If you haven’t seen a Charles Wesley Godwin show in person yet, go ahead and put that one at the top of your list when he heads back out on tour.
The rising star is riding high off the release of one of the best albums of 2021 (and for me one of the best albums in a long time), How the Mighty Fall. And now that people are discovering just how great he is, Charles has been selling out venues all across the country – and putting on one hell of a show.
I saw Charles in concert last week for the second time. Both shows were at the same venue here in Nashville. The first time was about 7 months ago, and the venue was maybe half full – which was a shame because he put on a hell of a show.
But this latest show was on a whole other level.
Not only was the venue jam packed and nearly sold out, but Charles seemingly fed off the energy of the crowd and put on one of the best live shows I’ve seen in a LONG time. From melting everybody’s face off with his guitar playing on “Hardwood Floors” to silencing the crowd with an incredible acoustic version of the title track to his 2019 album Seneca, the entire show just proved why he’s gained so many fans in just a few short months.
And when the show was almost over, he came back on stage for an encore that just shot the energy in the crowd through the roof: A rockin’ cover of the bluegrass staple “Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms.”
Perhaps the best-known cover of this traditional American classic was the Flatt & Scruggs version from 1951 – and Charles seemingly took that version, poured gasoline on it, and set the damn thing on fire with help from his incredible 6-piece band.
He then finished the show with a cover of another classic, one of the official songs of his home state, “Country Roads.”
I know after so much time on the road lately Charles may have been ready for those country roads to take him home for some well-deserved time off, but everybody else at the show that night would have stayed there and watched him play all night long.
And if you missed it, check out our discussion with Charles on the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast:
