If singers want to know how to keep the stage show fresh and fun year after year, they could and should take a good look at country music's Brad Paisley.

Because year after year, Paisley puts on a tour that mixes music with video, animation and solid support that leaves fans feeling they got more than their money's worth.

It was no different Sunday night with Paisley's 'Crushin' It' tour stop at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre. He opened with 'Riverbank' and by the fourth song, was showing off his knack for staying current with 'Celebrity.'

Fans know the song pokes fun at famous people and their foibles, with the video featuring a giant foam-headed Paisley. This year's version included jabs at Deflatefate and Tom Brady; Miley Cyrus and the naked wrecking ball and of course, the Kim Kardashian champagne glass and rear-end shot.

Brad Paisley will headline Live Nation’s First Ever Live From The Drive-In Concert Series, Friday, July 10th at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre. Multi-City Live Music Tailgating Experience Debuts July 10-12. Exclusive Presale for Citi Card members begins Tuesday, June 23 at 12pm. Brad Paisley kicks off drive-in concert series in St. Louis EARTH CITY, Mo. (KMOV.com) - Instead of packing the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, hundreds packed the parking lot Friday evening to.

Just spotting all the celeb-poking in the video is fun enough; never mind that Paisley sings and plays guitar like his life depends on it.

Brad Paisley Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre St Louis

During 'This is Country Music,' part of his clever onstage video set included small videos of the artist he pays tribute to playing to the right of the stage, including Conway Twitty and 'Hello Darlin' and George Strait and 'Amarillo by Morning.' Paisley recognizes the icons of music.

He brought up football,asking the crowd if they loved the Rams (to a decidedly cool reception) and then earned a roar when he switched to the Cardinals. Yup, Brad, it's a baseball town.

He brought out opening act Justin Moore to duet with him on 'I'm Still a Guy' and posed for a selfie - a fact trumpeted by the giant 'Manly Selfie Moment' graphic that flashed on the video screen as they did.

Brad Paisley Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre St Louis Lawn

And while Paisley played nearly all of his big hits -- 22 of them before the night was over! - never did it feel rushed or rote; his voice was in fine form and so was his guitar playing. While a good many country singers use a guitar more as a prop, it's an essential part of Paisley.

When he started the ballad 'Whiskey Lullaby' he famously sang with Allison Kraus, featured act Mickey Guyton sang Kraus' part. And anyone who paid little attention to her set that started the night learned quickly that Guyton held her own and then some with a big and beautiful voice.

A little more than midway through his 105-minutes, Paisley moved to a satellite stage in the back section of seats, wrapping up 'Old Alabama,' and 'Waiting on a Woman.'

Brad Paisley Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre St Louis Mo

Then he turned high-tech again, pretending to call Carrie Underwood on facetime and using a clever recorded bit with her to duet on 'Remind Me.' It would be easy to think it was an actual live call, and Underwood's bit at the end stressed their bantering relationship made famous by their turns as co-hosts of the CMA awards.

Paisley finished his main set strong with 'Crushin' It,' which marked his animated song for the night with Strait, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Darius Rucker and others all making superhero appearances.

His three-set encore of 'Online,' 'Then' and the obligatory 'Alcohol' closed out another show he crushed. Play on tour name intended.

He got brilliant opening support from Moore and Guyton. Moore's eight-song set included 'Small Town Throwdown,' 'Til My Last Day' and 'Bait a Hook,' among others. And the swagger he showed on stage a few years back has evolved into a welcome and very funny self-deprecating humor, as he told fans on the lawn that 'I don't look any bigger up here than back there' - a reference to all 5-foot-6 (and a-half) of him.

But he's got a mighty voice, and wrapped up with 'Small Town USA' - even bringing out surprise guest Kip Moore, who played the amphitheatre earlier this summer.

Guyton showed far more poise and polish than many new acts can muster, covering seven songs including a nice cover of Patty Loveless' 'Blame It On Your Heart.'

Guyton's best known song, 'Better Than You Left Me' she sang after explaining it was about an ex-boyfriend 'who's an a-hole.' And hasn't nearly everyone had a relationship like that?

