The first sell out concert in the Enid Event Center was a hit! Enid Buzz spent time before and after the concert interviewing country music fans and pop music fans alike. A majority of the crowd was from Enid but we also spoke to people from Okeene and as far away as New Mexico.
The first set of guys we interviewed were out having a good time taking pictures of themselves standing in front of the crowd. When I grabbed them for the interview they seemed a little hesitant to talk about the concert and the bands. When I pressed them as to why they were avoiding the questions they let us know that they were actually part of the band outside taking photos for their social media websites. The bass player for Darius Rucker was very pleased that they had been the first to sell out the venue.
For many concert goers it was their first time at the Enid Event Center. We asked those groups of people to find us after the concert and let us know how their first experience was. Others had seen multiple events already and were happy to be back to see the Eli Young Band and Darius Rucker. We even had several groups of people say they had come to see the Eli Young Band and Darius Rucker was an added bonus.
The concert was a sell out at 3747 tickets sold. Once the doors opened at 6pm it didn't take long for the Event Center to begin filling up. Most of the folks we interviewed had just come from eating at a nearby restaurant in town. The lines at the concessions were non-stop but moved very quickly. The venue sells beer, pop, water, popcorn, pretzels, hot dogs and more. There were staff members at every corner pointing people in the right direction or answering questions.
David Nail and his band opened the show with a great selection of country tunes. Darius Rucker, later in the show, called Nail a very good looking guy, even comparing him to some of the best looking NFL quarterbacks. Nail and his band transitioned from one song to another for the first half hour. They received a great country thank you by the crowd at the end of their set.
There was a quick set change at intermission and crowd rushed to their seats as the music started for the Eli Young Band. I have to say the people on the floor never sat back down after that point in the show. The very popular band played many of their hits and songs from their latest release. The band had spent the afternoon at the Enid Walmart signing autographs. You could tell they were a crowd favorite by the reaction to every one of their songs. We watched most of the crowd sing the words to every one of their hits.
The Eli Young Band played for about an hour and had the crowd begging for more. They interacted with the crowd and treated Enid like they were a hometown band. They even play a little Lynard Skynard. After their set there was a thirty minute stage change. Everyone seemed glued to their seats in anticipation of Darius Rucker.
I have to admit I was most looking forward to Rucker, as were most of my friends, because we were all huge Hootie and the Blowfish fans from years back. The biggest question of the night seemed to be whether he would play some old Hootie tunes or not. Once Rucker started, the place went wild and never stopped. The majority of fans stood on their feet during his entire show.
Rucker had a great stage setup with a two story stage behind him and a walkway out in front. Rucker opened with a great set of his newest country songs and engaged the crowd at every chance. He slapped hands, threw guitar picks and even helped get a set of drumsticks to one member of the audience. The stage setup had large video screens behind the band that showed assorted footage throughout the show.
At one point Rucker stopped and asked the crowd if they remember a little band called Hootie and the Blowfish. From that point on he mixed in most of the greatest Hootie hits and had the crowd singing at the top of their lungs. He even mixed in some John Cougar, Tom Petty and older country hits. He had the crowd at fever pitch when he broke out in the theme song from Smokey and the Bandit.
At one point Rucker called the other two bands back on stage and they played a rowdy version of the Hank Williams Jr. hit, Family Tradition. All three bands worked the stage and the crowd couldn't get enough. Rucker spoke to the crowd throughout the concert and talked about family, Enid and loving country music. Rucker likened country fans to being one big family that were there to enjoy each other and have a great time.
Rucker ended his show with his big hit Wagon Wheel Way. But even that wasn't enough for the crowd. They brought him back for another tune and he broke out his version the of Prince hit, Purple Rain.
Interviews after the show were nothing but positive. The entire crowd loved the show and many said it was the best that they had ever seen. The first time concert goers had nothing but glowing reviews about the facility and staff. We spoke with individuals, couples and families. Many were so happy to have just seen a quality concert and only had a ten minute drive home.
This was by far the best event I have seen at the Enid Event Center. We are already hearing rumors of even bigger acts coming to Enid. With its first sell out show we think the Enid Event Center has now established itself as a great facility and one that any touring act would want to perform in. Be on the lookout for our video from outside the show coming soon.
(Thanks to Terrie Simunek Gulliford for the Darius Rucker photo)
