Review: Chris Stapleton brings no fluff, all substance to Spokane Arena

Though country/Southern rock singer/songwriter Chris Stapleton began his career fronting the SteelDrivers and, later, the Jompson Brothers, he’s only really been a household name since the release of his debut solo album “Traveller” in 2015.

But in those three years, Stapleton has managed to establish himself as a new voice of old country, earning commercial and critical acclaim and a slew of awards thanks to gritty lyrics that primarily tell of love, loss, heartbreak and regret.

So it wasn’t surprising to see how strong a hold Stapleton had over the nearly sold out Spokane Arena audience on Thursday.

After taking the stage, Stapleton saved the smalltalk and jumped right into “Midnight Train to Memphis,” from his most recent release, “From A Room: Volume 2.”

Throughout the night, Stapleton seemed to prefer to let the music do the talking.

Harmonica player Mickey Raphael, known for his work with Willie Nelson, had no trouble filling the space after “Midnight,” and the band jammed a bit after “Them Stems,” from “From A Room: Volume 1.”

Bassist J.T. Cure had his turn in the spotlight after crowd favorite “Parachute,” from “Traveller,” before Stapleton joined in, and at one point during the set, Stapleton played a series of songs – “Whiskey and You,” “Broken Halos,” “Second One to Know,” “Traveller,” “I Was Wrong” and “The Devil Named Music” – with hardly a breath in between.

“I Was Wrong” was a highlight of the night, as it gave Stapleton an opportunity to show off the more soulful side of his voice and his skills as a guitarist during an extended solo.

But the singer got in his fair share of quips during the show, too.

After seeing that a couple had gotten engaged during the concert, Stapleton, joined onstage by opener Brent Cobb, said “I can’t think of a better proposal song. This is what happens when you get married,” before performing “Might As Well Get Stoned.”

And you’ve never seen someone introduce the members of a band until you see Stapleton do it.

Singing the entire time, Stapleton told the audience that Cure had two cats at home and was a sensitive man. Drummer Derek Mixon wasn’t as smooth as Cure, he said but he could lay down a groove; guitarist Dave Cobb was one of the greatest record producers in the entire world and also pretty good at basketball (he didn’t meet the height requirement for the NBA, Stapleton said); and Raphael has played harmonica with Willie Nelson for 45 years and laid the foundation for the rest of the band.

He also got chatty after performing two songs – “Now That’s Country” and “Honky Tonkin’s What I Do Best” – with opener Marty Stuart.

“Marty’s one of the greatest that does live or will live,” he said. “I don’t think he knows how much of a treat it is. It makes me feel like a kid.”

Stapleton closed the main portion of his show with the song that really launched his career, “Tennessee Whiskey.”

And after a brief break, Stapleton and the band returned for one more tune: “Outlaw State of Mind.”

There were no closing pyrotechnics or confetti, just five musicians performing in front of a half dome backdrop.

Stapleton’s live show was just like his music, no fluff, all substance.