LOS ANGELES, June 22, 2020 — Today, Live Nation announced their first ever U.S. drive-in concert series — LIVE FROM THE DRIVE-IN — will bring fans a live music tailgating experience unlike any other, kicking off July 10-12 in Indianapolis, IN, Nashville, TN, and St. Louis, MO. Brad Paisley will headline performances in all three cities, marking the start of a much anticipated return to in person live events. Darius Rucker and Jon Pardi will also headline the series in Nashville and Nelly along with hometown legends El Monstero will headline in St. Louis, while Jon Pardi and local favorites Yacht Rock Revue will headline in Indianapolis.

Live Nation is reimagining the live music experience during a time of social distancing by allowing fans to enjoy concerts in a one-of-a-kind drive-in setting from their own private tailgating zones next to their cars. Guests are allowed to bring chairs, food and drinks to party in their zone to personalize their experience. More details including event guidelines can be found at LiveNation.com/DriveIn.

Live From The Drive-In will start off with events at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, TN and at Live Nation venues Ruoff Music Center in Indianapolis, IN and Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in St. Louis, MO. Fans can expect contactless ticket scanning through their window when they pull into the venue and then will be shown to their designated tailgate area where they can park and enjoy the show from their own marked-off space. There will be dedicated buffer space around each vehicle to ensure social distancing measures. All artists will be performing full live sets on stages set up in the parking lots of each of the venues. The events will also feature full LED screens and speakers throughout so fans can enjoy a truly live concert experience.

'Around the world, we’re seeing a real eagerness from our fans and artists to safely get back to the concert experience,' said Tom See, President Live Nation Venues – US Concerts. 'We are excited to unveil Live From The Drive-In – a completely unique outdoor concert series that will allow fans to enjoy live shows again, while socially distanced. We have an incredible line-up of artists like Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Nelly, Jon Pardi and more, who all share our vision to continue to create once-in-a-lifetime moments for fans and are excited to get back to live music through this reimagined experience.'

Tickets will be available to purchase per car, with a maximum of four (4) people permitted per car. Please note in order to maintain social distancing, events will be limited capacity. Citi is the official presale credit card of Live From The Drive-In. As such, Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning Tuesday, June 23rd at 12pm local time until Thursday, June 25th at 10pm local time through Citi Entertainment®. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com. Tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning this Friday, June 26th at 10am local time at LiveNation.com/DriveIn.

Exclusive Live From The Drive-In merch is available for purchase in advance online HERE to commemorate Live Nation’s first ever U.S. drive-in concert series. 100% of net proceeds will be donated to Crew Nation – a global relief fund for live music crews.

Budweiser Zero is an official sponsor of the Nashville and St. Louis Live From The Drive-In concerts. 21+ fans in attendance will have the opportunity to sample the new zero alcohol (0.0% ABV) brew while watching their favorite artist.

Brad Paisley Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre - St. Louis June 28

Each event will comply with all health and safety standards per local jurisdictions and state regulations in order to protect fans, artists, crews and staff. This includes thorough sanitation throughout the event and hand-sanitizing stations will be available, along with a number of other preventive measures. For more information on the health and safety precautions we are taking, event guidelines and FAQs, please visit LiveNation.com/DriveIn.

LIVE FROM THE DRIVE-IN UPCOMING DATES:

St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Friday, July 10 – Brad Paisley
Saturday, July 11 – El Monstero
Sunday, July 12 – Nelly: 20th Anniversary Celebration of Country Grammar

Nashville, TN @ Nissan Stadium
Friday, July 10 – Jon Pardi
Saturday, July 11 – Brad Paisley
Sunday, July 12 – Darius Rucker

Indianapolis, IN @ Ruoff Music Center
Friday, July 10 – Yacht Rock Revue
Saturday, July 11 – Jon Pardi
Sunday, July 12 – Brad Paisley

About Live Nation Entertainment

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com.

About Budweiser Zero

Launched in 2020 by Anheuser-Busch, Budweiser Zero is a new zero alcohol, zero-sugar brew with refreshing, full-flavored taste you expect from Budweiser. The new brew is for fans who want to enjoy a beer, without the alcohol, in any occasion. With Budweiser Zero there is zero compromise on taste or experience, all with only 50 calories.

Contacts
Monique Sowinski, moniquesowinski@livenation.com; Liz Sharkey, lizsharkey@livenation.com