Tonight I had the privilege of seeing Grammy Nominated artist, the Zac Brown Band and their Breaking Southern Ground tour perform for the KYGO Christmas Show at The Fillmore Auditorium in Denver….

Initially, I figured I’d post a review and set list here – but after seeing this show, that really wouldn’t do it justice.  This was hands down, the best show I have seen in a really LONG time – possibly ever.  The Zac Brown band is a roving cast of characters who all play multiple instruments at times there were as many as 12 people on stage, once as few as four.  Each artist is a master of their instrument – many are also fantastic vocalists.

Somehow, as a group they manage to blend this musical perfection with the ambiance of a house party.  I felt like I was Zac’s personal guest, invited to witness he and his friends having a good time.  We might as well have been hanging out in his living room with a keg in the corner.

The Zac Brown Band is definitely the draw, but the show is called the Breaking Southern Ground tour.  As such there really isn’t an opening act, but more like guests that show up to play.  Sometimes they play alone, sometimes with members of the ZBB, sometimes as part of the whole ensemble.  Tonight’s first musician was a guy named Levi Lowrey, a big bearded dude who, as Zac put it, has a gift for taking the most awful situation and making it sound good in a song.  His tune “All American” was my personal favorite – thumbing its nose at anything politically correct.

Next a lady named Sonia Leigh played – she’s hard to classify.  If you were to take some Tanya Tucker, mix in some Sheryl Crow and a bit of the Cowboy Junkies, you might get close.  She’s an amazing song writer and some of her writing will evidently appear on the upcoming ZBB album.

The last “opener” was a guy named Nic Cowan who’s evidently a Texan who’s been transplanted to Georgia.  Nic has a funky beat maybe a bit G Lovish.

Any of these amazing musicians’ sets would have been well worth the price of admission but the show had barely started.

ZBB rocked it – every song was near perfection even though Zac was recovering from a cold and apologized several times for the state of his voice.  Notable highlights included (but weren’t limited to) Free, Into the Mystic, The Devil went Down to Georgia, The Night They Burned Ol’ Dixie Down, Who Knows and Toes.

For anyone who has heard the song Chicken Fried and decided that you weren’t interested in ZBB because they are a “country band” – you’re really missing out.  That song sounds country, this band is not.  I felt like I was at a Widespread show, with fewer dirty hippies.  If you get a chance, check out these bands – you won’t be disappointed.