By Rebecca Clark & Photos by Renee Clark Quade

Ashley McBryde’s Wild tour stopped in Rochester Friday, October 9, delivering a show packed with gritty guitars, honest storytelling, and plenty of country-rock attitude. From the heavier arrangements to the quieter acoustic moments, McBryde showed just how much range she has as a performer and songwriter.

McBryde opened with “Arkansas Mud,” and the crowd was immediately on its feet. “Water in the River” followed, keeping the energy up as the band leaned into the heavier side of her sound. The guitars had plenty of bite, and McBryde’s gritty vocals sounded right at home with the louder arrangements.

“One Night Standards” and “The Devil I Know” kept things moving before she took a step back to talk about her early days playing bars in Arkansas.

McBryde was just 19 when she started playing those rooms, and she admitted she probably shouldn’t have been in some of them at that age. But there was something about those places and the people in them that helped her feel more comfortable in her own skin. Nobody was pretending to be something they weren’t, and she found a sense of belonging in that honesty.

She also talked about leaving the mountains of Arkansas for Memphis, Tennessee, and the years of playing gigs, traveling in her truck and trying to make a living from music. Looking back at how far she has come, she told the crowd, “These six strings have taken me farther than anything else ever could.”

It’s a pretty good summary of McBryde’s journey. Her songs draw from real experiences, complicated relationships, and the things people carry with them long after they’ve left home. Hearing some of those stories firsthand gave the music another layer, especially when she talked about how the way we’re raised can shape us and give us superpowers while also leaving us with things we have to work through later in life.

That honesty is a big part of what makes McBryde such a compelling songwriter. She doesn’t shy away from the difficult parts of life, and she doesn’t seem interested in making those experiences sound prettier than they were.

Musically, the set continued to move between country and rock. “Sparrow” offered a different feel, while “Rattlesnake Preacher” stood out with its dark atmosphere and fiddle work. “Ten to Midnight” leaned further into traditional country, complete with harmonica.

McBryde also made sure to give her band some credit, explaining that the musicians onstage weren’t simply playing the parts heard on her records. They helped write them, too. Between the musicianship and the harmonies, it was clear this was a group of people who knew each other well and had spent plenty of time making music together.

One of the night’s best stretches came during the acoustic set, when McBryde shared the story behind “Bible and a 44,” which she wrote about her father and his Martin D-35S guitar.

Growing up, she wasn’t allowed to touch the instrument. Years later, she took the guitar out of its case at her father’s house and began writing a song she thought might make him angry. Instead, the song led to a moment she clearly still holds close. After she played it for him, her father eventually put the guitar in its case and placed it in her truck as she was leaving his house.

It’s the kind of family story that makes you listen a little differently when the song starts. McBryde told it with a mix of humor and affection, and it was one of those moments when the room felt a little quieter as everyone took it in.

She followed it with another story from her early days playing bars. A woman once offered her $20 to play her favorite Johnny Cash song “I’ve Been Everywhere.” McBryde didn’t know it, but $20 was $20, so she went out to her truck, learned the song on her smartphone, and came back ready to play it. The story got a laugh, and she put her own spin on the song for the Rochester crowd.

That mix of humor and honesty ran throughout the night. McBryde could tell a story about a difficult time in her life, crack a joke, and then launch straight into a song without making any of it feel forced. She was comfortable sharing the experiences behind her music, and the audience got to see a little more of the person behind the songs.

The set also included “American Scandal,” which she introduced as a love song, along with “El Dorado,” “Tired of Being Happy,” and “Wild,” the title track from her latest album and the song that shares its name with the tour. “Lines in the Carpet” offered another example of how she can take something as ordinary as cleaning the house and turn it into a song.

McBryde even gave Rochester a shoutout for its famous garbage plate, thanking the crowd for the local favorite. It was a fun little moment in a show that felt personal without losing any of its musical punch.

The encore took things in a more playful direction. McBryde returned to the stage for “A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega,” with the entire crowd on its feet singing along. She followed it with “Brenda Put Your Bra On,” which seemed to be a crowd favorite and turned into a pretty funny way to wrap up the night.

As the song played, bras came flying toward the stage from both the audience and McBryde’s crew. Some of the ones her crew tossed her were ridiculously oversized, with cups practically bigger than her head. McBryde got in on the joke, putting one of the giant red bras over her top and holding up another for the crowd. It was a silly, unexpected moment that had people laughing and gave the show a fun ending.

Before leaving the stage, McBryde brought the entire band to the front and center. She presented the musicians one by one with an outstretched arm as she walked in front of them, then gave everyone a moment to stand together and take in the crowd while fans snapped photos. They finished with a group bow, a fitting end to a night that showed off both the band’s talent and the connection they share onstage.

Opening the evening was Colton Bowlin, a young independent artist who took the stage with just his guitar. He started with “Don’t Come Home” and quickly showed that he could hold the audience’s attention without a full band behind him.

Bowlin thanked the crowd for being quiet and actually listening, something he clearly appreciated. His set included “On My Way,” from his March release, which he said was an attempt to channel Conway Twitty and Johnny Cash. He also performed a cover of “Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys,” made famous by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, along with Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire.”

He mixed those covers with original material, including “Remember Us,” which he had recorded just a month earlier for an upcoming record. He also introduced a murder ballad with a joke that cracked himself up, giving the audience a glimpse of his personality between songs. His stripped-down set was a solid way to start the night and left us interested in hearing more from him.

By the end of the evening, we had a new appreciation for McBryde as a live performer. The band sounded fantastic, the heavier songs had plenty of punch, and the acoustic set gave some of her more personal stories room to breathe. Ending with a crowd singalong, oversized bras and a moment to recognize the musicians who shared the stage with her felt like a fitting finish.

Between the music, the stories and the laughs along the way, it was a fantastic show that gave us even more appreciation for the honesty behind McBryde’s songwriting.

Photo Gallery – Ashley McBryde – Kodak Theater – Rochester, NY – 10/9/26

Photo Gallery – Colton Bowlin – Kodak Theater – Rochester, NY – 10/9/26