Morgan Wade returns to Dogtown for sold-out holiday show
Wade referred to Saturday’s show as “the last show for a while,” adding, “it’s nice to end it here,” as someone in the crowd shouted, “Welcome home, Morgan!”
Floyd native Morgan Wade was welcomed like a rock star to her Saturday
night Home for the Holidays concert at Dogtown Roadhouse on south Locust Street. Tickets for the show sold out within five hours of going on sale.
Dogtown, where Wade had her first show in 2015, was full-to-capacity with an enthusiastic crowd that sang along to many of her songs on Dec. 20. The front of the stage was lined with some of Wade’s most ardent fans from all over the country, many of whom knew each other from past shows. Waiting for the show to start, Cheryl Fitzsimmons, a moderator from Morgan Wade’s Official Fan page, spoke of the diversity of Wade’s followers.
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“When you see the people that follow her from around the country, they’re all so different,” she said. Fitzsimmons, who is from California, pointed out fans from Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Florida, and Washington. “This is my 25th show,” she noted.
Wade, who followed singer-songwriter Brennan Edwards’ opening set, took to the stage with her band and belted out a rendition of Elvis Presley’s "Santa Claus is Back in Town." She later performed an original from her new Christmas EP titled "Christmas in My Dreams."
With her longtime bandleader/producer and lead guitarist Clint Wells by her side, Wade traded off her electric and acoustic guitars throughout the two-hour set and went from powerhouse rock and roll numbers to her slower soulful songs. Some of her songs played like anthems, as the crowd loudly sang along, and Wells played some exceptional guitar solos.
Wade gave a shout-out to her band, saying, “We’ve been to a lot of shows this year. We’ve been a lot of places together, and I’m really appreciative of these guys for packing up the week before Christmas and coming back out on the road.” She teased, “It’s been nice. Lots of bus sandwiches and lots of weird conversations.”
At one point, Wade called on young Dayson Crawford, daughter of Blue Ridge Diner owners Travis and Kristin Crawford, and presented her with a surprise: a custom guitar with a Morgan Wade design on the front.
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Wade frequents the diner when in Floyd, and the Crawfords have been following Wade’s rise to fame, which includes performing on CBS Saturday Morning, the 21st Annual Americana Honors & Awards (where she was nominated for an award), and the 2023 CMT Music Awards. She has toured with Alanis Morissette and Joan Jett, Eric Church and Chris Stapleton, and others. Since her first live show at Dogtown, Wade has released five albums: "Puppets with My Heart," "Reckless," "Psychopath," "Obsessed," and "The Party is Over (Recovered)."
In closing, Wade referred to Saturday’s show as “the last show for a while,” adding, “it’s nice to end it here,” as someone in the crowd shouted, “Welcome home, Morgan!”
Click to enlarge images in gallery. Photos by Colleen Redman