It was a Good Time: Alan Jackson kicks off the 2025 leg of his “Last Call: One More for the Road” Tour in Oklahoma City
Country music legend Alan Jackson kicked off the 2025 leg of his ongoing “Last Call: One More for the Road” Tour this past Saturday, and it was an evening absolutely packed with the hits, in a packed Paycom Center, smack dab in the middle of downtown Oklahoma City. Even the arriving Siberian cold front’s rapidly dropping temperatures wouldn’t deter the OKC country music faithful from saying goodbye to the prolific and celebrated country superstar,
Jackson, a Georgia native, now residing in Nashville has had quite a career beginning in 1987 with New Traditional just before his major label debut, 1990’s Here in the Real World would launch his career into the stratosphere. From there, it’s been a respectfully solid journey.
Across twenty-one studio albums, Jackson has picked up 9 certified platinum albums and 35 number one singles. He’s a member of The Country Music Hall of Fame, won two Grammy awards, 16 CMA awards and 17 ACM awards among countless other recognitions. But, now at 66, Jackson is slowing things down, and this final big tour is getting closer to its completion. Back in 2021, Jackson announced he’d been diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, which despite its name (it was named after the 3 healthcare providers who first described the disease in 1886), is a genetic neurological condition that affects muscle control in the feet and hands. It’s one of the most common types of inherited nerve diseases. The condition isn’t fatal but it can severely restrict and limit mobility.
Combined with the wear and tear of touring this condition could certainly be a factor in Jackson wrapping up the nomadic life, but I think the more likely, or heavier weighted factor is family.
Jackson has been married to his high school sweetheart Denise since 1979. Together, they have three grown daughters and most recently, grand babies arriving. When initially launching the current tour, Jackson released a video saying, “I enjoy spending more time at home and don’t want to be away like I had to be in my younger days,” he said. “I think it’s just getting time to start thinking about hanging it up full time.” So with that, he’s hit the road in manageable segments of dates, allowing him to close down this chapter of his ongoing career on his own terms. Jackson’s always been a prolific songwriter, and I see that continuing, and to that degree, he’s still coming into his prime. At least we still have that.
This was my third time seeing Alan Jackson over the years. I first saw him at the Houston Live Stock Show and Rodeo concerts in the early 90s, and honestly tonight’s performance all these years later was just as good, if not better. Kicking off with “Gone Country,” it was essentially one hit after another and a further reminder of just how strong the era of 1990’s neo-traditional country was. Between songs, Jackson reminisced, with tales of the people and songs along the way. Throughout the performance snippets of a song’s accompanying video would be featured quite effectively on the video screen behind Jackson and his superb band, The Strayhorns. Throughout it all, Jackson had fun. He tossed out a king’s ransom in merchandise and guitar picks to an adoring audience. He jokingly teased his wife, who was in attendance, trying to get her to join him onstage for a hometown attempt at a cover of Frizzell and West’s “You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma” like they do at home karaoke. She declined, and Jackson only gave it a half-hearted attempt, but it was fun nonetheless.
The previously mentioned band, The Strayhorns have long backed Jackson and it shows. Comprised of Mark McClurg (acoustic guitar, harmony vocals), Scott Coney (acoustic and baritone guitars, banjo, occasional fiddle), Rusty Danmyer (steel guitar), Danny Groah (lead guitar), Ryan Joseph (fiddle, mandolin, harmony vocals), Bruce Rutherford (drums), Joey Schmidt (keyboards) and
Roger Wills (bass guitar), The Strayhorns are tight, like only a veteran, touring country & western ensemble can be, and they laid the foundation for an entertaining night with highlights throughout. Personal favorites and standouts included, “Here in the Real World,” “Good Time,” “Drive (For Daddy Gene),” “Where Where You (When the World Stopped Turning)” and “Remember When.” The latter two renditions, no doubt resulting in few damp eyes and a lot of hand squeezes to be found as I glanced about the audience. Still, Jackson sent the packed house audience home a rockin’, closing out an enjoyable night with “Don’t Rock the Jukebox.” “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” (Nice nod to Jimmy Buffett), “Chattahoochie,” and “Where I Come From,” wrapping up with “Mercury Blues,” appropriately just blocks away from OKC’s Automobile Alley.
If you get a chance to catch any of Alan Jackson’s remaining dates of his “Last Call: One More for the Road” Tour, I’d wholeheartedly encourage you to do so. A wonderful night of music and a fine tribute to the man that created it. Find out more about Alan Jackson, including tour dates at his official website right here: https://www.alanjackson.com/welcome
Joining Alan Jackson on this leg of the tour and getting the music started tonight was Nashville songwriter and previous opener, James Carouthers. Regrettably, I only caught a portion of his short set, after unfortunately getting caught in traffic. The show must go on, as they say, and I was glad to catch what I did. Carothers’ music has that old school traditional feel of classic country crooner backed by a hot band. I liked what I heard, and expect I’ll look into his surprisingly prolific looking catalog. You can join me and find out more about him and his music here: https://jamescarothers.com
Also supporting Jackson on this leg as well as a fellow Georgia native, is Megan Moroney. She’s supporting her 2023 Sony Music/Columbia release, Am I Okay? as well as its predecessor, and her official debut, 2023’s Lucky, and with her performance tonight debuted her run with Jackson with a fun and feisty 45 minute set including both title tracks, “Tennessee Orange,” “Girl in the Mirror,” “I’m Not Pretty,” and my personal stand-out, “Hair Salon,” which lyrically, was just a great small town kind of song. Visually, Moroney leans heavy on the flash and rhinestone à la Taylor and Carrie, which may have been a bit too sugary for me, but it was the songs that hooked me. They were built on a strong foundation of songwriting and attitude like a Dolly or Miranda with the overall song smartness and energy of all four. The songs themselves are well-written gems delivered by a good band with even more energy and well practiced precision. The athleticism was equally impressive. I enjoyed it. Ms. Moroney has the chops for sure. Find out more about Megan Moroney here: https://www.meganmoroney.com
Alan Jackson Set list January 18, 2025 at Paycom Center Oklahoma City, OK
1. “Gone Country”
2. “I Don’t Even Know Your Name”
3. “Livin’ on Love”
4. “Summertime Blues” (Eddie Cochran Cover)
5. “The Blues Man” (Hank Williams, Jr. Cover)
6. “Who’s Cheatin’ Who” (Charly McClain Cover)
7. “Here in the Real World”
8. “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow”
9. “Wanted”
10. “You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma (Partial) (David Frizzell and Shelly West Cover)
11. “I’d Love You All Over Again”
12. “The Older I Get”
13. “Little Bitty”
14. “Country Boy”
15. “Good Time”
16. “Drive (For Daddy Gene)”
17. “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)”
18. “Don’t Rock the Jukebox”
19. “Remember When”
20. “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere”
21. “Chattahoochee”
22. “Where I Come From”
23. “Mercury Blues”
I wish he would come to calgary alberta again, I would love to see him one last time!