Shaboozey's viral hits simmer after a summer storm delays his Gambler Days set in Austin

A little summer rain shower didn’t stop Shaboozey from kickstarting PBR Gambler Days with a hype-inducing performance of his hits at Moody Center.

With the inside auditorium doused in heaps of dust and dirt for the bull-bucking competition, a small outdoor stage was set up to host the rising artist who blends hip-hop breaks with modern country. Dedicated fans waited out the weather delay, undeterred by the uptick in sunny storms over the city.

Here's how the hottest music event of the weekend went down.

Sudden summer storms cause a shelter in place

6:30 p.m. Shaboozey was originally slated to start prior to the bull riding festivities inside the arena, but a light sprinkle that soon turned into a staggering downpour postponed the much-anticipated set until after the rain subsided.

Glimpses of lightning prompted a notice to shelter in place, barring anyone who was inside from leaving the lobby. Concertgoers eager to stake a good spot for Shaboozey crowded around the doors to ensure a quick dash to the outdoor stage once given the all-clear.

Waiting and wilting in the post-storm humidity

7 p.m. Soon after the rain dissipated, restless attendees stampeded out the doors to corral themselves under a tent for the singer-songwriter’s performance. The scaled-down stage was a surprising setting for such a hot artist, but the scene proved to be a close-up experience of Shaboozey’s showmanship that we may never get to see again given his rising star power.

For the next half-hour, crowd members stirred as the wait for Shaboozey stretched on. The tent swam with cowboy hats and middle-aged white folks familiar with his viral country drinkin’ songs on social media. Little kids also came out to show their allegiance to Shaboozey, with a class of elementary school-aged fans in the front row reeling to see the singer-songwriter in spite of their small stature.

A little rain won’t stop Shaboozey’s parade

7:30 p.m. Any dismay over the delay dissipated the second Shaboozey walked his silver-spurred boots onstage. Styled in an intricate Western embroidered shirt and blue jeans, the Virginia-born singer scanned the audience in dark sunglasses. His signature thick dreadlocks twisted down his right shoulder as he launched into his 2021 single “Tall Boy.”

Shaboozey engaged the “bootcut boys, bootcut girls, and bootcut babes” in the audience before he shimmied a country jig for “Beverly Hills,” the second song selected from his 2022 “Cowboys Live Forever, Outlaws Never Die” album. The 40-minute set was short but memorable. The singer gave a hint at the final song when his assistant long poured Jack Daniel’s liquor into a Styrofoam cup and handed it to him from side stage. Shaboozey downed the “double shot of whiskey” before capping off the performance with his massively viral “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”

The crowd pulsed to the country-infused melody and sang along to the familiar lyrics in earnest, glowing with an infectious case of “shaboozery.” Gambler Days is a gala for the cowboys, but a prize stallion took center (outside) stage on opening night.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Shaboozey's Gambler Days set shines after storm delay at Moody Center