Concerts in the Garden: Sam Outlaw

Every summer, the North Dakota Museum of Art presents their Concerts in the Garden series. The last concert for the season in 2016 featured Sam Outlaw, a country artist from Los Angeles. I didn't even know about this concert until yesterday morning. Sporadic heavy rainfall on Monday night turned grain harvest into a no-go on Tuesday, so I was looking for something to do last night to relax. For some reason, I decided to see if there was one more concert in the garden before UND's fall semester begins. After seeing Sam Outlaw's name on the schedule, my Tuesday night was settled.

The very talented Molly Parden opened the evening of music. Unable to leave work early enough for a 6pm start time after an hour's drive, I missed most of her performance. Luckily, she was a part of the band backing Sam Outlaw on stage during his set. Outlaw, Parden, and two other bandmates took the stage and played "Cry For Me" to kick things off. It's a great song that has been released for over two years, and was on the track list of his self-titled digital EP, but didn't appear on his only studio album to date, Angeleno. After that, Outlaw weaved his way through cuts from both releases, throwing in a couple of covers as well as one or two new songs that were very good.

The most impressive thing about Sam Outlaw as a performer was how easily he interacted with the crowd. He was hilarious between songs, telling stories about each song as well as the time he spent in South Dakota during his youth before his family moved to California. There was something about him, an odd mix of confidence and humility. It's like he knows that he's talented but won't let that confidence turn into arrogance. Not only was it easy to enjoy the music, it was easy to like Sam Outlaw the person. It was refreshing to see a performer who is so obviously down to earth and genuinely happy to have a platform to share his art. He also regularly gave credit to each of his band mates, more than most artists do. It was obvious that they all get along in general. Not only were fans enjoying themselves, so were the four people on stage.

Outlaw's brand of country music was well-received by concert-goers. It seemed that everybody was enjoying themselves and I found myself getting lost in each song, absentmindedly singing along (hopefully not so loud that those around me could hear). I've owned Angeleno for quite some time now, and have been listening to it regularly. Not until last night did I realize how much each song stuck with me--I knew damn near every word.

Highlights from the set include "Ghost Town," arguably the best song on Angeleno, as well as the tender ballad "Country Love Song." Outlaw played a new song called "She's Playing Hard to Get Rid of" that provided a bit of a laugh as well as an emotional punch as he detailed such a relatable relationship story in the lyrics. He also played a great cover of Clay Walker's "If I Could Make a Living."

At the end of Outlaw's set, I had that feeling of lightness that comes with any great concert, like nothing could ruin the night. It's the main reason that I love live music. After being fortunate enough to see Sturgill Simpson and Sam Outlaw live in less than a week's time, I can't say that I've ever had more fun with music.

If Sam Outlaw passes through your town, get tickets and go to the show. It's more than worth it.