As Old Dominion set out on their first tour since their debut album, Meat and Candy, the tight-knit Nashville band stopped by the Sett to give Badgers a country night they wouldn’t soon forget.
Though most fans in attendance were probably only there for the band’s number one song, “Break Up With Him,” Old Dominion was there to put on a show and made everyone wait on the edge of their seats. They started with a mix of old and new, playing new tracks like “Set Me Up” and “Snapback,” which quickly engaged the audience.
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The outfit didn’t skip a beat, quickly transitioning into older songs such as the radio hit, “Dirt Road.” In a huge surprise to concertgoers, the Nashville natives started playing big country hits such as “Sangria,” “Say You Do,” “Save it For a Rainy Day” and “Guy Walks into a Bar,” showcasing their songwriting history for the likes of Blake Shelton, Tyler Farr and Kenny Chesney.
There wasn’t a country soul in the audience that didn’t love every second of the covers.
The band seamlessly transitioned back into new songs like “Wrong Turns” and “Till it’s Over,” both of which sounded like soon-to-be chart-topping hits, with the audience quickly picking up on the words.
Lead singer Matthew Ramsey then defied logic, skipping the rudimentary “leave the stage to get called back” encore, instead declaring, “We’re gonna skip that part and just keep singing!”
As the crowd cheered, they started playing, “Wake Up Lovin’ You.” And of course Old Dominion finally gave in, playing “Break Up With Him” as the last song of their marathon 22-song set list.
Overall, expectations were exceeded. Everyone had come for one pop-country song, but instead they got a full country experience that you rarely get in Madison.
