Billy Currington Was Definitely ‘Doin’ Somethin’ Right’ During Dubuque Concert

Hundreds of Dubuquers and Tri-Staters undoubtedly paid closer attention than usual to Friday's weather forecast with nervousness and cautious optimism. The rain started early in the morning, and didn't let up until the afternoon. Midwesterners have more-or-less quietly accepted this summer might be rainier than usual, but there was an outdoor concert that evening...

And a concert there was. Aside from a brief, 30 minute delay due to lightning in the area, Q Casino + Resort's first country concert of the year on the Back Waters Stage defined the phrase "the show must go on." Country music veteran Billy Currington took the stage and played most of his 11 #1 singles. It was a concert underscored by good friends, great drinks, and songs almost everyone in the crowd knew by heart.

Prior to Billy Currington, American Idol winner Chayce Beckham performed, and showed the crowd what a rising country singer looks like. Beckham was the winner of the 19th season of American Idol, and made an immediate impact with his single, "23." "23," which remorsefully tells the personal story of Beckham's early twenties of partying and heavy-drinking, became a country radio #1.

Beckham ended his hour-long set with that smash-hit, and preceded it with several cuts from his debut album, Bad for Me, released last month. A few covers were sprinkled in, including his rendition of "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)" by Toby Keith, and "Red Dirt Road" by Brooks & Dunn. Judging by the few dozen people I saw rocking Chayce Beckham shirts, there were many concertgoers present to see country's next potential superstar.

A little after 9:15pm, Billy Currington took the stage and immediately launched into "Hey Girl," one of his 11 aforementioned #1 singles. Currington has been such a mainstay in country music that you'd probably be impressed with yourself if you happened to hear one of his songs and realized you knew all the words.

From there, he performed one of his biggest hits in "Good Directions" (instantly singable, I'll add), and my personal favorite, "Love Done Gone."

The party had to be paused about 30 minutes into Currington's set, with lightning coming into the area. This resulted in a 30-minute delay where a brief shower graced the area. Thankfully, the best case scenario prevailed: the concert resumed at about 10:30pm, with Currington returning to the stage to finish out his set.

Currington returned to the stage with full energy, launching into favorites like "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right," "Do I Make You Wanna," and "Like My Dog." He's a charismatic performer. During the second-half of the show, when the rain had left our area, he felt like a man who loosened up just a hair, not worrying that he was going to give his fans only half a show due to inclement weather.

Currington's show ended with him performing "People Are Crazy," one of the most incredulously beautiful story songs of the last decade, and closing with an extended version of "We Are Tonight."

Billy Currington's band assisted him with a long, 10-minute instrumental outro as he grabbed everything he was handed from Turpin Tailgate concertgoers, leaving them with a beautiful signature on their hats, phones, tickets, or whatever merch they happened to lift into the air.

Once again, as was the case with the Warrant/Lita Ford/FireHouse concert in early June, Q Casino + Resort set the standard for entertainment in Dubuque. The Back Waters Stage venue remains the best in the area thanks to a friendly and committed staff, several food trucks, quality beverages, and an elite sound-system.

Until next time, I'll see you at one of these upcoming shows on the Back Waters Stage:

• I Prevail, Hollywood Undead, and Fit For a King will be bringing metal and rap to the venue on Friday, July 12th.
• Beartooth, Currents, Boundaries, and Nevertel will keep the rock going on Thursday, July 18th.
• Country-rapper Upchurch will be taking the stage on Friday, August 2nd.
• Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit with special guest Shemekia Copeland will be performing on Friday, August 9th.
• Ice Nine Kills, along with Avatar and TX2, will bring their "In the Moment: Kiss of Death Tour Part 2" to Dubuque on Saturday, August 10th.
• Disturbed and Plush will be performing on Wednesday, August 28th.
• Riley Green brings another great country show to the area on Thursday, August 29th.