Lainey Wilson, Ernest & Kaitlin Butts
August 29, 2025
Rogers Place, Edmonton, AB
The Whirlwind Tour ripped through Edmonton on a toasty friday evening , bringing with it some of Country Music’s hottest acts – Kaitlin Butts, Ernest, and Lainey Wilson.
Kaitlin Butts kicked off the evening with a short, but energetic set. She opened up the night with a fantastic rendition of Cher’s “Bang Bang” (I knew it sounded familiar!) – She’s a fantastic storyteller, and did a great job warming up the crowd. Her latest release “Roadrunner” features a couple covers, a nod to the movie “Oklahoma!” and a duet with Vince Gill.
Ernest was next, who had me from go – their intro music was “The Devil Went Down To Georgia”, which they interrupted to actually kick off their own cover of the song! Lots of energy, and me being relatively new to country (aside from the “legends”), I was pleasantly surprised with Ernest’s pedigree. Songwriting credits with Morgan Wallen, Lane, Sam Hunt, and Florida Georgia Line – as well as having features from heavy hitters like Jelly Roll, Post Malone, and Snoop Dogg. Ernest was a lot of fun. I’d go see him headline a show in a heartbeat.
MAIN EVENT TIME!
Lainey Wilson brought huge production, huge sound, and a monstrous energy to the stage. Banging out a 22-song set tat carried an entire rollercoaster of emotions, she went from super fun and energetic to laid back – at on point having her band all cozied in with her at the end of the catwalk for a handful of songs. She brought up Kaitlin Butts for Good Horses, and Ernest for “Would If I Could”. She told the story of how they came across Would If I Could – a 30 year old track never released, and uncovered in a vault. It’s nice to see headliners do stuff like that. For me, it makes the tour feel more like a family unit, and adds a little something special for the crowd. Lainey appoints a “cowgirl of the night” every night, where she bring a young fan on the stage, reinforces the message that you can do anything, and bestows the youngster with her own hat. Cute moment, great message.
I’m not a country fan, but I actually had a really great time at this show. Maybe I’ll start covering a little more country!
