On October 10, 2024, Taylor County Expo Center in Abilene, TX, had a special treat for the evening. Ropyr Madison, also known professionally as Koe Wetzel, based out of Pittsburg, TX, paid a visit to The Expo Center last night with supporting acts Kolton Moore and The Clever Few and Kolby Cooper, who unfortunately couldn’t make the show in Abilene last night due to an illness of a member of the band.
The night in Taylor County Expo Center was already showing signs of significant energy. For us locals in Abilene, TX, we don’t get to experience as many major concert events as you would if living in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, so whenever a major show hits town, we all, as a community, down in “The Big Country,” know how to put on a good time.
To start off the “Damn Near Normal” Tour, opening act Kolton Moore out of Millsap, TX, took the stage with his band “The Clever Few.” The crowd in Taylor County Expo Center wasted no time in showing their support for Kolton’s performance. The one thing that “The Big Country” is known for is supporting local artists to the fullest, so Kolton Moore wasn’t a stranger in the scene, and he had numerous fans singing along to his setlist, especially his hit song “Dear Mom.” One thing that stood out the most during Kolton’s set was his guitarist Ryan Wilcox. The amount of stage presence and charismatic attitude displayed in his guitar skills definitely made the performance a huge pleasure for the fans in the Taylor County music scene and properly prepped them for Koe Wetzel’s performance coming up next.
In the beginning stage of Koe Wetzel‘s performance, the stage began to dim and a brief video clip was playing before the set with Koe Wetzel’s team shouting out the Abilene High School, and then he walked out to his intro song “Twister,” where the whole crowd in the sold-out Taylor County venue went ecstatic over the highly energized performance from Koe Wetzel and his team.
The one thing I’ve solely enjoyed when it came to the headline set was the various amounts of pyro and stage effects that have been put into this performance. The guitarist for Koe Wetzel, Shyloh Powers, was, of course, a prime example for me when it comes to playing a show and making sure you’re having fun. He literally gave the crowd the best damn performance a proper headline act should be doing.
In conclusion, Koe Wetzel’s “Damn Near Normal” event in Abilene, TX, was for sure an outstanding experience for all country fans around Taylor County. It is not very often that Abilene, TX, can get many major concerts, as stated before, but at least I know one thing, and it’s that Koe Wetzel always shows love to Abilene and its people, and is, for sure, a true definition of what a Texas musician should be. I would recommend checking his performance out for any future dates.
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