GREEN BAY – And that concludes another season of Titletown Beats.
Country singer-songwriter Ernest closed out the Green Bay Packers’ free summer concert series in the Titletown District on a Tuesday night that was as good as you could imagine for mid-August weather.
“Damn, this is sick,” he said, enjoying the beautiful weather and surroundings.
Some quick takeaways from the free 75-minute show:
That was him in the Green Bay Packers jersey No. 92
When you play a concert at Lambeau Field, you don’t wait to put on a Packers jersey for the encore (see almost every touring musician), you walk out in one and never take it off. Ernest, who opened with “Dallas Why,” wore the number 92 with his name on the back – perhaps a nod to his birth year or to the retired number of Packers star Reggie White, or both.
He talked about his previous visit to Green Bay on Morgan Wallen’s tour
It wasn’t his first time in Green Bay. He mentioned to the crowd that he was opening for friend and frequent collaborator Morgan Wallen at his sold-out 2022 Dangerous Tour stop “just down the street” at the Resch Center.
“I’ve released a few albums since then. I ran for mayor. I’ve been through a lot. The election campaign is still wide open,” he said before launching into “Did It for the Story” from his April album “Nashville, Tennessee.”
(In case you’re confused, the whole mayoral election thing earlier this year turned out to be a promotional campaign for the album.)
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He added a new, still untitled song and also a bit of Bob Marley
Ernest is back on the road after announcing in early July that he would be taking a month off to recover and spend time with his family, including his young son Ryman. In September he begins performances on his Legalize Country Music Road Show and later in the fall he has select appearances on Jelly Roll’s “The Beautifully Broken Tour.”
On Tuesday evening he presented his new piece of music, a slow ballad that was so fresh that “I don’t even know what the song is called.”
He and his band played “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley & The Wailers. “We never do that. It felt really good,” he said.
He also announced that “Would If I Could” featuring Lainey Wilson will be his next single for the country radio station.
“You all have to be Jelly Roll for me, okay?”
Having written and sung so many songs with other artists, he could have spent the entire evening rattling off names. Several of Wallen’s songs, including “Somebody’s Problem” and “Cowgirls,” were particularly well received by the audience. He saved his own big hit, “Flower Shops,” for last.
He asked the audience to cover Jelly Roll’s vocals for the chorus of “I Went to College/I Went to Jail,” a song they also wrote together.
“And since he’s not here tonight, you all have to be Jelly Roll for me, OK?” he said. “The thing is, I went to college and he went to jail. I went to jail, too, but that doesn’t make the song any better.”
He paid tribute to the late Toby Keith
He spoke about the death of Toby Keith in February, saying he always makes sure one of his songs is played at his shows. “It’s my honor and duty as a country singer to keep the spirit alive,” he said. He and his band played Keith’s boastful 2002 hit “Who’s Your Daddy?”
Kendra Meinert is an entertainment and features writer for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Reach her at 920-431-8347 or [email protected]. Follow her on X @KendraMeinert.
