On Oct. 2, Jon Pardi took a stop in Bridgeport, Connecticut, during his Honkytonk Hollywood Tour. The crowd came out in denim jackets, cowboy boots and gallon hats for a night of enjoyable country music. This was my first experience at the amphitheater, and it was an electric atmosphere and a great venue— certainly won’t be my last time here for a show!

Jake Worthington took the stage as the first opener of the evening as the crowd started to file in and fill the seats. With a drink in hand, he warmed up the crowd with some stories of his upbringing and his love for country music, and sang a few of his songs from his second album, “When I Write The Song,” released on Sept. 12.

I felt that was a really strong way to start the show. Worthington brought the energy as thousands of fans sang along to some familiar songs, but also enjoyed some songs he played live for the first time. Some of my favorites were “Not Like I Used To” and “It Ain’t the Whiskey,” due to the incredible lyrics and their true country form. 

The second opener started making his way to the stage in Colby Acuff. He released a new album, “Enjoy the Ride,” the day after the show, so fans in attendance got to hear never-before-heard music that would be dropping the very next day. He played tracks “Enjoy the Ride,” “Love Was Just a Feeling” and more, setting up for the main event, Jon Pardi.

Pardi is one of those authentic country artists who puts on an amazing live show, and he has song after song that got the crowd up and standing— most importantly, dancing— for the entire hour-plus he was on stage.

He began the night with the title track of his newest album, released this past April, “Honkytonk Hollywood.” This was surely a favorite of the evening and set the tone for what fans should expect for the rest of the night.

Just a few songs later, he sang one of his most beloved songs, “Mr. Saturday Night.” He exclaimed to the crowd that even though it indeed was not a Saturday night, it was a ‘thirsty Thursday.’ The crowd put their drinks in the air and accepted his toast. This is one of my favorites from Pardi, and my life changed after hearing it live for the first time.

Toward the end of his set, he played his most memorable and well-known hits, with the crowd belting out each and every word, dancing the night away. A memorable part was Pardi’s cover of “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne, who unfortunately passed away over the summer. Even though it’s not country, it was still an incredible moment shared with the crowd and a touching tribute to the Prince of Darkness.

So many hits, so many iconic moments the crowd will never forget—dancing to songs like “Dirt on My Boots” and “Heartache Medication,” which became popular on TikTok.

As he said goodbye to the crowd, “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes played over the speakers as people exited the venue and made their way to the parking lots. The song describes my night perfectly, as I indeed did have the time of my life.