It was a good night to be Cody Johnson or Lainey Wilson, headliners of respective solo concerts on the Strip during the climactic final dates of NFR, at last month’s CMA Awards. Johnson’s Leather won album of the year while Wilson debuted as a host, demonstrating good chemistry with veteran emcees Peyton Manning and Luke Bryan before being named Female Vocalist of the Year and winning Music Video of the Year for “Wildflowers and Wild Horses.”
The song from her latest album Whirlwind lends its title to her one-night-only show Saturday in Vegas with openers Tracy Lawrence and Mae Estes. Details of what exactly this will entail are scarce, but judging from the immersive campfire-and-stars atmosphere created for her performance of “4x4xU” at the CMAs, it will have a thematic element not present or possible during this year’s Country’s Cool Again Tour.
Wilson and Johnson are at the forefront of making traditionalist country cool again. This was Wilson’s third consecutive Female Vocalist of the Year win and second Music Video of the Year honor after winning in 2023 for her collaboration with HARDY, “Wait in the Truck.” Whirlwind, which reached No. 3 on Billboard’s Country Album charts, is in competition for a Grammy with latest efforts from Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves, Post Malone and Beyoncé.
Photo by: Erick Frost
She’ll have to wait until February to find out if she won her second Grammy after scoring last year with Bell Bottom Country, but until then the singer can drive on Lainey Wilson Highway when she visits her hometown of Baskin after a stretch of Louisiana Highway 15 was named for her last month.
Both Johnson and Wilson were born in boots on humble ground, to borrow the opening line from Wilson’s “Country’s Cool Again,” but Johnson’s feet are planted firmly in rodeo life. His commitment comes through strong in 2021 documentary Dear Rodeo: The Cody Johnson Story, although he describes finding music first through both church and the piano playing of his father.
Bull riding fed his appetite for competition before he started his first band in the mid-2000s. “When we’re in the game, I’m here to win,” he said in a recent interview with Apple Music’s Kelleigh Bannen. “I’m here to be the best, and I’m here to dominate.”
Domination now comes in the form of giving his all in concerts backed by a formidable band including multi-instrumentalist Jody Bartula, lead guitarist Jake Mears, steel guitarist Harrison Yount, bassist Joey Pruski and drummer Miles Stone. Their prowess is equal to Johnson’s passion, which channels both George Strait and George Jones.
Johnson and company just sold out their first stadium with a concert in Arlington, Texas, setting the stage for future tours where “Dirt Cheap” and “The Painter” from Leather will likely be permanent parts of his sets. Johnson’s been on a rocket ride since his major label debut, Ain’t Nothin’ to It, reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Albums chart in February 2019. Between he and Wilson, the future of country music is in good hands.
MGM Grand. Cody Johnson at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12-13, starting at $63 plus tax and fee, axs.com; Lainey Wilson at 9 p.m. Dec. 14, starting at $59.95 plus tax and fee. ticketmaster.com
Click here for your free subscription to the weekly digital edition of Las Vegas Magazine, your guide to everything to do, hear, see and experience in Southern Nevada. In addition to the latest edition emailed to every week, you’ll find plenty of great, money-saving offers from some of the most exciting attractions, restaurants, properties and more! And Las Vegas Magazine is full of informative content such as restaurants to visit, cocktails to sip and attractions to enjoy.
