Brad Paisley Tour Struggles Through Rough Night in Wichita
Brad Paisley and his tourmates had to rise to the occasion when they were dealt a very tough hand at a recent gig in Wichita, Kansas.
Paisley and his tour openers, Cam and Eric Paslay, were slated to perform at the Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita on Thursday night (Feb. 25) as part of his Crushin' It Tour, which has been crossing the country. But Cam and Paslay both contracted the flu before the show, and Cam was so severely affected that she was forced to cancel her performance, leaving Paslay to open the show.
According to All Access, Eric Paslay had to cancel a pre-performance party, but he managed to make it to the stage, where he placed a plastic trash can nearby — just in case.
"You could tell [Paslay] was struggling, but didn't miss a note," Wichita country station KFDI morning host JJ Hayes tells All Access. "It was the type of performance that earns respect. He did have a small plastic trash can on stage with him and joked, 'Who knows, maybe we'll have a great YouTube moment if I have to use it.' At the end of his set, he walked off stage waving the trash can high in victory, because he didn't have to use it."
To top it all off, a mass shooting took place in Kansas at around 5PM on Thursday, just hours before the concert. Some of the radio station staff had to return to the station to cover the breaking story, and Paisley knew he couldn't ignore the incident on stage that evening.
"Before the show [Paisley and I] were talking about the shooting and how he knew he had to address it from the stage." KFDI MD Carol Hughes says. "Brad did speak a little about and reference the shooting. [He] said he was happy to be surrounded by love and people who love country music."
Paisley ended up playing an extended set to make up for Cam's absence, but he had to drop "Whiskey Lullaby," which they have been performing as a duet on this tour.
See Pictures From Brad Paisley's Crushin' It Tour