Chase Rice is Flawless at MGM Music Hall at Fenway Park
Friday night I found myself in a sea of people on Landsdowne Street in Boston, Massachusetts. I knew heading into the city it was going to be chaos. I was anticipating a nightmare. Red Sox had their home opener at Fenway Park, Chase Rice was performing at MGM Music Hall and Poppy was rocking out at the House of Blues. This was the making of a horror movie bringing thousands of people within 200 yards of each other. I was dreading to find a parking spot. I arrived early. Very early. I was able to find a parking spot with relative ease as the Fenway crowd dispersed. I just so happen to run into the man of the night himself, Chase Rice. He must have been leaving the ballgame. We stopped and chatted for a minute or two before he carried on to his Meet & Greets. Chase came off as a very genuine human being and it fit within the boundaries of his music. What you see is what you get and I respect that about an artist.
We learned a bit about Chase while writing this article and would like to provide some background. Chase was a former reality TV personality to country singer who rose to prominence in the early 2010s. Born on September 19, 1985, in Florida and raised in North Carolina, Rice first gained national attention as a contestant on Survivor: Nicaragua in 2010, where he finished as the runner-up. Before pursuing music full-time, he played college football at the University of North Carolina and briefly worked as a NASCAR pit crew member. Rice co-wrote the massive Florida Georgia Line hit "Cruise," which became a defining track in the bro-country movement and helped launch his own career. His debut album Ignite the Night (2014) went platinum and featured hits like “Ready Set Roll” and “Gonna Wanna Tonight.” Over time, Rice has evolved from party anthems to a more serious sound, as seen in later projects like Lambs & Lions (2017) and I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go to Hell (2023), showcasing growth in both lyrical depth and musical style.
I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go to Hell is my favorite album from Chase. He and I were able to discuss that album for a bit when we ran into him. I was happy to know that he would be playing a substantial amount of tracks off the album.
After dodging thousands of drunk Fenway Park Faithfuls we made it inside MGM Music Hall at Fenway Park. The MGM Music Hall is a state-of-the-art, 5,009-capacity music venue located adjacent to Fenway Park in Boston. Owned by Fenway Sports Group and operated by Live Nation Entertainment, the venue was developed to address the city's need for a mid-sized performance space. Plans were announced in September 2018, with construction commencing in November 2019. The venue officially opened on August 22, 2022, marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and a private performance by Guster for Tufts University students. The first public concert featured Massachusetts-based rock band Godsmack on August 27, 2022. Since its opening, MGM Music Hall at Fenway has hosted a variety of notable artists, including James Taylor, Bruno Mars, and Chris Stapleton, solidifying its reputation as a premier destination for live entertainment in Boston. We have spent many hours in this venue covering dozens of artists. This is one of our favorite establishments to see a comedy or concert. I mean it when I say it. There isn’t a bad view in the whole place. The design is superb and dare I saw flawless. The acoustics here are top-notch and I find that audio system couldn’t get any better. This is our favorite venue to take in a show, by far.
Friday’s show was a late start at 8pm given that three acts would be performing. First hitting the stage was Pony Bradshaw and the North Georgia Rounders. What a unique sound Pony Bradshaw and his band delivered. He had some deep storytelling and it was obvious he has a deep connection to the Appalachian region. His music was far from the radio dominated bro-country and we were here for it. I applaud Chase Rice for bringing him on tour giving way to a spectrum of musical tastes. Pony performed a brief set lasting only roughly thirty minutes. It was a fast flowing no nonsense thirty minutes however, his music will continue to be played in my car. Pony captured a new fan! I heard a few people praise him when I was making my way through the crowd to grab some water at the concession stand.
