Kip Moore Captivates All at a Private Affair

Beginning this post, I feel as though I need to make a disclaimer: I never talk about myself when it comes to my writing. From academia to country music media, I have always taken myself out of the picture, relying solely on the facts as they are, the music itself and the atmosphere. However I feel that to write an adequately thorough review of the night, I need to get myself involved.

On Wednesday, August 31st, fans and Hilton HHonors members lined the corridors of the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in downtown Nashville for a private affair – Kip Moore was the featured act for the ‘Hilton at Play’ experience, a program in its second season that highlights the benefits of HHonors membership. And it was quite an experience – guests dined on shrimp, sweetly spicy chicken and waffles and other sophisticated ‘countrified’ fare while newcoming act Brassfield Aly serenaded with covers and original material.

When the doors finally opened, Kelleigh Bannen began the night with an outstanding acoustic performance, belting originals such as “Famous” and “Smoke When I Drink,”and even a stunning rendition of the George Jones classic “Tennessee Whiskey.”

Kicking off his set with “Crazy One More Time” before segwaying into “Wild Ones,” the intensity of the night was felt immediately. “I was told this was going to be a more polite audience,” Moore laughed, surprised by the abundantly rowdy crowd of roughly 500. Dominating the stage, Kip and his band The Slow Hearts performed fan favorites from his coveted albums Up All Night and Wild Ones, such as “Backseat” and “Drive Me Crazy,” while also including platinum hits “Hey Pretty Girl” and “Somethin’ Bout A Truck.” For a lack of better words, Kip Moore’s performance was perfection – he seemingly shifted from raucous and seductive to sensitive and demure flawlessly, exhibiting sheer talent and showmanship that sets him apart from other artists of his caliber. Every ounce of his sweat, his movements, his charisma, his magnetic interaction with the crowd – he put every piece of himself on display for you to enjoy, and he made damn sure that you did.

So let’s consider this a defining moment of the night (well, for me anyway). Kip is known for being incredibly vocal when it comes to several things, particularly cellular use at concerts, and has been know to grab spectators phones at shows. Being as I was credentialed to cover the show for this very piece, I knew the plithe before me – on one hand: get the content needed for the piece. On the other, be called out for having my device in my hand. Being a professional, I moved forward anxiously. Three songs in and there he is, singing literally inches from my face with my phone in his hand. But it wasn’t in a dominantly aggressive manner – even with my media sticker firmly visible and just having interacted with him prior to the performance, Moore wanted me to stop and just enjoy the show. He wanted me to acknowledge him (and believe me, I did). A few seconds later he gently handed it back to me, shooting me a friendly smile later in the night – perhaps an affirmation of no ill-will, no bad blood, just a good time. Later in the night he grabbed another spectators phone and placed it onstage during an entire song, so lets just say that I fared much better than that individual.

But even before the phone incident, I had already documented both mentally and on camera the brilliance that was completely evident – Kip was absolutely captivating. Men, women, executives, blue collar, young and old – there was no discrimination when it came to the look of amazement and admiration all had for the man on stage. The crowd sang louder than he did, the joy was infectious and even the stiff-mannered resonated expressions of sheer amazement for Kip and his band. Men wanted to be him, women wanted to be with him, and no one wanted him to stop, as the crowd desperately chanted his name after he descended the stage.

So if you find yourself reading this, Kip, thank you. Essentially your one quick move rejuvenated my zest for media and, altogether, this sometimes bitter and monotonous industry. Sure, for about ten minutes I felt like you were going to chastise me for doing what I was asked to do (coverage), but the more I had the phone down and the more I could dance and sing to the songs that live on my personal playlist, I remembered how much FUN it was. Ok, so I did sneak in some photos and videos (because, you know, work), but I got to do something I had not done in a long time – just enjoy a show for what it was, a phenomenal performance.

If you want to get the full affect of a Kip Moore performance, make sure to catch him on his upcoming ‘ME AND MY Kind’ tour, dates and information available at kipmoore.com. For information on Hilton and the “Hilton At Play’ series, go to www.HiltonHHonors.com.