The resemblance is actually uncanny.
It’s hard to understate just how much of a force to be reckoned with Chris Stapleton has become throughout his music career. With 12 Grammys, 19 CMA Awards, 11 ACM Awards and a plethora of other hardware from the likes of Billboard, the Americana Music Association, ASCAP and more, the Kentucky native is arguably the biggest and most critically-acclaimed country artist this century.
Though he’s hinted at not releasing new music any time soon, he’s been on an absolute tear throughout the summer on his All-American Road Show Tour, hitting the likes of Raymond James Stadium, Nissan Stadium, Rogers Stadium, Ford Field and more with Zach Top, Lainey Wilson, Molly Tuttle and more since it kicked off back in May.
Stapleton’s last few days in Canada, in particular, have been quite memorable.
Back on August 5th, he was all smiles when he made a surprise appearance with Guns N’ Roses at Rogers Stadium in Toronto, performing Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” alongside Axl Rose. Just a day later, Slash and Duff McKagan of GNR returned the favor, delivering a performance of “Patience” and a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Oh Well” at Stapleton’s show on the 6th.
The “Tennessee Whiskey” singer’s show at the Rogers Center proved to be one for the ages. In addition to the Guns N’ Roses surprise and delivering hits like “White Horse,” “You Should Probably Leave,” “Millionaire,” and more, none other than Zach Top would make a surprise appearance as well. Here, the reigning CMA Best New Artist would team up with Stapleton for a performance of Waylon Jennings’ “I Ain’t Living Long Like This.”
Another one of the most memorable moments in Toronto didn’t come from another high-profile collaboration, but instead from a particular fan. At one point during the set, Stapleton would pause the show to shout out a lookalike in the crowd, joking that he’ll make him sign autographs later.
“Hello, Canadian twin! We’ll put you to work; you better watch out. You’ll be signing autographs for everybody later.
As it turns out, the particular fan that he shouted out is an Ontario native named Dave McNab, who actually performs around the region as, you guessed it, a Chris Stapleton impersonator. Going by the name, “Outlaw State of Mind: The Ultimate Tribute to Chris Stapleton,” McNab also doubles as a Luke Combs tribute act named “Beautiful Crazy: The Luke Combs Experience.”
Taking a look at his Instagram, the resemblance is pretty uncanny when McNab is in full Stapleton garb. And, honestly, his look might have fooled me if I had a few too many on a Friday night.
In the comments of SiriusXM Canada’s Instagram post, McNab would admit that receiving a shoutout from the man himself was a “pretty cool” moment for him.
“Was a pretty cool moment for me I have to say!”
Though I have to admit that he does a better Combs impression compared to Stapleton (who can blame him), McNab admittedly isn’t too bad of a singer himself. If you’re curious about how the Stapleton impersonator scene is up in Canada, check out some of his covers on his Instagram page linked above.
All-American Road Show Tour Dates
August 14 – Boston, Massachusetts – Fenway Park with Zach Top & Allen Stone
August 18 – Virginia Beach, Virginia – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater with Maggie Rose
August 21 – Atlanta, Georgia – Mercedes-Benz Stadium with Lainey Wilson & Ashley McBryde
August 26 – Wantagh, New York – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater with Carter Faith
August 28 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion with Carter Faith
October 2 – Bristow, Virginia – Jiffy Lube Live with Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs
October 7 – Lincoln, Nebraska – Pinnacle Bank Arena with Nikki Lane
October 9 – Kansas City, Missouri – Morton Amphitheater with Nikki Lane
