Wade Hayes - concert review by Cheryl Harvey Hill

The contagious smile. The handsome good looks. The truly incredible and mesmerizing voice. Then there is the energy that emanates from the stage the moment he appears in the wings. It can only be Wade Hayes. Backed by his extraordinary band, Wheel Hoss, there is no mistaking the voice, the image or the attitude. Like Willie Nelson, Wade Hayes stands alone. This is not your average cookie-cutter-singing-cowboy. This is the genuine thing. Wade Hayes is real. Everything about him is real. His talent quotient is off the scale and although you won’t soon forget his smile, it will be the voice that lingers long after the last encore fades.

Mr. Hayes seems to be out to prove that he deserves the fan-voted honor of Star of Tomorrow that he picked up a few weeks ago in Nashville. The smile, accompanied by the ever-present mischievous sparkle in his eyes, never waned. Each time he yelled out to the audience that he was having a good time — he was only confirming the obvious. The playful interaction with his band isn’t anything new but it has taken on a new dimension. You get that warm, fuzzy feeling that is reminiscent of what you feel when you watch carefree, children play. You can see that they are having a rollicking good time and that kind of happiness is contagious.

When he talked about his soon-to-be-released new single, his enthusiasm was like an electric current as it zapped through the audience. By the time he had finished singing his rendition of this old classic, the audience had been drawn effortlessly to their feet for a much-deserved standing ovation. I fully expect, from the spirited response of the packed house, that the Wade Hayes version of Wichita Lineman will soon be at the top of the charts.
No one has ever sang it better.

I admit that I was a fan of Wade Hayes before I went to this concert but I was certain that I could put my personal feelings aside and be impartial in my review. When I was introduced to him before the show however, the ability to maintain my professional objectivity was challenged immediately. Every good thing previous interviewers had said about him proved to be true. To further complicate matters, I also met his parents. It was difficult to not be influenced by such charming, down-to-earth, and personable people. It certainly isn’t hard to see where Wade Hayes gets his charisma.

I would be amiss if I didn't tell you about one song that came towards the end of his concert. His parents will be celebrating their thirtieth wedding anniversary this coming week. Wade wrote a special song for this occasion. The words and the music were beautiful but what made the song exceptional was the emotion in his voice as he sang. This song obviously came from his heart -- straight to the hearts of his parents, but the love that motivated him to write it could be felt by everyone there.

When an entertainer can play to a standing room only crowd on a week night, they must be doing something right. Wade Hayes seemed to do everything right. He played the crowd as skillfully as he played the guitar and they loved it. The show went on until well past midnight but no one left early. Even after an encore -- the audience tried their best to coach him back onstage. I knew exactly how they felt. No one wants a good thing to end. To put it simply, Wade Hayes is a good thing!

Wade with Cheryl

You gotta' love those hugs!

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