USC Tri-Delta girls met Asheville fans outside Colonial Arena waiting for start of Morgan Wallen “Dangerous” Tour Concert February 24. Photo by Lisa Rudisill for The Standard.

Country music was alive and well at the recent Morgan Wallen concert in Columbia, SC. The concert brought out country music fans from around the Southeast, including many University of South Carolina students.

While the slogan “Let’s Go, Brandon”–chanted as an expletive against President Biden at Morgan Wallen’s early February concert in New York—was only “mildly” heard in Columbia at his concert last week, the under current of conservative support was still strongly felt in the arena.

After a roller-coaster year in which country music star Morgan Wallen was cast down to the “pits” then rose to the top of all charts with fans, Wallen has been seen in his recent concerts even brought to tears by the incredible support shown by his fans now. His February 24 concert at USC’s Colonial Arena—a sell out–was no exception, with fans 100% behind the controversial star.

Morgan Wallen and Guitarist Luke “Cowboy” Rice wowed fans at Colonial Arena in February. Photo by Lisa Rudisill for The Standard.

For The Standard, Wallen stated that while he is still totally remorseful for his action that caused grief for some “Black friends” that he never intended, he feels truly happy that his fans, including Black and white supporters, have risen to support him so strongly through attending his 2022 “Dangerous” Concert Tour and stops at the end of 2021.

“Well, I just want to say thank you to everyone who made it to my show,” Wallen stated to this reporter. “I want to say a big thank you to everyone. And may the Lord bless you all,” he added.

Wallen, from East Tennessee, rose to fame suddenly after appearing on the national show “The Voice,” then signing a contract to produce country singles and CD’s that made a big splash with the listening public. He was headed all the way to the top when a random remark (a drunken use of the “N” word used to a friend) was videoed by a neighbor late one night then released to media. The video sent him just as quickly plummeting down hill in February 2021.

Wallen’s record contract was suspended for several months, his tour was halted and his songs were pulled from radio stations scattered across the U.S. Los Angeles music world officials berated him in interviews. Even co-country stars in some cases attacked his behavior. Black spokespersons were quoted saying that country music needed to get out of the “Good Old Boy” white Southern genre. Finally, Wallen was “disinvited” from the annual Country Music Awards as an individual performer and to make a special point, the Aretha Franklin hit, “R E S P E C T” was a feature of the awards ceremony—hammering home the point that the word used by Wallen and his “disinvite” were found terribly offensive.

When country music fans digested all the actions against Wallen and heard his public apology on national television last August, they seemed to rally around the star. Wallen then became a sort of “FOLK HERO” representing many who have felt that CANCEL CULTURE in America is no longer welcome, seeking ways to express their own pent up rage and seeing in Wallen at least a way to fight back.

Wallen’s “Dangerous” Tour—based on his latest double-CD release—hit the scene just when fans across America have been rising to his side with “SOLD OUTS” to his 2022 tour beginning with two days in Madison Square Gardens, NY (early February), followed by his stop February 24 at Columbia’s Colonial Arena on the University of South Carolina campus.

A line began forming outside the arena in mid-afternoon and eventually snaked through the parking lot for the star’s “hot” show. Ticket prices ranged from several hundred to nearly $2,000 for VIP spots. During the hour before show time, around 18,000 fans poured into arena seating, floor, box, and standing “Pit” areas. Fans came from as close as the University of South Carolina, to Charlotte, to Asheville, N.C. and this reporter spoke to fans from as far away as Tampa, Florida. When cell phones were lit during the show, it was obvious just how huge the attendance was for the Wallen concert.

With the show lasting nearly four hours, fans were treated to their money’s worth. Opening at 7 p.m. was Larry Fleet and his band—to cheers across the arena. Fans sang along to his hits like “Where I Find God,” “Stack of Records,” and “Lied About Love.”

As if Fleet wasn’t enough opening entertainment for the ticket holder’s dollar, a second opener came on the stage to a rock tune– Michael Hardy (known simply as “Hardy”). Fans sang along to his songs like “Beers on Me,” “One Beer,” and “A Rock.” Co-writer of the Wallen well-known song, “Up Down,” Hardy is also co-writer of other famous songs like “God’s Country,” a classic number one song sung by Blake Shelton. The crowd loved this song and all sang along to every word of this and other Hardy songs.

Wallen fans with cell phones lit up Colonial Arena on USC campus Feb 24 (photo by Lisa Rudisill)

At around 9 pm, Wallen made his grand entrance, his keyboard rising amidst fog out of the floor in center stage with the top hit “Sand in My Boots.” The crowd yelled its approval and sang along. The words of every song he sang for nearly two hours were shadowed by an arena full of fans, such as “Up Down,” “The Way I Talk,” “Chasin’ You,” “Cover Me Up,” “Flower Shops,” and saving the best in many eyes until last, “Whiskey Glasses” (the “Pour (poor) Me” song).

To emphasize the connection between Wallen and his “Southern country fans,” the words to “The Way I Talk” were projected on big screens:

Yeah, it’s Yes, sir, No, ma’am, ya’ll come back now… The man upstairs gets it, So I ain’t tryna fix it… Oh, kinda slow like the Mississippi rolls, It’s the only way I know, Man, it ain’t my fault, I just live the way I talk (excerpt).

The Wallen “Dangerous Tour” continued from Thursday February 24 to Savannah (February 25) then on to Greenville, SC (February 26) playing to full houses.

Country music fans continue to love this “down home” folk hero and his “Dangerous” show. They seem to feel Wallen represents their “laid back,” easy life style and have come out strong to show they believe he has paid the price in full for his personal ‘misbehavior’—while they also use the chance stand up against the current climate of “Cancel Culture” in America.

Lisa Carol Rudisill, M.T.S., is a magna cum laud graduate of NC State University and Liberty University where she earned a Master of Theology. She writes novels about her family history during the Civil War in North and South Carolina. She is a freelance writer, editorialist and a contributor to The Standard newspaper.

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