“I just love to play,” Vince Gill said during his recent appearance at Capital One Hall. Having spent years of paying his dues and only getting limited time for his sets as opener, he decided that, when he had the opportunity, he’d “play as long as they let me.” He did exactly that on this night with a 3.5-hour set that included his biggest hits, deep cuts, new songs, and some classic country covers.
A proud native of Oklahoma, success didn’t come quickly for Gill, who started his career playing in bluegrass bands in the ’70s. In 1978, he took over as the lead singer of the country-rock band Pure Prairie League. He left in 1982 to play guitar in Americana legend Rodney Crowell’s band the Cherry Bombs, and, in 1984, he launched his own solo career. Gill poked fun at how his records in the ’80s didn’t sell; it was in the early ’90s that he finally broke through, with all his albums released in that decade going platinum.
Along with massive sales, Gill achieved great critical success. He’s won the most Grammy Awards, 22, of any solo male country artist. He’s considered one of the most complete musicians the genre has seen: He has an incredible voice and some serious guitar chops, and he writes fantastic songs. Vince’s father, a judge, initially taught him to play guitar, passing along knowledge of the “three chords” he played. At Capital One Hall on July 10, Gill also talked about how his father, who passed away in 1997, traumatized him by singing the “morbid” folk song “Old Shep,” which ends with the beloved family dog getting shot.
Gill is held in such esteem that, following Glenn Frey’s death, he was chosen to replace him in The Eagles, which he alluded to as his “day job.” While his influences include classic country — he covered Merle Haggard’s “Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down,” which he hailed as the “greatest drinking song,” and Buck Owens’ “Together Again” — they also include the heartland rock of Bruce Springsteen and John Fogerty. The former came to mind as the show, which began at 7:30, stretched toward 11.
Watch Vince Gill perform “Together Again” by Buck Owens live for Larry’s Country Diner on YouTube:
As long as the show went, it never felt like a test of endurance. With 50 years in the business, Gill is a consummate performer, and he knows exactly how to pace his shows so the audience doesn’t get tired. He told some great, funny stories from his many years on the road. In one, a surly looking fellow at a bar, who’d been eyeballing him all night, said he looked like “if Vince Gill put on 70 pounds,” to which Vince replied, “I did, and I am!” Another time, he and his band were relaxing at karoake, and he pranked a woman by pretending to be an auto parts salesman named Willis who couldn’t sing. After intentionally botching the first two verses of their duet, he “went Stevie Wonder,” wowing her with his vocal abilities. When they finished singing, she said he “wasn’t bad once he got over being nervous.” He confessed to being a “pretty well-known country singer,” and she said, “You’re that Alan Jackson boy!” She’s been coming to his shows ever since — for 35 years.
That list bit touches on Gill’s reputation as “the nicest guy in Nashville.” His affability shined through even when he called the guy who shouted “Freebird!” a “dumbass.” Vince apologized for having to cancel his show at the venue several years ago after his wife, Amy Grant, was in a bike accident and sustained a serious head injury. It’s to his credit that his priorities are in the right place, putting caring for family first. He joked, “Sadly, she remembers we’re married.”
The setlist went to over 40 songs. Gill sang his biggest hits: “I Still Believe in You,” “Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away,” “One More Last Chance,” and “Tryin’ to Get Over You,” which all went to No. 1. He also performed lesser-known songs, like “Colder Than Winter,” and some newer songs he hasn’t recorded yet, “I Gave You Everything” and “The Whole World.” (He’s planning to call his next album Fifty Years from Home.) He paid tribute to his late best friend, Benny Garcia, with “Benny’s Song,” and said a “heartfelt thank you for the men and women who serve our country” with “When a Soldier Dies.” He did a “song about where I’m from,” called “Oklahoma Dust,” and “Feels Like Love,” which is “about a second chance.” His backing vocalist, Wendy Moten, sang Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode to Billie Joe,” and guitarist Jedd Hughes did “Loving You Is The Only Way To Fly,” which he wrote with Rodney Crowell and Sarah Buxton for the show Nashville.
This was a remarkable show from start to finish. The audience got their money’s worth and more, and it’s hard to imagine anyone went home wanting more. Vince Gill is rightfully hailed is one of finest artists in country music, and his live show more than rises to that reputation.
Here are some photos of Vince Gill performing live at Capital One Hall on July 10, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Ari Strauss.
