When Alan Jackson opened his Last Call Tour show at Bud Walton Arena with “Gone Country,” the energy inside the building didn’t just rise — it exploded. This wasn’t the warm-up. This was a mission statement. A reminder that one of country music’s truest voices was stepping onto the stage for what may be his final major touring chapter. And he chose the perfect song to set the tone.
Written by Bob McDill and released in 1994 on Jackson’s Who I Am album, “Gone Country” is sharp, witty, and brilliantly observant. It looks at people from every corner of the music world flocking to Nashville, each one trying to reinvent themselves with a cowboy hat and a steel guitar. Jackson never mocks them — he simply tells the truth with a grin.
Opening the night with this song wasn’t just nostalgia. It was a message:
Alan Jackson didn’t go country —
he is country.
As soon as the band hit that iconic intro — bright acoustic strum, crisp snare, shimmering steel — the crowd roared. Fans stood, hats lifted, phones raised. And then Alan walked out: tall, steady, hat tipped low, guitar strapped on like an old friend. No theatrics, no explosions — just presence.
His voice was rich and warm, the kind of voice that fills an arena without needing to shout. Each line landed clean and confident:
“Everybody’s gone country…”
and the crowd answered with a wave of cheers.
The band behind him — The Strayhorns, seasoned and flawless — delivered that perfect ’90s country groove:
• Steel guitar sliding like honey
• Fiddle dancing around the melody
• A rhythm section locked in tight
From the first verse, it felt like everyone in the building was part of something bigger — a celebration of a legacy decades in the making. Fans sang the chorus back like it was a promise, a thank-you, and a farewell all at once.
Opening with “Gone Country” turned Bud Walton Arena into a time capsule:
The ’90s came alive again.
Boots stomped.
Smiles spread.
And the man who helped define an entire era of country music proved he could still command a stage without a single gimmick.
For many in the crowd, this wasn’t just a concert —
it was a final ride with an American icon.
And as openers go, “Gone Country” was perfect: bold, familiar, and absolutely Alan Jackson — a true country king reminding everyone exactly where he belongs.