Cody Johnson, Randall King, and Randy Houser
November 11, 2022
NOW Arena
5333 Prairie Stone Parkway
Hoffman Estates, IL 60192
Cody Johnson brought his Cowboy Country music to the NOW arena in Hoffman Estates, IL on Friday, November 11th. With a sold-out show of over 10,000 fans, the arena was packed from start to finish. Johnson was accompanied by both Randall King and Randy Houser, which helped bring out the true country music sound.
Randall King sang many of his songs including “You in a Honkey Tonk” and “Hey Cowgirl.” He had fans on their feet singing along before it was time for Randy Houser to take the stage. Houser’s performance did not disappoint at all. The crowd sang along as he performed many of his hits such as “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight” and “How Country Feels.” This proved his earlier statement in his performance where he said that real country music is still alive and well. Houser moved across the stage with passion and energy, which kept the audience engaged. It was later revealed in Johnson’s set that Houser was suffering with two broken ribs, which had the crowd shocked.
Once Cody Johnson took the stage, the crowd erupted in applause. The CoJo Nation had shown up in full force singing along to the opening words of “Honkey Tonk Hardwood Floors” and “Ride With Me.” He had the crowd dancing along with him as he sang “Dance Her Home” and “Me and My Kind.” The crowd was on their feet from the start of his set all the way to the end, singing every song with him. A crowd favorite was “Long Haired Country Boy,” which was originally recorded by The Charlie Daniels Band. The crowd was full of cell phone lights while he performed “Nothin’ on You” and “With You I Am.” Johnson captured the audience’s attention when he sang “Dear Rodeo,” which he wrote about his time in the rodeo.
Halfway through his set he took the time to honor all veterans, police officers, firefighters, and nurses in the audience, stating that we would not be here without them. He proceeded his discussion with how many people have told him that he should not be honoring police officers after the incidents in 2020, to which he responded that without these men and women, we would not have the ability to have our freedom and our own opinions. He continued by stating that his beliefs are quite different than most of the audience, but without the men and women who fight for our freedom, we wouldn’t be able to have these opinions. This was a very powerful point in the show that made many people stop and really think.
Johnson concluded his 90-minute performance by singing his recent release “Human” and his No. 1 song “Til You Can’t,” which recently won CMA Music Video of the Year and Single of the Year. His traditional country sound brought fans of all ages to his show. This show is what country music has been missing for a long time and will be a difficult act to beat.
For additional information, please visit:
NOW Arena – https://www.nowarena.com/events/cody-johnson
Cody Johnson – https://www.codyjohnsonmusic.com/home
Randall King – https://www.randallkingmusic.com/
Randy Houser – https://www.randyhouser.com/
Additional photographs from NOW Arena:
Photographs and writing by Jaclyn Duske. In addition to her love of photography, Jaclyn spends many hours covering Joliet area country music shows and hanging with a range of four-legged friends who bring her much happiness.
