Only Chris Stapleton could take a rain delay and turn it into a masterpiece.
The absolute country music legend took the stage at Paycor Stadium this past Saturday in Cincinnati, Ohio, but unfortunately, the summer storms couldn’t help but put a little detour on his All-American Road Show. Incoming rain forced fans at the concert to take shelter right after opener Lainey Wilson’s performance, and pushed Stapleton’s set back to 10 p.m.
I gotta hand it to the 12-time Grammy Award winner; Stapleton used his time wisely, finally gracing the fans who waited out the storms with a song he wrote during the intermission. Apparently, writing the song just minutes before stepping on the stage with two of his fellow co-writers backstage, he told the crowd, “I thought with your permission and your grace we might try a song we wrote about ten minutes ago.”
He added, “This is a special treat for you. I’m normally very rehearsed, and I like to rehearse, but I feel like you guys have earned it. You all- nobody left, and we certainly appreciate it.” Then, cueing his guitar player, “Dave, you remember how this thing goes,” the two lead into a classic Stapleton groovy tune reminiscent of a mix between his 2020 tracks, “Cold,” and “You Should Probably Leave Me”
The whole song is quite literally storm-themed, with the opening line describing the night, “everybody’s taking cover, the rain don’t wanna stop.” But as the song builds into the chorus, I think we’ve got another Stapleton hit on our hands.
He also gave a shout-out to the city, singing the lyrics, “up and down Cincinnati street,” which got a hefty cheer from the crowd. The guitar solo with the harmonica wailing in the back tops the whole ballad off, which, per the repeating chorus fans have already coined, “Waiting On (A Lightning Strike).”
Unfortunately, this rainy-day anthem will most likely stay a Cincinnati exclusive, considering the Kentucky native has insinuated that he’s pretty much retired from releasing new music, telling Armchair Expert podcast host Dax Shepard a few months back, “I don’t know when I’m gonna make another record or write another song…and that’s okay with me. I’m not sure how much longer I’ll even go play.” However, after seeing the overwhelmingly positive fan reaction to this spontaneous performance, I think he should make just one exception to his pending retirement.
His summer of touring will extend into the fall with ten more dates lined up on the remainder of The All American Road Show alongside special guests Wilson, Ashley McBryde, Carter Faith, Zach Top and more, wrapping up on October 9 in Kansas City, Missouri. Returning to the stage this Thursday, August 6 in Toronto, for the first time in history, Stapleton’s going to have fans praying for rain delays just so they can get their own custom songs.
Tour Dates:
- August 6—Toronto, ON—Rogers Stadium
- August 8—Detroit, MI—Ford Field
- August 14—Boston, MA—Fenway Park
- August 18—Virginia Beach, VA—Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
- August 21—Atlanta, GA—Mercedes-Benz Stadium
- August 26—Wantagh, NY—Northwell at Jones Beach Theater
- August 28—Philadelphia, PA—Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
- October 2—Bristow, VA—Jiffy Lube Live
- October 7—Lincoln, NE—Pinnacle Bank Arena
- October 9—Kansas City, MO—Morton Amphitheater