Kids were everywhere at the Palace Theatre on Saturday night. Groups of giddy teen girls. Kiddos under 10 with their parents. Tweens with masks on their chins.
Un-fancy country star Walker Hayes shows his "Fancy Like" dancing and kids appeal in St. Paul concert
Review: With help from his own children, the Alabama singer triumphed with his hip-hop-y country tunes.
January 31, 2022 at 12:07AM
At fast-rising country star Walker Hayes' concert in St. Paul, there were more kids percentage-wise than at a typical country show. Kids haven't dominated a country crowd like this since maybe when Hunter Hayes (no relation) emerged a decade ago at age 20.
Walker Hayes appeals to youngsters for several reasons:
* He's massively popular on TikTok.
* He involves his own kids in his TikTok videos.
* His country songs rely on sing-songy hip-hop vocal cadence that borders on nursery rhymey, making them easy to sing along with and dance to.
At 42, Hayes is fast becoming Nashville's most beloved dad since Garth Brooks took a hiatus from the road to raise his third daughters.
A father of six, Hayes trotted out his oldest daughter, Lela, to dance during "DeLorean," a new song from his week-old third album. Meanwhile, his other children stood in the wings with Mom, Laney, dancing out of the spotlight.
Hayes showcased eight selections from the new "Country Stuff: The Album." And many of the 2,000-plus fans sang along to the fresh tunes.
Even though he grew up in the suburbs of Mobile, Ala., and not on a farm, Hayes celebrates country sensibilities in his songs, name-checking John Deere, Nick Saban and Hank Williams Sr. and Jr. But Hayes is suburban enough to mention a Honda Accord, the hip-hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and R. Kelly's hit "Ignition." And before the "Fancy Like" hitmaker took the stage, the PA broadcast "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea and "Fancy" by Drake and as well as "Fancy" by country queen Reba McEntire.
Hayes got the crowd dancing to the bumpin' "Black Sheep" and the new "U Girl," during which his bass player switched to keyboards for a heavier bass sound.
Before Hayes delivered his current single, the twangy sing-along "AA," he said he hopes it will become his equivalent of "Friends in Low Places," the Garth classic. Judging by the crowd's raucous reaction on Saturday, Hayes' dream just might come true.
The versatile singer manifested his love for R&B with "Break the Internet" featuring his falsetto. He showed his love for his family on the solo acoustic "Lela's Stars" and during his meg-hit "Fancy Like," when four of his kids — and his wife — joined him to dance in unison.
Coming across as genuinely humble and grateful during only his third concert on this tour (plus he entertained at halftime of Sunday's AFC championship NFL game in Kansas City), Hayes, in a pinch-myself-I-can't-believe-it moment, encored with a solo acoustic reading of "Fancy Like" at the end of his 90-minute performance.
Hayes' un-fancy like vibe and kids appeal could lead to major country stardom.
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