8:45pm was upon us and hitting the stage next was Lori McKenna. The name sounded familiar to me leading up to the concert. My wife actually brought her to my attention so I took a dive into her history. Lori was born right here in our very own Stoughton, Massachusetts. A stone’s throw away from MGM Music Hall. To her this is a hometown show. During her set she commented on how she had family in the audience and expressed how many times she’s been an attendee for shows here. As her setlist continued on I was blown away by the songs she has written for other artists. One of my favorite songs of all time is “Burn it Down” by Parker McCollum. We have covered Parker many times and I cannot believe that she helped co-write the song. I started jamming out when she played it. Great song. McKenna began her musical journey in the late 1990s, performing at local open-mic nights in the Boston area. Her self-released debut album, Paper Wings and Halo (2000), showcased her raw talent and set the stage for subsequent releases like Pieces of Me (2001) and Bittertown (2004). Her introspective lyrics and emotive vocals garnered attention beyond New England, leading to Faith Hill covering several of her songs on the 2005 album Fireflies
In 2007, McKenna released Unglamorous under Warner Bros. Nashville, produced by Tim McGraw. Despite critical acclaim, the album didn't achieve significant commercial success, prompting her return to independent releases. She continued to build her reputation as a formidable songwriter, penning hits like "I Want Crazy" for Hunter Hayes and co-writing "Girl Crush" for Little Big Town, which won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 2016. The following year, she secured another Grammy in the same category for "Humble and Kind," performed by Tim McGraw. The crowd lost their minds when she started playing "Humble and Kind”. Many people who went into a Chase Rice concert left with a little bit more than a concert. I believe many left with a country music history lesson and were floored by the songs Lori wrote. Balancing her songwriting for other artists, McKenna maintained a prolific solo career. Her albums The Bird & the Rifle(2016) and The Tree (2018) received widespread acclaim, with the former earning Grammy nominations for Best Americana Album and Best American Roots Song. In 2020, she released The Balladeer, further grounded her status as a leading voice in contemporary Americana music.
After a long day of waiting around for the concert to start and now after two opening acts it was 9:45pm. This is a rather late start for your standard headliner to come on. Spoiler alert this would be my only criticism of the show besides the fact it wasn’t sold out. Not selling out to see this bill is insane to me. Chase Rice alone is worth the ticket. Chase opened the show with “Walk That Easy” from I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go to Hell. This is one of our favorite tracks from the album and a welcome set opener. Right from the jump I knew the show was going to be everything I hoped it would. Chase was on top of his game and the crowd was here for it. The band deserves just as much praise — tight, polished, and clearly having a blast, they played with the kind of synergy you only get from a group that’s truly locked in. From the explosive guitar solos to the rich backing harmonies, every note was perfectly in place, adding a dynamic edge to Chase’s already-impressive vocals. This show was the kind of vibe where you know it’s gonna be a good night from the first guitar strum. He played all the hits, and I mean all of them — “Ready Set Roll,” “Eyes on You,” “Lonely If You Are,” and so many more. It was hit after hit with zero filler, and somehow, he sounded just like the recordings… maybe even better. His voice? Spot on the entire set. No cracks, no awkward notes, just smooth, confident vocals that filled the venue like a total pro. They were all tight as hell — seriously, it was like watching a group of people who’ve been playing together their whole lives. Every solo hit, the transitions were clean, and you could tell they were having just as much fun as the crowd.
Chase also knew exactly how to work the audience. He kept things super interactive, cracked jokes between songs, and even slowed it down a few times to talk about what the songs meant to him. It felt real — not like some rehearsed thing, but like a genuine conversation. That balance of hype and heart is what made the show so good. At one point which was a killer emotional moment for me as a dad was when he brought a young fan on stage. The girl no older than 10 sang along with “Eyes on You”. Sure it was the only off-key moments of the night but it was by far the cutest moment I have seen at a concert. I love when artists appreciate fans and create moments that will clearly last a lifetime for a young concert-goer. The crowd interactions kept going at the end of the song when Chase brought up a couple that little did one participant know she was about to get proposed to. I will admit that the proposal was a bit awkward with the gentleman stating he wanted to spend the rest of this life with her but not actually asking. Chase nudged him a long and he finally caught on that you have to actually pop the question. He did. She said yes.
Chase Rice did not come to play last on Saturday. He came to absolutely tear the roof off, and that’s exactly what he did. From the first song to the last, the energy never dipped once. I’ve been to a decent number of concerts, but this one? Easily one of the best I’ve ever been to. One of my favorite songs “Way Down Yonder” had me singing at the top of my lungs. Such a great song and performed perfectly.
He opened the show like a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart and closed it the same way he went in. Honestly, it didn’t matter if you were a die-hard fan or just there for the good vibes — everyone was singing, dancing, and fully locked into the moment. Chase Rice gave us a performance that didn’t just meet expectations — it totally blew them away. 10/10 would see him again and again. Go out and BUY. THE. TICKET. when Chase slams through your city. The show was electric. No weird technical stuff, no awkward moments — just a night of incredible music, good vibes, and a reminder of why live music is so powerful. Chase Rice didn’t just perform — he showed up and gave us a night we’ll be talking about for a long time.
