Two days after son's birth, Kane Brown returns to work to kick off Summerfest in Milwaukee
Kane Brown has put paternity leave on pause.
Two days after his wife Katelyn gave birth to their third child, their son Krewe, the country star was back on the clock in Milwaukee, kicking off the first night of Summerfest 2024 Thursday at a near-capacity American Family Insurance Amphitheater.
He only mentioned the new addition to their family once during his 80-minute set and didn't say much about his wife, not even in relation to their duet "Thank God" (with her vocals naturally piped in).
Some country stars make family talk a part of their act, but it would make sense if Brown didn't want to dwell on it Thursday. He may have one of the coolest jobs on the world, but it's hard punching back in and being away from home after welcoming a new child into the world.
That said, there was no dispute that Brown's heart was still on that stage Thursday for his first show in a couple of weeks.
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The variety of fan items Brown signed at show's end — from cowboy hats and boots to baseball caps, to a replica of EDM producer Marshmello's helmet — reaffirmed the versatility he displayed across 18 songs, with a big lift from his six-piece band.
There was boot-scootin' country, naturally, from '90s-channelling show closer "Like I Love Country Music" to a newer song, "Fiddle in the Band," that Brown lamented Thursday never made it to country radio. It's radio's loss, because it's a blast — more so live, with Lars Thorson doing his darnedest to draw out the devil for a feud with his fiery fiddle.
Thorson also was the not-so-secret weapon for a more bombastic live version of "Bury Me in Georgia," earning his WWE-style flex at the end; as the show's opener, it served as an equally impressive showcase for powerhouse drummer Josh Manuel. That pair especially transformed Marshmello collaboration "One Thing Right" on the Summerfest stage, giving the song a hard-rock edge, and with their four fellow instrumentalists, brought a little pop-punk punch to "Grand," a song that already illustrated Brown's comfort with slipping into a hip-hop flow and trap beats.
And while Brown said Thursday he didn't really like slow songs, he sure sings them well. In the case of a cover of "Georgia on My Mind," the band's bombast was a distraction, fighting Brown's voice for dominance. But when the band dramatically dialed it back for "Homesick" and especially "Good As You," the soulful tone of Brown's voice — which is what made people fall in love with him in the first place via those career-cementing YouTube covers early in his career — had more space to shimmer.
And while Brown's stage moves could best be characterized as, well, "Dad Mode" — especially an imaginary behind-the-steering-wheel maneuver he busted out for another Marshmello collab, "Miles On It" — Brown put some pep in his step dancing for a bit of "Lose It." And when he lost his undershirt at the end of the show — pulling it off to toss it into the crowd — Brown made it clear he doesn't have your typical Dad bod.
"Milwaukee came to party," Brown said after one of his biggest hits, the Swae Lee and Khalid collaboration "Be Like That." Indeed they did. And with eight more days of Summerfest left to go, they were just getting started.
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Kameron Marlowe, Nightly opened for Kane Brown
Country up-and-comer Kameron Marlowe (no relation to fellow country up-and-comer Dylan Marlowe, also playing Summerfest this year) got the biggest reaction during his 45-minute opening set playing a song that isn’t his. The lyrics behind the late Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” may be polarizing, but to this crowd they were undeniably popular, prompting scores of people in the lower bowl to stand up and loudly sing along Thursday. Marlowe’s impassioned voice deserves some credit — close your eyes and, for brief moments, you might swear you were listening to Chris Stapleton. But when he followed it up with his own forthcoming country radio single, “Strangers,” Marlowe quickly lost crowd momentum, with folks sitting back down all across the lower bowl. Even his own gold-certified single “Girl on Fire” failed to light up the crowd quite like that Keith cover.
Nightly frontman Jonathan Capeci said the American Family Insurance Amphitheater was the largest venue they’ve ever played. Unfortunately, while Brown has dabbled in lots of genres, the kind of ‘80s-inspired synthpop Nightly serves (and serves pretty well) isn’t one of them, resulting in a sleepy, albeit polite, reception.
Kane Brown's Summerfest setlist
"Bury Me in Georgia"
"One Thing Right"
"What Ifs"
"Grand"
"I Can Feel It"
"Fiddle in the Band"
"One Mississippi"
"Georgia on My Mind"
"Homesick"
"Good As You"
"Miles On It"
"Lose It"
"Famous Friends"
"Memory"
"Be Like That"
"Thank God"
"Heaven"
"Like I Love Country Music"
Contact Piet at (414) 223-5162 or [email protected]. Follow him on X at @pietlevy or Facebook at facebook.com/PietLevyMJS.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Kane Brown kicks off Summerfest, two days after son's birth
