Zach Sees a Concert: Johnny Blue Skies
Johnny Blue Skies (JBS) is the recent alter ego of country star Sturgill Simpson. His performance, as of writing, is the last slated concert on me and Kathryn's schedule for the year and would take place in the same stadium we watched Weezer just a few weeks before. Keen readers may remember our elation at taking the Trivia Taxi after that show, but we dared not risk a long wait just to experience that joy again. We instead drove ourselves and coughed up the $35 parking fee. It was an easier pill to swallow than spending the same, if not more, on a rideshare - both ways.
The clear advantage that JBS had over Weezer was the size of the crowd. Upon arriving to the stadium, we were told that the show was not sold out, so the nosebleeds we were intending to sit in would be closed. Instead, they would move us to the floor section! Not only this, but we ran into Kathryn's coworkers Chrissy and Wes. We did not get tickets together, but the new trade-in policy meant we got floor seats next to each other. It made the night much more enjoyable than we could have expected on arrival.
The JBS aesthetic is broody with imagery of pirate flags, but the music spans the entire breadth of Sturgill's country rock sound. We had seen him once before in 2024 and learned that he is a literal unstoppable force on stage; this show confirmed that experience wasn't an anomaly. The man will play for a three hour set, and he will not take any breaks while doing so. Each song seamlessly blends into another through what I can only imagine is an improvised jam. Unfortunately, Kathryn and I left a half hour early since she had to work early the next morning, and in doing so we missed most of our favorites from his 2014 record Metamodern Sounds in Country Music. However, any JBS is always a treat to listen to, and we got to enjoy many of the highlights from his most recent work.