Dylan Gossett literally sang the doors off the building and sounded absolutely beautiful doing so. If you’ve never heard of Gossett, then get ready. This guy is about to take the industry by storm. His record is near perfection and his voice is soothing to the soul on those emotional days when you need to feel good about life.
I was back at MGM Music Hall at Fenway in Boston, Massachusetts on Friday night to see one of country music’s rising stars, Dylan Gossett, on his “The Westward Tour” featuring Kingfishr and Buffalo Traffic Jam. This place is just spectacular. This 5,000-seat venue first opened its doors to the public on August 27, 2022. The venue’s seating arrangement makes this large concert hall feel intimate with no seat more than 110 feet away from the stage. I have sat all around the venue and have had no issues with my views or sound quality drop-off. It’s a perfect location for a night out. Surrounded by the lovely and historic Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, this area is jam-packed with restaurants, bars, and shopping destinations. If you have never taken in a show here then it’s time you do. Unfortunately, if you are reading this just now you missed one of the best shows this venue has ever seen.
If you are still unfamiliar with who Dylan Gossett is, let’s give you some quick background on this 25-year-old country riser. Gossett hails from Austin, Texas, born in 1999 in the middle of the Y2K hysteria. If you’ve been on TikTok at all over the past year, chances are you’ve scrolled past a clip of Gossett singing in his room with nothing but a guitar and his unique voice. That’s basically how his career took off. His tone and style make me think that I am on the back porch on a humid day listening to a buddy spill out his soul on a creaking rocking chair. There is just something about that voice that I cannot pinpoint and put into the proper words. It’s almost angelic but thats not the right word. It’s almost trance-like. Its tone sucks you in and simply takes your mind into another place. Gossett’s path to music wasn’t some instant record deal story. He started teaching himself guitar in middle school, writing songs while he was in college at Texas A&M, and working normal jobs around Austin before things blew up. In 2023, Gossett started throwing his own original songs online and his song “Coal” took off. Roughly around July that year, the song went viral all over the TikTok platform, but not only there, it was climbing up the charts, including the Billboard 100.
Soon after that, Gossett dropped his debut EP, No Better Time, in October. What’s wild is he wrote and produced the whole thing himself, which is super rare in an era where most young artists are backed by big writing teams. It’s no small thing to be able to put everything together yourself. By early 2024, he kept the momentum going with a second EP, Songs in the Gravel. That run of songs set him up for festival appearances, headline shows, and eventually signing with Big Loud Texas and Mercury Records.
This past summer Gossett released his first full album, Westward. It’s 17 tracks, again all his own writing, and it sounds like the perfect snapshot of where he’s at in life: songs about the road, reflections on home, relationships, and figuring out how to chase music dreams without losing himself. Singles like “Tree Birds” and “American Trail” show he can go bigger without losing that stripped-down honesty that first hooked people.
Still with me? Back to MGM we go for what was hopefully going to be a slam-dunk of a night of great country music. Hitting the stage, we had Buffalo Traffic Jam hailing from Bozeman, Montana. I admittedly never heard of the duo until the announcement of this tour. I am now a fan. They reminded me of the band Caamp, an American folk band from Ohio. I was highly impressed at the honesty of the lyrics and the simplicity of the set. A perfect mesh to go on tour to complement Gossett and his realness.
Up next, another band I hadn’t heard of also until the tour was announced, Kingfishr. I was surprised to find out that they are an Irish band whose song “Killeagh” was a number-one song in the country and certified 4x Platinum in Ireland. They were a real treat to listen to. With hints of the Irish accent seeping through, it added a perfect sound to the group that reminded me in some ways of Dropkick Murphys. Being from over the pond I am not sure they get to America much.
There were many in the crowd that most likely came to just see this band. There were some over-the-top Irish fans in the crowd letting loose. I mean, they were absolutely hammered and they didn’t care who knew it. They were there to have the time of their lives, and they did. They were singing…well, screaming their hearts out. I loved everything about this band and look forward to their continued success. The energy now was through the roof. The coolest part of the set to me was the whole band getting into the crowd and performing a song. That connection the band gave to the fans absolutely gained them new listeners.
