Early thunderstorms didn’t keep people away as fans lined up to catch Aaron Lewis’s “State I’m In” tour as it made a stop at The Meadow Event Park in Doswell, VA Friday night. With Covid restrictions slowly being lifted and things returning to normal fans filled the venue for a night of outlaw country music featuring Ira Dean and Aaron Lewis. Aaron is currently touring in support of his 2019 release, ‘State I’m In’ which is his follow up to the No. 1 Billboard Country Album ‘Sinner’ released back in 2016. With touring coming to a stop in 2020 due to the pandemic fans had to wait a little longer than normal to hear Aaron play songs off the new album.
Gates opened at 6 p.m. and fans began to pour into the venue with opener Ira Dean kicking the evening shortly after 7 p.m. Ira Dean is best known for his time in Trick Pony, Ira set the tone for the night with roughly a 45-minute set mixing in stories from the course of his career thru out his set.
Aaron took to the stage shortly after 8 p.m. and started the show like he often does by citing the “Pledge of Allegiance” from there Aaron broke into two of his more notable solo songs with “Country Boy,” and “Sinner.” Other notable songs of the night were “God and Guns,” “State Lines,” and “If I were a Liberal” which all drew great applause from the crowd. Of course, no evening with Aaron would be complete without some Staind songs mixed into the set, “Right Here,” “It’s Been Awhile,” made the night’s set. At the conclusion of “It’s Been a While” Aaron and the band left the stage which was met with chants from the crowd for an encore. Not to let his fans down Aaron and his band returned to the stage to finish the night with “Someone,” “Again,” and wrapped the night up with “Am I The Only One.”
Overall it was a great night of country music, and a great way to begin to get back to the normalcy of live music returning to the area. For those who have never had the opportunity to catch Aaron’s solo shows really need to get out to one of these remaining dates. The solo shows are so much different from what fans are accustomed to when Aaron is fronting Staind. The shows really showcase Aaron’s broad vocal range and musical talent and show a different side to the Aaron Lewis we’ve all come to know.
Aaron’s run of solo shows will wrap up on July 23 at Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom before he reunites with his bandmates in Staind as they hit the road with Korn for August and September.
Tickets for the remaining “State I’m In” tour can be purchased HERE. Fans can purchase tickets for the Summer Staind tour HERE.
