The CFSB Center was packed Thursday night with students and local fans ready to hear Colt Ford and Florida Georgia Line.
// Lori Allen, The News
Lines wrapped around the CFSB Center as country music fans waited patiently to see Florida Georgia Line perform its first headlining show at Murray State.
// Lori Allen, The News
Florida Georgia Line was preceded by two close friends as opening acts: Dallas Smith and Colt Ford.
Each act performed a 30-minute set to warm up the crowd as Florida Georgia Line waited for their turn to take the stage.
This is the second time the band has performed on campus.
“I saw them here last year at the Lovett Auditorium,” Mikayla Oster, sophomore from Jackson, Mo., said. “I loved every minute of it and I’m a huge fan. I loved the song ‘Cruise’ they did with Corey Smith last year.”
Kelley and Hubbard are all over the stage entertaining an enthusiastic crowd.
The majority of students waiting however, had never seen the duo before last night.
“I haven’t seen them in concert before but I expected them to play ‘Cruise,’ which is my favorite song,” Dasha Tuck, freshman from Bowling Green, Ky., said. “I have their current album, ‘Here’s To The Good Times,’ and I’m a big fan.”
“Here’s To The Good Times,” was released Dec. 4 of last year.
Other fans couldn’t wait to hear their favorite songs in a live setting.
“I expect a great show from them,” Anna Denny, junior from Cordon, Ind., said. “My favorite songs are ‘Dayum Baby’ and ‘Party People.’ I hope they are as good live as they are on the radio.”
Kelley shows off for the large crowd at Thursday night’s concert.
Some students, parents and children traveled near and far to see their favorite country stars.
“I traveled an hour from Tennessee to get here, but I’ve been looking forward to this for a while,” Savannah Pratt, freshman from McKenzie, Tenn., said. “My favorite song would have to be ‘Stay.’”
Florida Georgia Line opened its act up with an extreme lighting show and an exciting backdrop to reveal themselves. The opening number was a fan favorite, “What We Do,” followed by “Party People.”
One of the special effects utilized was the LED screen as the stage’s backdrop.
The lights and LED screen light up the CFSB Center Thursday night.
The band played its music videos for the hits “Stay” and “Cruise” as it performed the songs live.
The crowd got particulary involved during “Get Your Shine On” by holding up their lit-ip cell phones. The illumination from the phones lit up the stadium.
Aside from playing its hits, the band remixed some songs like “In Da Club” by 50 Cent and “Young, Wild & Free” by Snoop Lion (Snoop Dogg) and Wiz Khalifa.
Hubbard passionately sings one of the band’s many songs that are getting consistent airplay on country music radio stations.
As Florida Georgia Line said its goodbye’s, it honored the crowd with an encore that included “Tell Me How You Like It” and “Cruise.”
The show sold more than 7,000 tickets. Murray’s own Froggy 103.7 FM radio introduced the three artists at the beginning of the concert.
Story by McKenzie Willett, Staff Writer
Colt Ford opens as one of two acts before Florida Georgia Line concert.
Canadian country artist Dallas Smith opens first at the Florida Georgia Line concert.
Smith entertains the crowd prior to both Colt Ford and Florida Georgia Line at the CFSB Center.
