Sammy Hagar and Morgan Wallen have torn through Las Vegas with sold-out performances. One scrambles across the stage with the boundless energy of a teenager, seemingly determined to rock for eternity. The other is Morgan Wallen.
Jesting aside, these superstars owned their nights. Wallen packed Allegiant Stadium twice, more than 100,000 taking in the shows Thursday and Friday. The 31-year-old artist from Sneedville, Tennessee, walked into Allegiant flaked by a pair of heavyweights and A-list Vegas celebs, Mike Tyson and Tom Brady .
Wallen wore a Maxx Crosby No. 98 home jersey, resisting the temptation to sack the seven-time Super Bowl champ. Morgan for the win I caught Wallen’s show on Thursday.
He comes across as a young guy who has already lived a life, stepped in it a few times, pushed back and maybe learned some lessons. He feels like the guy you’d need to pull away from the bar to make it to sound check, then crushes it on stage. Wallen sings of “chasing sunsets like I chase my whiskey,” and I’d bet that’s drawn from life experience.
His hits speak to self-examination, “I Thought You Should Know” and “Whiskey Glasses,” and no doubt his fans empathize. To deliver his message, Wallen is not reliant entirely on talent. He’s not blowing your mind like Keith Urban or Brad Paisley on guitar, or commanding a venue like such generational icons Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan or Brad Shelton.
Instead, Wallen’s appeal is remarkable as it is fueled by his ability to.