Alan Jackson had Wolf Trap sold out due to his 34 number one songs, a couple of GRAMMY Awards, and 17 Academy of Country Music Awards. Alan crammed 22 songs into a 100 minute set in an effort to satisfy his fans.
Craig Campbell opened the show with a forty-minute set. Craig played some new material, a medley of some country covers, and a couple of his hits. He played all three of his Top 40 hits including his biggest hit “Family Man” and “When I Get It.” He closed his set with “Fish” which was a humorous song about a girl who likes to fish. His set earned a standing ovation from the crowd which has been a rarity this year for opening acts.
Alan Jackson had the crowd on their feet when he took the stage and opened with his hit “Gone Country.” Both Craig and Alan benefited from a stage setup that included a giant screen behind the stage. Craig used it for him and the band. Alan mixed in some music videos, some local footage, and for close ups of him and the band. Jackson continued with “I Don’t Even Know Your Name.” He continued with the number one hits with “Livin’ on Love,” “Summer Time Blues,” and “Small Town Southern Man.” Then he played one song off of his latest album Thirty Miles West which was “So You Don’t Have to Love Me Anymore.”
There were some surprises as well. He did three abbreviated songs in a row including a cover of Rodney Crowell’s “Song for the Life,” followed by a version of “As She’s Walking Away” – a number one song he had with the Zac Brown Band. It was no surprise that he also played “It’s Five O’clock Somewhere,” a song that was a number one hit featuring Jimmy Buffett.
Other number one songs Jackson performed included “Little Bitty,” “Country Boy,” and a song dedicated to his Dad called “Drive.” There was the emotional “Where Were You” about 9/11. The number ones kept coming with “Don’t Rock the Juke Box,” “Remember When,” “Good Time,” “Chattahoochee” and “Where I Come From” which he ended his set with. While playing this song he used the big screen to show images of Washington, Vienna, and logos of local sports teams to give it a very local feel. Alan Jackson played “Mercury Blues” as his encore.
Alan Jackson did a great job of spanning his career with his set list. He opted to add in more of his greatest hits then pack his set with new songs. The fans on the lawn might have been disappointed with the rain shower; he might not have played everyone’s favorite song, but I think he gave it a great effort. I heard nothing but good things about the show as I walked back to my car.
Running time: Two hours and forty minutes with a 15 minute intermission between bands.
Alan Jackson with special guest Craig Campbell played one night at Wolf Trap at The Filene Center – 1551 Trap Road, in Vienna, VA. on Sunday, August 19, 2012. To view upcoming events at Wolf Trap, check out their calendar.
