in Mankato, Minnesota, which holds approximately 2,000 screaming fans, is easily the smallest arena I’ve seen him play.

The performance was a great way for him to warm-up and kick off the Stay Up ‘Til The Sun Tour. Just one problem…that whole warm-up thing. This may have been the first show of the tour, but you’d never know it as Billy and his band performed a tight 90 minute set for the sold-out crowd.

Steven Lee Olsen got the night started with a 30-minute set featuring music from his new album, Timing Is Everything. Steven has a light, soulful sound that sounds like he’d be perfect playing rhythm and blues.

Steven also performed the song “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” made famous by Keith Urban, which he co-wrote with  Hillary Lindsey and Clint Lagerberg. The problem on this song is Olsen came across a little pitchy.

Currington didn’t mess around, starting the night out with hits “That’s How Country Boys Roll” before raising a toast with another hit “Pretty Good At Drinkin’ Beer.”

It didn’t matter whether it was an old or new song, the crowd was dancing and singing along word-for-word as Currington danced and swayed along with them, including a few of the slow songs where he encouraged the ladies to take charge in the chorus. That they did, almost drowning him out on “Must Be Doin’ Something Right.”

Currington didn’t just sing the hits. He brought Steven Lee Olsen back out for a duet on a new song, and also sang his current single “Bring It On Over” from his upcoming, untitled 7th Album.

As usual, Currington killed the audience with a few covers. These included a song I’ve heard him cover before, Walk The Moon’s “Shut Up And Dance,” which he played before he nailed an Alan Jackson cover of “Don’t Rock The Jukebox”.

With 19 Country Top 40 songs and 21 songs in the top 50 to his credit, it sure felt like we could stay up until we saw the sun.

This may have been the first stop of the tour, it was anything but a warmup.