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Vince Gill Never Tours With An Opener, & He Has A Very Good Reason Why
Are you pro-opener or anti-opener? Every music fan has their own opinion on the concert-going matter. Would you prefer for the artist to just come right out and start playing? Or do you prefer to have a little musical warm up to loosen up the crowd before the performance you paid money graces the stage? Personally, I’ll answer with a very distinct, controversial… it depends. I don’t mind to sit through an opening act. I feel like that’s very important […] The post Vince Gill Never Tours With An Opener, & He Has A Very Good Reason Why first appeared on Whiskey Riff.
Are you pro-opener or anti-opener?
Every music fan has their own opinion on the concert-going matter. Would you prefer for the artist to just come right out and start playing? Or do you prefer to have a little musical warm up to loosen up the crowd before the performance you paid money graces the stage?
Personally, I’ll answer with a very distinct, controversial… it depends. I don’t mind to sit through an opening act. I feel like that’s very important when it comes to seeing comedy live (gets everyone in the laughing mood), but it’s not necessarily essential for music. But on the flip side, some acts that have opened for artists I paid to see have won me over and made me a fan for life. This certainly isn’t a hot take… sometimes openers are good, and sometimes they aren’t.
It’s interesting to hear that even some artists have their own opinions on the purpose of openers.
Vince Gill is currently on tour in 2025 with his “An Evening with Vince Gill” performances. The 68-year-old country music legend is showing no signs of slowing down, and as he explained in a recent video posted to social media, he’s still as passionate as ever about playing live music. Gill also loves connecting with his fans, and voiced that he loves nothing more than giving the people what they want while also sliding in some new music in his sets:
“But what I want to do this summer… I love playing what’s familiar to people. But I also like trying to maybe show somebody something new that they haven’t heard before. I always enjoy hearing something new that I haven’t heard before when I go see somebody.
We did some shows last year at the Ryman and I think they lasted almost four hours long. I did a dozen new songs in the middle of the show and people seemed to respond. I just want to keep people familiar with what I’m working on (and) what’s in my heart and what’s in my head.”
I don’t know about you, but I’m all about four hour concerts.
One reason why Vince Gill can push his shows to that length is due to the fact that he generally doesn’t travel with an opening act. There are obviously some exceptions, but for the most part, Gill prefers to tell his fans when the show is supposed to start, then go out there himself and play for the entirety of the night.
As to exactly why he prefers to go opener-less, Vince Gill explained that there are a couple of reasons why he likes to roll solo while out on tour:
“A lot of the reasons (why) I never take an opening act is because it gives me another 45 minutes to play. I love playing live and it doesn’t matter how long. I remember all of the early days when I would open for people and I could only play for 20 minutes or 30 minutes. I promised myself that when I was able to do my own shows that I’d play as long as they’d let me. Often times, that’s what I do.”
Completely understandable.
And I’d reckon that not too many Vince Gills fans would be upset about a lack of an opener. Sometimes when the day of the concert comes along, you just want to see the artist that’s on the billing. And for those that love the stylings of the “Go Rest High On That Mountain” singer, that’s exactly what they get.
“I’m like the Energizer bunny of hillbilly music and I love seeing people feel like they get their money’s worth.”
Oh, and if you were interested in seeing Vince Gill this summer, he’s got plenty of tour dates to go around.
He’s touring all throughout the country all summer long, and finishes with five straight shows in Nashville, Tennessee. The country artist’s An Evening With Vince Gill run is really just getting started, and you can rest assured knowing that his shows will a) only consist of him and b) go as long as they’re allowed to.
Two weekends down on tour, and a whole summer to go! Tickets are going fast. Get yours today!
