Nashville-based trio Restless Road brought their headline Last Rodeo Tour to London this week, performing to a hyped-up audience at Lafayette. The band’s recent show-stopping appearances at C2C: Country to Country at London’s O2 Arena and Glasgow’s OVO Hydro, have proven their worth as a “2023 Spotify Hot Country Artist To Watch”.
Restless Road @ Lafyette
Comprised of Colton Pack, Zach Beeken and Garrett Nichols, Restless Road boasts three distinct but complementary voices that deliver powerhouse, harmony-driven vocals. The band showcased tracks from their 2023 album Last Rodeo, which tells personal tales of love and life, from engagement, marriage and break up, all woven into the music.
Country-pop artist Sophia Scott warmed up an eager crowd that filled the auditorium and packed the balcony to the rafters. Restless Road then burst onto the stage with spirited party-anthem Bar Friends, followed by Sundown Somewhere, which accentuated their modern country sound with a rock edge.
The trio’s enthusiasm for their London debut was palpable and infectious. They expressed their gratitude for the opportunity and reminisced about their journey from small towns to sold-out shows in the capital.“We’re so excited to be here in our first-ever headline show, let’s blow it out!” they yelled, before playing the sprightly Leave Them Boots On. It’s a catchy track featuring Tecovas western boots, one-horse towns and a “heartbreak mustang kind that you can’t tame” that implores the cowboy protagonist to ride away from the heartbreak.
The setlist included One Step Ahead from their 2020’s self-titled EP, Could’ve Been A Love Song from the new album and Take Me Home, their track with singer, mentor and longtime friend Kane Brown, which features an interpolation of John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads.
Known for their signature harmonies and soul-stirring lyrics, Restless Road captivated the audience with tracks like Go Get Her and 10 Things, a twangy piece that revels in the freedom that finally comes post-breakup, while their cover of Little Big Town’s Boondocks had the crowd singing their heart out. On radio-ready Easy for You to Say and Tell Me Not To the band showed off their ability to blend traditional country themes with a modern edge, and how to nail a beautiful ballad. On My Way embodied perseverance and showcased soaring, three-part harmonies.
Sophia Scott returned to the stage to fill in for Erin Kinsey on Most Nights which was a lovely moment. The infectious Head Over Heels, sounding like a stone cold classic 90s track that makes you want to hit the bar, then the dance floor, and the bar again was a standout, as was the beautiful ballad, Headlights.
A cover of Lewis Capaldi’s Someone You Loved and Rascal Flatts’ Bless The Broken Road went down well, but it was Restless Road’s material the crowd were really here to savour. Growing Old With You has become synonymous with the trio’s brand, with more than 37 million streams on Spotify alone to date. Written by Jordan Reynolds, Jordan Minton and Lady A’s Charles Kelley, it proved the perfect soundtrack for a live proposal in the crowd (fortunately, she said yes).
A highlight of the night was a cover of Keith Urban’s Somebody Like You – the track they performed on the American version of X-Factor in 2013 with Andrew Scholz before he departed and Garett joined the band – and the jubilant sing-along No Can Do was dedicated “to those who love a cold beer and country music”, which, it’s safe to guess, was most of the buzzy Monday night crowd. The night ended triumphantly with the solid title track, Last Rodeo, before Colton, Zach and Garrett tossed their guitar picks into the crowd and left the stage.
Restless Road‘s versatility, compelling storytelling, and vocal blend make them a force to be reckoned with in the country music scene. While a “last rodeo” can be someone’s final opportunity before bowing out, their London debut proves that Restless Road‘s journey is far from over. It’s just the beginning of a thrilling ride.
Live review of Restless Road @ Lafyette, London on 11th February 2024 by Nicola Greenbrook. Photography by Louise Phillips.
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