WILKES-BARRE — Country recording artist Jake Owen brought his signature sound to the F.M. Kirby Center on Saturday night, playing a wide mix of his biggest hits and newer songs off his album Greetings From…Jake, which was released last year.
A capacity crowd packed the theater at the Kirby as Owen brought the “Down to the Tiki Tonk” tour to Wilkes-Barre. It’s Owen’s fourth tour as a headliner since 2012.
The show was unique in that it didn’t feature an elaborate stage show or even a backing band. In addition to the two opening acts, the show simply consisted of Owen, his guitar and an ice-cold beverage (or two).
Owen’s set was preceded by two openers, Larry Fleet and Scotty Emerick.
Fleet, who inked a deal with Big Loud Records in October, linked up with Owen back in 2017 after Fleet played a few tunes at a party that Owen happened to be at. A former concrete pourer and construction worker, Fleet gave up his day job to pursue his musical passions.
He got the crowd rocking with a few hits off of his debut album, Workin’ Hard, including “Lied About Love” and “Best That I Got.”
After Fleet came Scotty Emerick, who’s best known for his songwriting partnership with country music superstar Toby Keith. The two co-wrote hit songs like “As Good As I Once Was” and “Beer For My Horses,” which Emerick performed as the closer to his set.
He opened his set with a humorous rendition of a song he wrote with Keith called “Weed With Willie,” referring to time spent with country icon Willie Nelson, a famed and prolific marijuana user.
Emerick got a kick out of the crowd with his rich voice and colorful mannerisms, uttering the phrase “Aw, somebody slap me” in between every song.
He stayed on stage to perform a duet with Owen before retreating to the back, leaving the ever-popular Owen onstage to perform some of his biggest hits, much to the delight of the raucous crowd.
Owen clearly had a good time with the Kirby crowd, tossing beers into the seats and even serenading a recently-engaged couple.
From songs off the new album like “Down to the Honky Tonk” and “Homemade” to arguably his biggest hit, “Barefoot Blue Jean Night,” Owen knocked out tune after tune with ease, periodically taking breaks in-song to improvise riffs. He even messed up the lyrics to one of his own songs, but played it off flawlessly, singing about Wilkes-Barre before launching back into his own work. At one point, Owen mixed in a rendition of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me” in the middle of a completely different song.
It’s that kind of nimbleness and dexterity that has helped Owen carve out a nice little spot for himself in the framework of country music.
Owen is back on the road March 14 at the Miller Theater in Augusta, Georgia, for the penultimate date on his “Down to the Tiki Tonk” tour, wrapping up on the 15th in Alabama.
After that, it’s right back on the road for Owen as he will tour with Lady Antebellum as they promote their latest album, “Ocean.”
