Southern rockers, Black Stone Cherry, came out swinging on Saturday night to a raucous bluegrass state crowd at the Texas Roadhouse Concert Series in Louisville. From the hard-driving first notes of “Me and Mary Jane” to the last chorus of “Lonely Train,” Kentucky’s own native sons showed what a weekend rock show should be.

The stage energy from Guitarist Ben Wells, Bassist Steve Jewell, Jr, and Drummer John Fred Young had the crowd on its feet from the first verse out of the more subdued vocalist/guitarist, Chris Robertson. Every year, the state fair hosts free concerts for fair-goers bringing top name acts to the same venue as the uber-popular, Bourbon & Beyond Festival coming in September. Black Stone Cherry fans wanting a front row seat to the show arrived as early as 10:00 am for the Saturday night performance.

Hailing from Edmonton, KY, all but one member of the quartet has called this band home since 2001. Young, the son of Richard Young of Kentucky Headhunters fame, joined Robertson, Wells, and then Bassist, Jon Lawhon when they were just teenagers. Jewell, Jr joined the band following Lawhon’s departure in 2021. BSC released its first self-titled album in 2006 and now has nine studio albums credited to its name with the band currently supporting the release of the most recent EP, Celebrate.

Saturday’s show packed 16 songs into nearly two hours of music including two covers, ZZ Top’s “Just Got Paid” and Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason.”

Opening the evening was local Kentucky sensation, The Goldy LockS Band.

Black Stone Cherry continues its tour of the US for another couple of weeks before heading across the pond for an extensive European tour in September, January, and February.