Show Review: Flatland Cavalry & Colby Acuff Ryman Debut
February 10th, 2024
By @shanaleighphoto
Nashville-based Flatland Cavalry and Colby Acuff both made their Ryman debuts on the same night in Nashville. The excitement was building as fans packed the legendary venue for the sold-out show.
Colby warmed up the audience, sharing stories and singing songs like “Dying Breed” and “Western White Pines” which painted the picture of his roots in Northern Idaho and his days as a fly-fishing guide on the Coeur d’Alene river. Colby mentioned that he had loved ones in the audience, which happened to be a home away from home crowd, as he and his band currently reside in Nashville, the topic of his song Movin’.
Colby showed admirable strength as he played the song “American Son”, after sharing with the audience that his father passed away the day before the show. His father had been battling a terminal respiratory disease for about a year and a half, and this was the last song he played for him. Colby explained that just a couple of years ago he was broke and struggling, so he went to his father for a loan. He told his Dad that he didn’t know exactly what his next move would be but he believed in the next few years he would make his Opry debut. His father believed in him and would have wanted him to play the show that night.
Witnessing Colby sing through his pain was a sure sign of a true artist, fulfilling his purpose in connecting everyone together through vulnerability and heartache, but also love and remembrance. I can’t imagine any other place his father would have wanted him to be in that moment. There is healing in the music and the love that the audience served back with a standing ovation from the sold-out crowd. The tearful energy in the room was a palpable blending of grateful appreciation of his craft merged with heartfelt condolences.
Flatland Cavalry, based in Nashville but originally hailing from Lubbock, Texas, brought the energy for their Ryman debut. The sold-out crowd, including the bands family and friends, showed up and showed love, and it was a night for the history books. The band is currently on their Wandering Star tour having just released their album of the same name. They played some of their fan favorites like “Damaged Goods” and “Sleeping Alone”, and the fans chimed in with a little audience participation for the song “Country Is…” with some “hell naw’s”.
Cleto Cordero, lead singer of the band, explained how often he gets approached by people sharing their story of how “Mountain Song” has helped them through hard times. Like the 70-year-old, who’s wife passed away, shared with Cordero that the song brings him the peace that she used to make him feel. And another man who lost his brother in a river accident who also turns to the song for comfort. Cordero sent that song out for anyone who needed peace that night and, after Colby’s performance, it certainly made an impact as pain and heartache was a sensitive and relatable topic of the evening.
Mountain, mountain, it's good to see your face
Mighty wonder, high above the plains
Mountain, mountain, could I take your place?
River, river, take me away
Wash me clean, keep my sins at bay
River, river, take me away
Pinyon perfume blowin' in the wind
Time ain't a thing here, luck is my best friend
Carryin' with me everythin' I own and who I am
Pray to God, I see your face again
Pray to God, I see your face again
Colby joined Flatland on stage for a Toby Keith tribute of “Should Have Been a Cowboy”. It was an emotional evening full of remembrance and celebration all around.
Fans received a special surprise when Cordero’s wife Kaitlin Butts graced the stage for their duet of the song “A Life Where We Work Out”. The song, with over 63 million streams on Spotify alone, was written about a couple who longs for a peaceful and stable life together in the midst of trials and uncertainties. It seems life is working out pretty sweet for the newlyweds as they stood together on stage that night embracing and soaking it all in. When suddenly, Scott Fariss, the man who officiated their wedding, surprised them with the announcement that their song was just recently certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Cordero said, “there’s so much love in this room, there’s a reason why this place has been around as long as it has. We’re away from our loved ones so much of the time. We give that love to you all and you give it back to us and fill our cups.”
With the love in the room that night, surely their cups were overflowing, as they locked in that core memory of their first sold-out show at the iconic Ryman Auditorium.
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