Ashley McBryde at The Blue Gate Performing Arts Center in Shipshewana, IN

Shipshewana, IN (Dec 5, 2024) – On a cold, wintery night in December, Ashley McBryde and her team blow into town to warm the hearts of everyone with some fun and a night of country hits.

Before wrapping up the 2024 touring session and entering into the holidays, McBryde makes another weekend run that includes a Thursday night stop at the Blue Gate Performing Arts Center in Shipshewana, IN.

Prior to Ashley and her band taking the stage, The Band Loula gets the night started with a short 30 minute set to help warm the crowd up. The Band Loula is an acoustic duo made up of Malachi Mills and Logan Simmons, life-long friends from Gainesville, GA who moved to Nashville together and recently signed with Warner Brothers Records.

Malachi plays an acoustic guitar and uses a foot button to blast a deep bass beat throughout the theater while accompanying Logan’s strong vocals with smooth harmonies. They perform original tunes as “Karma’s The Devil,” “Running Off The Angels,” “Mother’s Love” and their new single, “Marshall County Man” as the crowd supports them with hand claps and hollers. They completely come to life with the energized rendition of the Johnny Cash cover of “Folsom Prison Blues” as they jump out of their seats and sing along while still clapping to the beat. The Band Loula is a perfect match as support to the fireball, Ashley McBryde.

The Band Loula setlist:

1. If I Never Stayed The Night 2. Karma’s The Devil 3. Angel From Georgia 4. Marshall County Man 5. Running Off The Angels 6. Mother’s Love 7. Folsom Prison Blues

With the stage lights still down from the changeover, the silhouettes of Ashley McBryde and her band begin to show their presence on stage. The crowd raises to the feet as they cheer when the music begins. When the stage lights come up, McBryde steps up to the microphone to tell the story of the “Rattlesnake Preacher.”

Over the next 90 minutes, Ashley entertains the SOLD OUT crowd with some of her top hits; “One Night Standards,” “A Little Dive Bar In Dahlonega,” “Light On In The Kitchen” and the funny, humorous “Brenda, Put Your Bra On.” The latter sees bras appear on stage, where Ashley twirls them around and dances with them before throwing them into the crowd.

Just a couple of days ago, Ashley was acknowledged in Waldron, AK for it being the birthplace of the Grand Ole Opry member. She tells of how she was greeted by many dignitaries including the mayor, school officials and choir members and how they all asked her for tips and advise. She proceeded to speak of a 10th grade algebra teacher she had in school who told her that “her dream was stupid and that she better have a back-up plan.” McBryde can now joke of the personal jab from that teacher and now jokes, “I always thought she said have a back-up band, and now I have the best.” As the crowd cheered her comment, the band begins to play her signature single “Girl Going Nowhere.”

Besides the hits, McBryde still continues to play some of her classic tunes from that 2018 debut album Girl Going Nowhere that include “El Dorado,” and “Tired Of Being Happy.”

Along with the hits and classics played this evening, Ashley performs songs from the current album The Devil I Know that seem to arouse the crowd. The ballads “Single At The Same Time” and “Learned To Lie” catches a few from the crowd get up and dance before her and the band perform the party anthem of the evening with “Coldest Beer In Town.” Prior to the anthem, McBryde introduces the “other freaks in this freak show” including “The Disney Prince” Chris Harris (acoustic guitar and mandolin), the birthday boy Wesley Dorethy (rhythm guitar, mandolin, keys and fiddle), Caleb “Mr” Hoover (bass guitar), “The Caveman” Quinn Hill (drums) and from Indiana, Matt Helmkamp (lead guitar).  When introducing Wesley, a birthday cake was delivered to the stage for him to blow out a candle while the crowd sang “Happy Birthday.”

With new music in the horizon, Ashley announces the next single is being released tonight at midnight. Wesley and his weeping cowboy fiddle stand at center stage to preamble the new “Ain’t Enough Cowboy Songs” to the delight and cheers of the crowd. As the song ends, Ashley has added the “Cattle Call” from Eddy Arnold. At the conclusion, she teaches the crowd and asks the crowd to oblige and sing out the call.

McBryde thanks the crowd and advises to not ever take no for an answer on living out your dreams. She claims you will struggle on the road, but it will happen if you want it to. Before leaving the stage, she ends her set with “The Devil I Know.”

After a quick break and the crowd cheering them back on stage, Ashley returns alone with an acoustic guitar. Claiming to be very strict with their stage time schedules, Ashley and her band don’t normally do encores. However, as time allows this evening, she returns for an acoustic encore of “Bible And A .44.” The band joins her back on stage for additional music that includes a request from her friend Victor with “Luckiest S.O. B.” and a fun Christmas song for her mother, “All I’m Going To Get For Christmas Is Drunk” that she wrote a few years back when she was still drinking alcohol.

The evening was filled with fun laughable highlights, along with more personal sensitive moments. All in all, the evening was enjoyed by all, in the crowd and on stage. Ashley McBryde and her band made it obvious that they were having fun on stage, performing together as they fed off the crowd’s energy to escalate the evening’s excitement.

Although the 2024 tour is over, the Ashley McBryde tour has already been announced for 2025. That tour also includes shows with this evening’s opening duo, The Band Loula. For more information on the tour or other news from the performers or Blue Gate Performing Arts Center, links are provided below.

Ashley McBryde setlist:

1. Rattlesnake Preacher 2. Never Will 3. One Night Standards 4. Brenda, Put Your Bra On 5. Single At The Same Time 6. Girl Going Nowhere 7. Hang In There Girl 8. First Thing I Reach For 9. Light On In The Kitchen 10. Ain’t Enough Cowboy Songs 11. Tired Of Being Happy 12. Coldest Beer In Town 13. Learned To Lie 14. A Little Dive Bar In Dahlonega 15. El Dorado 16. Ain’t Enough Water In The River 17. The Devil I Know Encore: 18. Bible And A .44 19. Luckiest S.O.B. 20. All I’m Going To Get For Christmas Is Drunk

Ashley McBryde

     

The Band Loula  

    

Blue Gate Performing Arts Center