Kip Moore Plays the Mother Church: Exclusive Photos From Nashville Show
"When we walked into the Ryman for soundcheck, the nerves really hit me," Kip Moore admits to Rolling Stone Country of his first time headlining the venue deemed the Mother Church of Country Music. "The weight of that place just punches you in the gut. I also started thinking about how far we've come as a band, and to be able to play a sold-out show there is really a dream come true."
This exclusive photo gallery from the country star's October 17th show in his adopted hometown of Nashville takes you on stage, backstage and in the adoring audience. All photographs by Joseph Llanes, with exclusive commentary by Kip Moore.
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On the Road Again
"I've played a lot of headlining shows, but this is the first major tour," says Moore, "so it's a completely different ballgame."
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Bow Our Heads
"Nashville is home to me now, and feeling the energy of the building and all of the fans that night is something I will never forget. It was a bucket list moment for sure," says Moore, pictured here saying a prayer with his band before taking the stage.
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Tuning Up
On the set-list for the sold-out show were huge hits such as "Hey Pretty Girl" and "Beer Money," along with new songs from Moore's next album.
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In the Groove
"I am a student," Moore says of watching his mentors on tour. "I learned from Tim McGraw and Eric Church — guys who've been headlining these big arenas — and you learn what kinds of grooves and segueways work."
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Surprise Jewel
Pop-country sensation Jewel was a surprise guest at the show, joining Moore on his new song, "Separate Ways."
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‘Sunday Morning’ in Church
At one point in the show, Moore sang a few lines of Kris Kristofferson's "Sunday Morning Coming Down," which he says was the song that brought him to Nashville.
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Name in Lights
"When you're the support act, you've only got 30 or 40 minutes and your job is to go out there and rile 'em up real fast, get 'em ready for the next person but try also to make an impact so they'll remember you," muses Moore, who once opened for Tim McGraw. "When you're headlining, you really think about the people paying to see this show; they're all there to see you."
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‘Heart’ and Soul
"We'll do a song like 'Heart's Desire' that might be a little more chilled out, and then we bring it back up," Moore explains. "I don't want to have a linear show; I want it to be peaks and valleys."
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Off the Cuff
"I play one or two songs acoustic," Moore says of his typical set each night on tour. "I give people a chance to shout out songs — maybe those underground songs they've heard on YouTube – and if I can remember how to play it, I'll do it right then and there."
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Up All Night…and Morning
"Up All Night was written completely differently than this new one," Moore says of his upcoming album, which follows his critically-acclaimed debut. "I would go in around 9 or 10 a.m. and write until 2 or 3 in the morning before I'd call it a day. It was about writing good lyrics, but also about thinking, 'How are we going to hold this crowd?' I always pay attention to the people."
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Second Time’s a Charm
"I believe in this record even more than I did the first one," Moore says of his upcoming album. "I've seen the way our fans react to the new songs, and I know what it's going to do."
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Signing Off
"I told myself early on in my career that if I'm honest with my songwriting and write without fear of whether or not everyone is going to like me, that it's better to have 100 people love you than 10,000 people like you. With 100 that love you, you can start an army because there's a real passion there. I definitely felt like we had an army at the Ryman with us that night," says Moore, pictured here signing an autograph book after his high-energy set.
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Cheers
Moore and friends enjoy a well-deserved adult beverage after the show.