Shy Carter & Friends!

Ft. Shy Carter, Micah Carter, Hannah Dasher, Levon Gray, & Kameron

Wednesday June 15, 2022

@ The Skydeck at Assembly Hall in Nashville, TN

(Review by: Jeffrey Kurtis)

Since starting his residency at the Skydeck at Assembly Hall atop the Fifth + Broadway complex, Shy Carter has delivered the best once a month party in town, which has seen the hit making songwriter become one with the fans while also introducing some of his talented friends to a brand-new audience.

On what was one of the hottest days Nashville has seen in years, the rooftop slowly began to fill with enthusiastic partygoers  - all who were clutching bottles of cold water -  as Shy Carter welcomed Kameron Alexander to the stage.

Admittedly, Kameron confessed that he didn’t have a band but did have a computer that would be acting as his backing group as it then provided the back beats for the hip-hop infused style that he leaned his rhymes against while he quickly took command of the entire stage, moving left to right, and right to left…gripping everyone’s attention on either side of the crowd.

Sliding between those hip-hop tempos, though, Alexander skillfully revealed several different sides to his all-around arsenal when he delivered the soulful slow down of “I’ve Been Going,” the R&B flavored “Brushfire,” and the 1980’s infused punk kissed edge of “Gas Pump,” which included a sample of The Ramones “Beat on the Brat.”

Every time Shy Carter hits the stage to headline one of these nights, you can count on him bringing an ultra-hyped party. However, it isn’t too often that he is forced to elevate his own game to new heights due to an incredible performance delivered early in the night that completely steals the crowd.

That’s exactly what happened when Alabama native – who now calls Nashville home - Levon Gray took the stage for a quick 2-song set.

The songwriter, who is signed to Kane Brown and Kent Earls Verse 2 Music, brought an upbeat party atmosphere to the Skydeck the minute that he hit the stage with “About Time,” but absolutely stole the show when he delivered a stripped back, acoustic version of Kane Brown’s “One Mississippi,” a song he co-wrote and humbly shared before playing, “I wrote this next one my first day that I was in town and never imagined that it would be a number one song and go platinum.”

From last month to this month, Micah Carter, the younger brother of Shy and a co-writer with him on “God Whispered Your Name,” showed a tremendous comfort level on stage which allowed his soulfully kissed performance to truly resonate with the crowd and pull them in as they gathered closer to the front of the stage.

Flanked by a cajon and keyboards, while he strummed an acoustic guitar, Carter’s rich vocals stood boldly in the spotlight as he delivered “If You Feel It In Your Heart” and “Change Your Mind,” both which had Shy and Levon Gray sitting in on backups, elevating the sound to crisp new heights at all the perfect moments while sitting back at the right times so as to allow Micah to truly come into his own as he poured into the lyrics of each song.

However, with one trick up his sleeve to reach the country music loving crowd’s hearts, Carter then showcased his extreme versatility when he dipped away from his normal soulful flavor and slid into a modern country gem, “Better in a Bar,” a song which could easily find its way onto several of today’s country albums and become a smash hit at radio for any given artist should Micah Carter be looking to pitch the song.

Known for her big hair, 1970s inspired country jumpsuits, and her viral TikTok show Stand By Your Pan, RCA Records Nashville recording artist Hannah Dasher has been creating quite the stir in Music City as she shakes up the industry and turns it upside down, just as she did when she strode to the stage to a huge ovation and launched into her 4-song set with “You’re Gonna Love Me,” a song which instantly had many in the crowd singing right along with her.

“Howdy,” Dasher said, in her best imitation of Minnie Pearl as she then delivered “Crying All the Way To The Bank,” a new song that brought a snappy, toe-tapping rhythm to the tongue and cheek, feel good after a bitter breakup anthem.

“I just recently put this next song out,” began Dasher. “I wrote it 8 years ago. You see, I was seeing some feller from Lower Alabama, and we had a ring picked out and all that stuff. Well he met this blonde who looked like a Pekingese dog and married her instead,” she finished as she led the crowd in a sing along with her newest single “1990’s Heartbreak,” before wrapping up her set with “I’m Gonna Whoop Your Redneck Ass,” a song she introduced as being the trashiest one she’d ever written, but that it was also one about that puppy dog looking chick from story prior to the previous song she played.

With the bar having already by elevated high, Shy Carter wasted no time in assuming his headlining role and quickly winning over the crowd as he, and several of the opening acts including Kameron, Micah, and Levon, all hit the stage dancing and bopping along to set the mood as Shy opened with “Beer With My Friends,” adding in a few fiery rap interludes in comparison to the recorded and released country radio version of the song.

Keeping with the vibe of the country tilted crowd, Carter then rolled into two of his country hits as a songwriter with Billy Currington’s “It Don’t Hurt Like It Used To,” and a reggae infused version of Sugarland’s “Stuck Like Glue,” the latter which immediately had everyone in the crowd standing on their feet and popping their hips as they swayed with the rhythm with arms stretched out overhead while they clapped along.

“It’s party time,” Shy said from behind his sunglasses with a big smile on his face. “Let’s party!” he exclaimed as he pushed forward into his set with “Bring It Back,” before leaving the stage to join the crowd on the floor as they sang together on “Good Love” and Charlie Puth’s smash hit “One Call Away,” a song which during Shy danced alongside the crowd, pausing only to allow them to sing the familiar chorus with him while taking up close and personal selfies with the hitmaker.

Returning to the stage, Shy Carter encouraged everyone in the crowd to sway their arms side to side as the opening notes of “God Whispered Your Name” began to play, which not only had everyone in the crowd singing along with it, but Shy also brought his brother Micah (song’s co-writer) in on it by holding the microphone into the crowd to allow him to add his voice to the chorus as well.

Though he said goodbye twice to the crowd during the previous song, Carter had one more in him when a request rang out for “Cash,” which he closed the show with before appreciatively thanking everyone for coming out and heading to his merch table to meet his fans as another incredible night on the Skydeck with Shy Carter and Friends wrapped.

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