It’s pretty hard to upstage a country music superstar like Brad Paisley , but that didn’t stop six-year-old Washington, PA native, Avery Molek when he joined Paisley on stage to perform his viral hit song – “Hot for Teacher.”
It was just a few months ago that little Avery’s world was turned upside down when a viral video of his drum solo, “Hot for Teacher ” found its way to “Good Morning America” and other hit national news shows. It was during that fateful show that Brad Paisley was on promoting his live concert when he instructed GMA to bring Avery to New York to perform with him.
Apparently Paisley couldn’t get enough of little Avery and when he came through town, inviting the boy back on stage was a no-brainer. Little Avery, barely seen behind the massive drum kit, stole the show nine songs in when Paisley broke into “Hot for Teacher” – the same song that made him a YouTube star.
While Avery’s appearance elevated the show to a new level, Paisley didn’t disappoint fans Saturday night. From the first note to the last, he was full of energy, charisma and bursting with a love for the craft.
A wild man on stage, Paisley used his walk out stage like it was on fire. He ran, jumped bolted and flashed his pearly whites all night long from under his stunning white hat. But, he also didn’t forget his fans out back and performed several songs from a makeshift stage in the middle of the upper tiered section to ensure his friends on the lawn had a few moments of the best seats in the house.
Keeping to all the fan-favorites like “Celebrity,” “Mud on the Tires,” “Ticks” and “The World,” the Glen Dale, WV native dazzled the crowd with a light show, dancing costumed Brad Paisley and a whole lot of fun before concluding the night with an all-band sing-along to “Alcohol” (sans Avery because that would have been incredibly inappropriate).
Paisley is known to bring some pretty stellar talent and this year was no exception. Supporting act, Chris Young , is no stranger to the business and certainly no stranger to the ladies. Flashing that debonair smile, no woman could resist his charm from the stage.
While most people know Young from his hit songs like “Tomorrow,” “Getting’ You Home (The Black Dress Song)” and “You,” some may remember he rose to fame in 2006 as the winner on “Nashville Star.”
While not quite as energetic as Paisley, Young was still full of life for the stage with a pitch-perfect voice that you just can’t ignore. Armed with his guitar, his deep-soul voice melted hearts from the front of the stage to the top of the lawn.
Joining Young in the opening slots was Lee Bice , a well-respected songwriter who rose to vocal fame in 2010 with his debut album and first hit – “Love Like Crazy” which spent an astounding 56 weeks on the “Hot Country Songs Chart” peaking at no. 3 and setting the record for the longest run in the charts history.
A little more rough and ready, Bice stands behind a strong collection of hits which include “A Woman Like You,” “Hard to Love” and “I Drive Your Truck.” Though his collection of hits also includes composing popular tracks for Tim McGraw, Jason Aldean and Kenny Chesney.
Kicking off the show were newcomers The Henningsens , a family group comprised of Brian Henningsen and his children, Aaron and Clara. Riding the on their first single “American Beautiful,” the Henningsens have a delightful sound and a promising future.
