Gill gets ‘Back 2 Basics’

“Sorry I’m late,” was Vince Gill’s opening remark at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. last Thursday, referring to the nearly four-week delay of his show, which was postponed because of inclement weather.

With remnants of snow still on the ground, Vince Gill seemed happy to play the 9:30 Club, an unlikely venue for the country musician, which he referred to as “one of the greatest clubs in the United States.” Gill’s “Back 2 Basics” tour was created to give fans a unique perspective in an intimate setting on how it all started by touring small clubs instead of large arenas. The crowd contained mostly middle-aged suburban couples who looked like they were scared of the 9:30 Club’s staff.

With a seven-member band, Gill started the evening with past hits such as, “One More Last Chance,” “Pretty Little Adriana,” and “Feels Like Love.” He then proceeded to play all 17 songs off his current album, “Next Big Thing.”

The album reflects Gill’s thoughts on Nashville’s “new” country (also known as “pop”). About a decade ago Vince Gill was country music’s ‘next big thing,’ but lately he has been pushed aside by younger stars vowing to take his crown. In “Young Man’s Town,” Gill sings, “Sometimes you gotta stand back/And watch ’em burn it to the ground/Even though you built it — it’s a young man’s town.”

Gill’s concert showed his staying power and was well paced, with mixtures of bluegrass, traditional and contemporary country, road house blues, rock, and swing country. The crowd reacted well to “Next Big Thing” and his new single, “Someday.” Gill used his high-pitched ballads to relax the audience just enough between jamming with his band. The band’s true talent shined through during the fast paced songs that Gill extended several minutes to exhibit a guitar solo.

Usually Gill does not display much of his guitar abilities on his records, but in concert Gill shows off instrumentally, which many fans were surprised to find out.

After performing all the songs off “Next Big Thing,” Gill’s wife, singer Amy Grant, and their two-year-old daughter joined him for a song. Gill continued the concert with his classic singles “Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away,” “Liza Jane” and “I Still Believe In You.” He demonstrated his guitar skills with “Oklahoma Borderline” and the crowd-requested “Nothing Like A Woman,” which was amazing. Gill closed the night with “Go Rest High On That Mountain,” a personal song written about his brother’s death 10 years ago that night.

Vince Gill’s three-hour, 33-song show proved that he is one of country music’s few triple threat entertainers, holding a truly unique singer-songwriter instrumentalist position. Having sold 22 million albums and won 15 Grammy in his career, it looks like Vince Gill is still a big thing.