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Cody Johnson Says He Treats His Concerts Like A Rodeo Run: “I Want To Watch The Film”
Whether it’s in life, sports, music, or entertainment, what separates the average joes from the superstars is ultimately worth ethic. From spending the extra time in the gym for athletes to perfecting a live show for performers, it’s the little details that oftentimes make the biggest difference and ultimately prove who the best of the best truly are.
When it comes to Cody Johnson, we all know at this point that he’s willing to go the extra mile to give fans the best experience he possibly can from show to show and album to album. Of course, his track record already proves this with multiple CMA, ACM and Nashville Songwriters Awards over the past few years and continued placement among the genre’s most elite stars at festivals, award shows and the like. However, when you talk about Cody Johnson, you have to discuss his live shows.
Like many country artists, the “‘Til You Can’t” singer’s bread and butter is his live shows. And while some of his contemporaries, such as Morgan Wallen and Zach Bryan, focus heavily on spectacle, complete with pyrotechnics, fireworks and more, Johnson’s pack a punch more so with his passion and attention to detail.
I’m sure you’ve seen clips at some point while scrolling through Instagram or TikTok of Johnson’s passionate, patriotic speeches before diving into a plethora of his smash hits over the years. While it should go without saying that they always leave you wanting more in the best way possible, the question of “How does he always nail these performances and speeches?” hangs in the minds of many, myself included.
In a recent interview with Luke Branquinho, a five-time World Champion Steer Wrestler and a 14-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier, on his podcast, The Luke Branquinho Show, Johnson revealed that the source of his live-show success is his incredible attention to detail and ultimately his self-critical nature.
Opening up about the nature of his shows in general, Johnson began by noting how the spectacle of seeing tens of thousands of fans in a sold-out arena or amphitheater never gets old, oftentimes looking back at his fiddle player, Joey Bartula, just to soak it all in.
“If you come to one of my shows, you’re gonna see it at some point in the night, where I’ll just stop and stand there and look around. And the crowd’s just going nuts because they can see I’m actually like, ‘Dang, look at this, man.’
And a lot of times, I’ll look back at Joey, my fiddle player, and he’s just shaking his head like, ‘I know.’ I genuinely appreciate it. I’m not one of those people that expects it.”
As a longtime bullrider and a rodeo competitor, the Texas native would then compare his live shows to his rodeo runs in the past. For Johnson, it’s not about what may have gone right during a performance or run, but instead, it’s about all the small, sometimes unseeable mistakes that happen that further drives him to improve.
“I treat it just like a rodeo run, too. I want to watch the film. How could I have been better? How could I have been faster? You know, did I jump the steer too early? Did I wait too long? You know, how was my score? I treat it like that, where on Friday night, everybody’s like, ‘Man, that’s a great show.’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, but I left that on the table. I screwed that up. I got lost here. You know, I felt like I could have done this better.’
So the very next night, Saturday night, I come out with a different type of aggression. I’m not going to make those same mistakes, even though nobody saw the mistakes. It doesn’t matter. You don’t get the gold buckles or Entertainer of the Year without worrying about those things.”
With one of the best live shows in the entire genre, one of the most dedicated fanbases around and a chance at Entertainer of the Year at the upcoming CMA Awards in November, it’s safe to say that Johnson’s attention to detail and strive for perfection is working out pretty well for him lately.
Watch here:
@thelukebranquinhoshow “You don’t get a gold buckles or Entertainer of the Year without worrying about those things.” — Cody Johnson on learning from mistakes The grind never stops. Episodes Part One & Two with @cma awards Entertainer of the year nominee & 2024 Album of the Year winner, @Cody Johnson out now! #CodyJohnson #CountryMusic #RodeoRoots #WesternCulture #LukeBranquinhoShow ♬ ‘Til You Can’t – Cody Johnson
The post Cody Johnson Says He Treats His Concerts Like A Rodeo Run: “I Want To Watch The Film” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.
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