As Sunday rolled around, I once again found myself back at the wonderful Indian Ranch on Lake Chaubunagungamaug (yes, this name is actually real) in Webster, Massachusetts, for Tyler Hubbard’s concert. I have boasted about this venue in past reviews, and it still stands as one of the best and most unique venues in the state. It’s a small, relaxed, amphitheater-style venue that hosts shows primarily during the day. I often joke that this venue is ideal for some of us getting older and in need of babysitters—it’s much easier for an afternoon sitter than a late-night one. I can’t tell you how much this makes concert-goers happy. Indian Ranch has hosted massive names in many genres over the years, such as Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Barenaked Ladies, Huey Lewis & The News, ZZ Top, Beach Boys, Jake Owen, Gavin DeGraw, B.B. King, and Tyler Hubbard. This was Tyler’s second show at the Ranch, playing last year almost to the exact day.
If you’ve never heard of Tyler Hubbard and you’re a fan of country music, then what rock are you living under? The man is a legend in the country genre. If not by his actual name, then you’ve absolutely heard of the duo Florida Georgia Line. Hubbard basically pioneered the bro-country era of country, but his writing skills go beyond that sub-genre. Hubbard’s been killing the charts for over a decade and has influenced so many Nashville artists. In 2022, Hubbard launched his solo career, and the world quickly found out that he wasn’t going anywhere. He proved his star power wasn’t tied to Florida Georgia Line.
Hubbard was born in Georgia, which represents his half of the Florida Georgia Line name, before moving to Nashville for college. In 2023, Tyler released his first solo album, Tyler Hubbard, which boasted 18 tracks—a number that, in the industry today, really speaks to his ability to produce album-worthy material. Two major tracks off the album, “5 Foot 9” and “Dancin’ in the Country,” had a huge presence on country radio. After blessing his fans with an outstanding 18 tracks, Hubbard released his sophomore album the following year, titled Strong, which gave us tracks like “Back Then Right Now” and my favorite song off the album, “Wish You Would.”
Hubbard is an impressive songwriter. He has written for other artists, and his catalog of contributions is as impressive as the songs he keeps for himself. Hubbard has written for artists such as Jason Aldean, Morgan Wallen, Thomas Rhett, Zac Brown Band, and LOCASH. I am not sure he can create bad music even if he tried. Point me in the direction of a bad song of his… I’ll wait. His music has continuous playability. He has fun summer songs and songs showcasing his vulnerability, and at this show, he delivered it all.
Brandon Wisham was first up. I admittedly hadn’t heard of him until I saw him on the bill, but I am glad we all got to know him today. The 22 year old has an amazing voice. He is going places. He just about went into tears performing “Pain Won’t Last” about his dad that he lost to COVID. It was a hard time in his life, he told the crowd. Bailey Zimmerman ended up recording the song for his debut record. The sky's the limit for this kid. Hope he makes it on the big stage so we can see him again.
As soon as it was Hubbard’s time at The Ranch, I knew exactly what this afternoon was going to deliver on this sunny and hot Sunday. Despite literally being next to a beach, I found myself wanting to grab a cold one from the concessions and post up on the sand. That’s the atmosphere his music was creating and I wanted to be on a beach, not in the stands watching this show. If I could have actually seen the stage from the beach, I would have done it. There were people out on their boats listening to the show, but unfortunately, you cannot see from the water. I have no doubts they were having a heck of a time still, though, because we all were.
The stage at The Ranch is often stripped down from your normal indoor or amphitheater venues. You aren’t going to get a full-on high-production experience. Being daylight, it’s almost impossible to create that atmosphere. You’re not going to have fireworks or pyrotechnics, no confetti is going to fall from the rafters, and you aren’t going to get fog or smoke. You are going to get a more intimate experience. At Indian Ranch, you almost feel as if you are on the stage with him. That is hard to put into words. You’ll just have to trust me on that. This just makes me eager to see him again in a different venue.
Hubbard's setlist was a good mix of new and old songs. He even satisfied Florida Georgia Line fans by playing “Cruise.” Brandon Wisham joined him on stage to fill in for Brian Kelley. The crowd obviously went nuts and erupted with cheers as Hubbard teased the song. It was great hearing this performed live even without Kelley. Hubbard and Wisham nailed it. Hubbard asked for the crowd's help on Bebe Rexha’s “Meant to Be” track and they went absolutely crazy with the singalong. The crowd diversity always surprises me here. It never seems to be the typical fans that I project to be at the show. This venue seems to be an older crowd. Not to say there aren’t young fans sprinkled in, it just seems blatantly obvious that the majority of the audience is on the older end. I have noticed this at multiple shows at this venue. The crowd was still loud and wrapped around Hubbard’s finger. I always love when artists take the time out to sign autographs for fans up close during the show. It’s primarily a country-only practice. This young little cowboy held up his sign to have it signed and Hubbard obliged. All of us on the side that saw this cheered them both on. It was a great moment. Family is very important to Tyler Hubbard as he made it clear throughout the show so seeing him treat the kids like this is very uplifting and genuine.
Overall, you are getting more than what you paid for. Tyler Hubbard puts on an immaculate show. It’s absolutely flawless. I don’t even know how that’s possible, but it is. His live performance is basically a listening session of his albums. He doesn’t skip a beat. Hubbard nails all his notes and cues. He is on the mark 100 percent of the time without fail. This show was such a pleasure to witness. I do not know how I haven’t seen Tyler Hubbard as a soloist or in Florida Georgia Line, but at least I got to witness it now. What a treat it was, and we hope to never miss an appearance of his again when the bus travels out our way. I can’t express enough how perfect a show it was. I reviewed a lot of shows, and I had to question if this was all just a backtrack playing the whole time. It wasn’t. It was just pure perfection from a solid performer.
There are some artists you just never want to miss. This is that once-in-a-generation artist you have to see live. Next time, we would love to see him at night or in an indoor venue for the extra theatrics—even though they weren’t warranted. This is a no-brainer. See the show and BUY.THE.TICKET.
