There’s nothing like seeing one of your favorite artists perform live on the big stage. Just this past summer one of our very own local concert venues,Empower FCU Syracuse Amphitheater at Lakeview, hosted some pretty big names including Jordan Davis.
Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview in Syracuse, New York is located along the shore of Onondaga Lake and is, of course, a big concert venue, but hosts many other events too. As I was on the scene I saw a lot of food trucks and drink stands that were there for the crowd to enjoy while enjoying country songs by openers Ashley Cooke and Mitchell Tenpenny and of course, the headliner Jordan Davis.
“The venue was really nice because you have the lakeview in the background and it is a really pretty setting. No matter where you sit you still have a good view and they have lots of different food options,” says Jordan Davis fan Kristy Nole who also attended the concert at the venue this past July.
Before the concert started at 7 pm , all of the fans rushed to the food trucks to get whatever they were wishing for whether it was a pulled pork sandwich and mac n cheese, or pizza, or gyros, and many other options that the venue smartly offered at affordable prices. I myself chose a pulled pork Sandwich and a side of Mac N Cheese which were pretty good for concert food! Also, people were able to get the food and drinks whenever they wanted throughout the concert.
Even people who necessarily did not enjoy the concert, enjoyed the venue. When asked if she enjoyed the concert Hope Nole says, “ No, because I didn’t know a lot of his songs and it was really loud and that hurt my ears a lot.” However, when asked if she liked the venue she said, “I did like it because the seats were comfortable and there was food and opening acts…I would attend a pop concert there like Olivia Rodrigo.”
Now, when it comes to Jordan Davis’s performance, fans would say it was definitely better than the food though. Jordan Davis played most of his #1 hits like “Singles You Up” , “Buy Dirt” and “Next Thing You Know,” while also playing less popular songs like “Leaving New Orleans” and “Selfish..”
“I like that Jordan played lots of his #1 hits and that he played a lot of his new songs and his old music because everyone was singing and dancing along,” says Kristy Nole about the setlist.
The variety of his setlist helped fans get to hear their favorite songs live–whether that be favorite songs of his or of other artists as he brought out the opening acts during his performance(Mitchell Tenpenny and Ashley Cooke) to play some iconic hits like “This Love” by Maroon 5 and “All the Small Things” by Blink 182 and “Gunpowder and Lead” by Miranda Lambert. This gave a good variety of songs to jam out to and hear live especially, for fans who aren’t that into country music and were just dragged there with family or friends. This was definitely a special moment in the performance and was by far my favorite moment in the show.
Local concerts can be a great activity to attend to have a fun night out while being able to not miss important things like work and school.
“I like concerts close to us. We have such a great venue near home. It was a Thursday night so I was able to go to work and still come home not too late after the show. It is fun to travel sometimes, but it costs more money and you have to stay in a hotel and take days off of work,” says Kristy Nole.
“I like local concerts because it feels closer to home and you don’t have to drive as far,” says Gracie Guiliano in agreement with Kristy.
However, some could argue that when you go to local concerts you do not get to experience the new and exciting part of exploring a new city/place that you travel to for the concert as well as going to the concert.
“ I like traveling to different areas farther away, because there are more places you can go than just the concert,” says Hope Nole.
This past summer, Jordan Davis’s concert seemed to be a hit! The concert drew people in with all different genres of music to a great local venue. Whether or not you love country music, there is no doubt that Jordan Davis is an excellent performer whose concerts are guaranteed to give you a great experience and like his tour name, a “Good Time”.
If you are curious and want to listen to Jordan Davis’s music, it is available on all music streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, and his website lists upcoming tour dates if after reading this article, you want to see him live in your neck of the woods.
