Parker McCollum; Perfect Again at UMASS Amherst
Saturday night I found myself at a new venue. The William D. Mullins Memorial Center, commonly known as the Mullins Center, is a multi-purpose arena located on the campus of the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst). It serves as the home venue for the university's men’s and women’s basketball and ice hockey teams and has been a major hub for sports, concerts, and entertainment since its opening. This arena seats about 9,500 people. I was pretty excited for Parker McCollum’s What Kind of Man Tour but also finally being able to see what all the hype surrounding Kameron Marlowe was all about.
First up we had Laci Kaye Booth. I had never heard of her. She came out with another guitar player where they were seated on two chairs. That set the mood for an intimate set. It takes a lot of courage to just get up there in an arena with no full band. It’s raw and pure. After a quick headphone malfunction she was off and running. This woman can sing. She was giving off early Taylor Swift vibes. She was absolutely fantastic. I really enjoyed her set and it ended all too quickly. She closed out her set with a George Strait tune. So glad she was on the ticket.
You’re up Kameron Marlowe. I have heard many good things about Marlowe from other artists in the industry. I was not familiar with his music. I did know that he was on the voice in 2018. So I was coming into this with open ears! Immediately I could tell he had authentic storytelling. His powerful vocals broadcasted throughout the venue, sucking in both longtime fans and newcomers like me. I was literally blown away by this mans voice. He reminded me of Teddy Swims. Just so happens to be he covered a Teddy Swims song on this set. It was brilliant. Parker McCollum couldn’t have had a better opener. It was lively and loud warming the crowd up for about 45 min. When Kameron Marlowe heads back around we will make sure we take in a full set. We will be there and you should too. Check out his new album Sad Songs For The Soul coming 2/21/2025.
Parker McCollum's journey to stardom is marked by an authentic connection to his Texas roots. Born in 1992, he grew up listening to a mix of classic country legends like Willie Nelson and rock icons like Tom Petty, influences that shaped his unique sound. He started performing in Texas honky-tonks while attending college and quickly built a loyal following in the regional scene. His debut album, The Limestone Kid (2015), was a turning point, drawing attention with standout tracks like "Meet You in the Middle." This album showcased his storytelling ability, blending personal experiences with a sense of wanderlust that resonated with fans. McCollum followed this up with Probably Wrong in 2017, an album full of raw emotion that explored themes of heartbreak and self-discovery. McCollum’s career took off on a national level with his 2020 EP Hollywood Gold, which included the breakout single "Pretty Heart." The song catapulted him to the top of the Billboard Country Airplay charts, earning him accolades and a growing fanbase across the country. His success continued with his 2021 album Gold Chain Cowboy, which featured hits like "To Be Loved by You."
In 2022, McCollum won the Academy of Country Music's New Male Artist of the Year award, cementing his place as one of the brightest new stars in country music. Known for his introspective lyrics, blend of country-rock, and high-energy performances, Parker McCollum continues to carve out a distinctive space in modern country, while remaining true to his Texas roots. In 2024 McCollum won an ACM award for “Burn It Down” and then performed the song live. Again, a testament to his rising stardom.
I never thought I would be bringing you another Parker McCollum review but here I am! My 3rd time covering him. You would think that I would be bored by now seeing the same show. You can stop that thought right there. This man is so entertaining that I will always be at any of his local shows if we are able to attend. I honestly cannot get enough and if you have ever been then you know exactly what I am talking about. He is a perfect performer for the country genre. I add the little caveat “country genre” not as a knockdown but because of the nature of the music. In country music it doesn’t get better of a performance. Country can’t really be compared to hard rock or rap shows where performers are all over the place. It’s the music that dictates that. It’s apples to oranges and I can’t compare.
Parker came out swinging at 9:25 with no linger effects of his sickness that he had experienced last week at Penn State. He opened with Hurricane from the top of the platform overlooking the stage with a massive movie screen playing video footage where he performed two of the verses. The crowd went bananas. I love when he opens the show with this song. It’s upbeat and gives off a good vibe. Parker will tell you himself that he is a sad song country music writer so It’s hard to come out with bangers like a HARDY show. That doesn’t make it bad. It makes it more intimate and you can focus on the performer, lyrics, and mood setting that he creates.
I have to address the Oliver Anthony accusations. They are totally unfounded. I covered Oliver last year and I hate to say it but he couldn’t even open for Parker McCollum. We love Oliver but it’s just no comparison at all. Parker has such a unique voice. It’s really soothing and just has this ability to put you in a sort of slow head-moving trance. His concert setlist is literally what I put on at night to fall asleep. His voice has that ability…and no auto-tune needed or provided. So Oliver Anthony walk that back and knock it off.
Around 9 songs in Parker slows down the mood heavily with a grouping of tear jerkers. We were serenaded with “Rest Of My Life” “Pretty Heart”, Tails I Lose” and Hell Of A Year”. These 4 songs are masterpieces. “Tails I Lose” Parker said “is the saddest song I have ever written”. My favorite songs by Parker are “Rest Of My Life” and “Tails I Lose”. I promise I am not always a sad person. These songs simply just hit me hard. Closing out the show we got the ACM award-winning “Burn It Down”. An obvious crowd favorite of this radio hit. Every note Parker sung all night was on key, unfiltered, and with zero auto tune or backing tracks. It was a perfect concert. If anything I tell you is that Parker is consistent. Every show I covered was the best they could be. I go to a lot of shows and pick up on mistakes, inconsistencies, and technical issues. I have yet to experience that at any of his shows. This lets us know that he is dedicated to his craft. He works hard, practices, and genuinely cares about his performance. If you do not believe me go to a 97% of rap concerts and you’ll see what laziness looks like. My hats off to Parker and his band.
Let us get into some side quests about the show. The stage design was minimal but effective—lots of great ilghting, subtle fog, and large LED screens displayed visuals that enhanced the emotion of each song. Unfortunately we didn’t get any pyrotechnics like we did at the last two shows. I thought we were going to get that. I talked to one of the staff before the show started and she told me that they weren’t going to allow it there. So hopefully when he comes to your city that will have it. I love having pyrotechnics at shows. It adds so much more excitement.
The arena itself was a great place to host concerts. There are no bad seats in the house. It is an arena but not massive so you still feel rather close to the action. The sound was on point and I was very surprised. I do not like concerts for the most part at larger venues but will definitely be back here.
The crowd. The only disappointment I had the whole night was that it wasn’t sold out. I’m disappointed because those were seats of people missing out. I know he has more fans around here than that. I believe this is because he had 3 shows this weekend in the New England area so fans probably dispersed to Rhode Island or Maine depending on location closest. Not to mention Amherst is in the middle of nowhere…and I mean nowhere. It’s about 2 hours from Boston. So although not sold out there was still a good sized crowd and I understood why. That isn’t a knock at Parker’s ability but more locality. It’s great that he is hitting these college arenas. The fans at this show were a mix of all ages. I seen a little girl that had to be about 7 all the way up to grandmothers. It was awesome. The crowd was heavily college aged kids. I loved seeing the people dancing in the pit and having a grand old time. The vibe was awesome and the show was spectacular. I highly recommend seeing Parker McCollum live next time he is around or if he is coming around your neck of the woods. BUY. THE. TICKET.
A little clip of “Burn it Down “ live from UMASS.