Shaboozey Savors the Moment With Leon Bridges at First Sold-Out Billy Bob’s Show

The great American roadshow rolled through Fort Worth at Billy Bob’s Texas, a special night for country music’s breakout star Shaboozey, who is on his first headlining tour.

We wondered what type of crowd Shaboozey would draw at his show, and the answer is a Thursdays at Billy Bob’s crowd. It was packed from the pit to the showroom wings, keeping on brand for the world’s largest honky-tonk. The ice troughs were full of beer. The show gathered a mix of fans of all ages to two-step and sing along to his biggest hits.

Shaboozey’s opener was Kevin Powers. Some background: He’s the first signee to Shaboozey’s American Dogwood label and is a Nashville-based singer/songwriter who co-wrote “Amen.” As Shaboozey’s career takes off, it demonstrates his genuine care for his artists, nurturing the next generation of voices and providing them with a platform to grow. Powers’ set was welcomed by the crowd, performing a blend of styles like a country meets pop hybrid powerhouse. His last song, “Move On,” a collaboration with Shaboozey, closed out his set, and it wasn’t the last time we’ll be seeing him.

The “Boozey!” chants started early. The crowd got sizably larger as anticipation built for his Billy Bob’s debut. As the Eagles-Giants game played on screens, we had a moment to reflect on Shaboozey’s presence in country music. At the upcoming CMA Awards in November, he’s nominated for New Artist of the Year. He’s part of Domino’s modern and bold rebrand by providing a new jingle for them. His song, “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” spent 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Here in Dallas, he caused a commotion by shutting down the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge during rush hour for BigXThaPlug’s video for “Home.” He’s larger than life right now, helping to break country to levels it hasn’t seen before.

Compared with the last time we saw Shaboozey at TwoGether Land, this was an entirely different artist who was absolutely seizing the moment. Once they cut the game on the screens, a video played of Shaboozey speaking with his tour bus driver, who was lost on the road trying to find his way to Fort Worth. He mentioned how he had no problem driving for Willie Nelson from one coast to another, rambling about how that “funky fog” filled the bus and gave him strength. Once the GPS restored its connection, they were 20 minutes away from Dallas.

With swagger and showmanship, he had a full band, including a fiddle player. To the left of him was a large neon sign that read “The Great American Roadshow.” For the next hour, Shaboozey lived up to the expectations fit for the watering hole we were in, providing enough tunes to raise our beers and toast to him. He was in a celebratory mood, in awe of how big Billy Bob’s is and the number of people you can fit in here. It was his first time headlining a show in Fort Worth, and mentioning the size of the room more than once was probably because he couldn’t believe it with his eyes.

Earlier this year, Shaboozey told People about what he faces as a Black artist in country music. “I loved that there was so much room for some diversity in the space and to stand out. I love standing out,” he says. “I love that I’m different. I think it’s my superpower. [I’m] not feeling like I’m not allowed in this space because of the way I look or the way I dress or the way I present myself. If anything, hopefully it opens doors for people.” 

Shaboozey adds to the history of country music, reminding us that his contributions and those of the people before him cannot be erased.

After hearing him perform songs such as “Last of My Kind,” “My Love” and “Blink Twice,” the thing you notice about Shaboozey is how natural he sounds live. His country twang and emotional vocals blend well, often prompting him to express a thought between songs and then reach for his drink. A Shaboozey show is all about letting the good times roll, as heard in “Tall Boy,” “Drink Don’t Need No Mix” and “Vegas.” Everywhere we turned, someone was dancing or had a drink in hand, giving a whole new meaning to “party, party, party! Let’s all get wasted.”

Even though this was a mostly adults-only party, Shaboozey acknowledged that there were young kids who were his fans. After bringing out Kevin Powers again to perform their song “Move On,” he stopped to address the crowd, thanking everyone for coming out. He signed hats, showing love to a kid in the front whose first concert was his. Calling his fans in Fort Worth his “family,” it led into his cover of Hank Williams Jr.’s classic “Family Tradition.”

There were times when Shaboozey got emotional, almost breaking down into tears when he realized just how many people were here for him. He shouted out Jelly Roll and wanted everyone to say a prayer, hoping all of theirs would be answered. Shaboozey says Jelly Roll, who collaborated with him on “Amen,” was the first person to bring him to Billy Bob’s, a full-circle moment for us to see. “I love y’all so much, country music saved my life,” Shaboozey says.

After “Finally Over” and “Good News,” he brought out surprise guest Leon Bridges to do his Khruangbin collab “Texas Sun.” By the end, the temperature was getting hot, and more people crowded the main stage area. Shaboozey was all about safety first, stopping the show several times to ensure people were OK after a few passed out, and he told the rest of us to drink water.

When it was time for one final round of drinks, Shaboozey commented that Billy Bob’s was one of the three main places to perform as a country artist, the others being the Grand Ole Opry and Ryman Auditorium, in no order, of course. However, everything is bigger in Texas, including our bragging rights. Shaboozey threw down one helluva party that he had to savor the moment before doing his last song.

He poured himself a shot. He asked everyone to raise their drinks as he prepared us for “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” It was the maraschino cherry on top as everyone sang the song with their hearts out. Shaboozey couldn’t help to take another swig of his whiskey and spit it out excitedly. As he exited, he told us how much he loved his “family” in Texas.

Legends Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, George Strait and Loretta Lynn have played at Billy Bob’s before, and Shaboozey falls in that lineage as a soon-to-be great among his peers. With a last shot of whiskey, he etched himself in history.