Charleston, SC band NEEDTOBREATHE has come a long way since 2006.

From playing a water park in Decatur, Alabama for 30 people to playing amphitheaters for 7,000+, the band has worked their way to popularity through perseverance.

Night one of Tour de Compadres kicked off right here in Tuscaloosa with the band Colony House from Nashville.

The name comes from an old apartment which brothers Caleb and Will Chapman shared.

The band has already made their television debut on Late Night with Seth Meyers, playing their song Silhouettes. Several people commented their appreciation for their quirky sound and energy, which was a wonderful way to start the evening.

Following them was another prominent East Nashville band, Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors.

Holcomb is currently promoting his new album Medicine and here at 90.7 The Capstone, we have been spinning the first single Shine Like Lightning.

He surprised the crowd with a Tom Petty cover of Running Down The Dream followed by his most popular song, What Would I Do Without You. He also announced he and the band would be back on November 13th, to play a show at the Bama Theatre.

Ben Rector walked out to a crowd full of screaming girls and played a crowd favorite White Dress.

After, he commented on how quiet and “attentive” we were as an audience. When he talked, it was silent.

He used the silence to tell a story about Danny, the taxi driver, which led him into new song “The Men That Drive Me Places.” The song goes through the life of a taxi driver trying to learn how to speak English and go to school for computer programming, while taking care of his family. The crowd was enthralled.

He closed out his set with the catchy “Let The Good Times Roll” and left the crowd in a frenzy for what was next.

NEEDTOBREATHE graced the stage with energy and anticipation. Brothers, Bear and Bo Rineheart have ties to Tuscaloosa, as they were named after Paul “Bear” Bryant. They spent their summers in Alabama as kids.

The look of overwhelming excitement and joy on their faces is something that will always be remembered.

The band played for an hour and a half. The set-list was:

 

State I’m In

Oohs and Ahhs

The Outsiders

Girl Named Tennessee

Wasteland

White Fences

The Heart

Something Beautiful

Feet, Don’t Fail Me Now

Oh, Carolina

Difference Maker

Multiplied

Keep Your Eyes Open

 

Brother

Washed By The Water

 

During Difference Maker, Bear ran to the soundboard and performed the song to the people in the back.

During Brother, all of the bands on the tour came out and sang with NEEDTOBREATHE and confetti cannons went off into the crowd.

NEEDTOBREATHE closed the evening with an emotional Washed By The Water. The crowd sang with Bear, while Bo, Seth Bolt, and Josh Lovelace looked into the crowd with awe.

Opening night for the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater and the first day of Tour de Compadres rang triumphant.

Author

Kinsey Haynes
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