Two opening acts and a super popular country duo brought the party to 5,300 fans at CN Centre Saturday night.
Florida Georgia Line brought their Here's to the Good Times Tour to Prince George, with openers Chris Lane and Dallas Smith, who took to the stage first.
In Dallas Smith's band is local hometown boy Jeremy Breaks, featured on the cover of the latest Scene magazine, who had some support in the audience as poster boards were waved in the air saying things like Welcome home, Jeremy! and Break me, Jeremy!
Both Lane and Smith had a huge following themselves with audience members on their feet singing their songs word for word like Lane's Let's Ride and Smith's Tippin' Point.
After a short break, Florida Georgia Line duo Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard brought their ramps and dry ice cannons to the stage to blast the audience with hot songs, hot bods, and blowing lots of smoke.
After the first song, there really was no need for Hubbard to ask the question "Do we have a bunch of rowdy Canadians here tonight?" Because the cheering, screaming, foot stomping and whistling during the first song was a dead give away that yup, there were plenty of rowdy Canadians in the Prince George audience.
Crowd engagement was instantaneous with Kelley and Hubbard running up ramps that took them a few feet higher at the sides of the stage. Their fun-loving attitude shone through as the boys toasted the audience every now and then.
During Here's To the Good Times, there was a slideshow on the video screens and almost at the end of the song there's a photo of Mr. P.G. cleverly placed in the stream of photos of people having a good time. That kind of audience tribute took time and trouble for the Florida Georgia Line team and from the crazy roar that went up to the rafters at CN Centre, we all really appreciated the effort.
It's the little things like including Prince George in the show that really hits the audience's heart strings. To have a good time and to look for that connection with the stars on stage that says, while we're noticing you, you noticed us, too.
People were on their feet most of the concert because it seemed like they just couldn't help themselves.
Hubbard and Kelley are not only great singers, they are great entertainers, pounding on their chests and pointing to people in the audience, using the universal symbol for I love you, too, man, to make that connection.
When Florida Georgia Line sang Stay, a song about leaving a relationship, a couple of girls in front of me started fanning their faces like beauty pageant winners getting crowned. It was really cute to watch their reaction to the two young men strutting their stuff on stage during the heartfelt song.
I was a bit surprised when Bruno Mars' Grenade was covered. I wasn't quite sure how you could countrify that pop monster but they did a bang up job of it.
During Dayum Baby the duo said all the pretty girls in the audience had to go up on shoulders so everyone could see them, and sure enough, up they went. I counted 20 but there could have been more.
During the encore it went Tell Me How You Like It; Alabama cover, I'm in a Hurry; and finally Cruise, the mega hit that started Florida Georgia Line on their road to fame.
It was a great show, with lots of energy from the audience, just like Hubbard said he liked it.
