Chris Young and Lauren Watkins @The Amp Ballantyne Charlotte, NC  4-23-25

Country music singer and songwriter Chris Young first burst onto the scene back in 2006 when he won season 4 of the reality show Nashville Star. Since then, Young hasn’t slowed down a bit, releasing nine albums, including a Christmas record, spawning 14 number one singles, and even achieving every country musician’s dream with his induction into the Grand Ole Opry in 2017.

This year, Chris has signed with a new label, Black River Entertainment, and released his first new music under it with the single “Til The Last One Dies.” Young is currently out on the road with a series of headlining dates as well as some festival appearances this summer. This past Wednesday evening, Chris played to a capacity crowd in Charlotte at South Charlotte’s newest crown jewel, The Amp Ballantyne.

Nestled in the heart of the Ballantyne neighborhood, The Amp offers both seated and lawn access depending on the show. It also is adjacent to the newest entertainment area, The Bowl, with plenty of restaurants, bars, and breweries for a pre-show dinner or after-show snack or drinks. There is free parking in the deck across the street, and The Amp itself offers a variety of drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, as well as a rotating variety of food trucks on site.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous and perfect for an evening of great music outdoors. Fans, young and old, began to pack the venue as Nashville artist Lauren Watkins took the stage along with her talented band of musicians. Watkins’ voice was like a breath of fresh air in the spring evening as she ran through an hour-long set of songs, including her latest tune “Lose My Cool” and even through in a little Sheryl Crow for the crowd.

After a short break, it was finally the moment everyone was waiting for. The lights on the stage went out, and the CY symbol was lit up in various shades on the stage backdrop. The band took the stage to the roar of the crowd as everybody jumped to their feet when Young began to walk out. The night got off to a great start with Young and his band turning The Amp into a true honky tonk with “Double Down.”

The band sounded tight as Chris ran through a setlist spanning his career. Young’s voice has a very classic country feel to it, and as he sang, his vocals enveloped you. For an outdoor amphitheater, the sound was spot on. I would have loved to see a little more light, especially on Chris, but overall it was very well done.

You could hear a pin drop as he began the first verse of “Til The Last One Dies” as couples swayed together under the stars. The emotions ran high, and Young took us through all the highs and lows that a great live music set should.  I especially loved the cowboy boots stomping and the crowd kicking it up to “Young Love & Saturday Nights,” even though it was a Wednesday, and the high energy of “Raised On Country.”

Chris took some time to address the crowd, thanking them for coming out and saying it was hard to believe all of us came out on a Wednesday night. Young and his band really brought the house down with the set closer “Aw Naw,” and it was a good thing The Amp doesn’t have a roof because for sure Chris Young would have blown it right off into the night sky.

This was a top-notch show in every way. If you weren’t already “Raised On Country,” by the end of the night, you sure felt like you were.

We would like to thank Cindy Hunt from Monarch Publicity for the credentials to review the show.