After Kingfishr departed the stage I could 100 percent feel the energy starting to shift and get even more amped up. The crowd started getting restless with anticipation. The crowd was about what I expected in terms of demographics — I would put most in the 18–25 range of college kids wearing their boots and cowboy hats, looking to enjoy a night out listening to some good Americana country music. The mood was already established by the awesome supporting acts and it didn’t feel like we were at a decent-sized venue. I personally felt as if I was chilling in the backyard with the boys jamming out. The concert-goers were definitely letting loose tonight. I will say many drinks were had by the rowdy bunch. I am not sure how Gossett can create this type of emotional setting, but he did and we were all here for it. I just wish there was a campfire on stage and the concessions were selling items to make s’mores.
The stage setup was pretty basic. I would normally want to come down hard on an artist because of this. Not this time. It worked. I didn’t want all the lights, and the pyro wasn’t needed. Cryo had no place at this campfire-type atmosphere. What we got was a simple black backdrop displaying Dylan Gossett. It was all we needed.
Not many artists I review can pull off sounding exactly like their albums. When I mean exactly, I mean exactly, and Gossett was able to achieve that seemingly effortlessly. It’s great to know he isn’t just overproduced in the studio and he cannot duplicate the same vocals live. What a blessing, and I feel lucky to have been able to experience a performance like this. Dare I say this, but he sounds like a better version of Zach Bryan. Not to knock Zach and what he has achieved. There is just something about Gossett’s live performance. I was blown away. This is exactly what you want when you attend a concert. I did not want to come into this show seeing a crazy stage setup or pyro. I wanted a great singer-songwriter to come out and deliver raw vocals and the ringing of acoustic strings. This is what I hoped for and that’s what everyone got. Gossett earned every bit of my respect as an artist. He is genuine, pure, and has the raw talent to continue a long career of making music.
The crowd of younger fans never held back singing Gossett’s songs back at him. The chorus of everyone singing in unison was truly beautiful. It seemed like every word was belted out with so much passion and conviction. During “Coal” especially, the phones went up and the recording started and screaming the lyrics like it was the anthem of their life. I love going to shows and seeing the fans interact with such emotion. It makes me feel good about life. People coming to one location all with the purpose of enjoying an artist together. Everyone is there for the same reason and it just creates a space of unity. Nothing beats a live concert and, even more, nothing beats a Dylan Gossett concert! You can tell that he is a kind and gentle soul, opening up about his songs to his fans. At a couple of points in the show fans might have had a little bit too much to drink and some did pass out. Gossett would stop the show until the situation was resolved. On an appearance note…I don’t know what kind of boots he had on but they were snazzy.
I am very partial to the song “Like I Do.” That song has connected with me on so many levels. I think it’s such a brilliant song about his parents. It’s so deep and it resonates with me. It will always hold a spot in my heart. Hearing it live was an amazing experience and we all had shared feelings about it in the audience. That song's performance will go down as one of the best live performances I have ever witnessed. I had the chance to meet with Gossett earlier in the day, which you can check out here, and I asked him what song he has written was the hardest to write emotionally. “Like I Do” was his answer. I knew that was going to be his answer just by the lyrics in the song. It’s a tearjerker.
Dylan Gossett might’ve started in a bedroom with an acoustic guitar, but right now he looks like one of the brightest new names to come out of Texas in years. And honestly, watching his career unfold feels like watching an underdog story in real time. I think I got it now — Gossett’s voice sounds to me unpolished, and that is in the best way possible and not a slight. This makes him feel authentic and someone you can just relate to. His songs don’t sound like they were built in some Nashville hit factory but more so pulled out of a journal. His live performance is impeccable and flawless. As I said earlier, his music puts you in sort of a trance. It’s emotional and the lyrics are thought-worthy. Each line is written with a purpose and not just filler material. There is no doubt that you need to go to one of Gossett’s shows and take in the experience. I would say it’s more than just a show. It has healing powers. I cannot suggest enough that you BUY. THE. TICKET.
