There were many moments on the final day of this year’s Windy City Smokeout when everything seemed to align. During one, the crowd, accompanied by the strumming of a solitary guitar, sang the country hit “I Wish Grandpas Never Died.” And in an instant, Riley Green had the Windy City wrapped around his finger. In fact, it felt like more than just another summer music festival.
It felt like magic.
Frankly, the magic began to stir just one set earlier, when multi-platinum artist Ella Langley and her iconic bangs took the stage a little after 4:30 p.m., much to the delight of the sea of sweaty thousands packed into the north parking lot of the United Center.
“Windy City Smokeout — how we doing, baby?” Langley asked, strutting to the end of the catwalk in high heel boots and plenty of attitude.
With a tambourine often in hand and a guitar strap slung over her small frame, Langley tore through a sizzling setlist filled with cuts that are quickly cementing her status as one of country music’s rising leading ladies. Guys in cowboy hats and gals in ponytails seemed to collectively fall for her as she delivered moody standouts like “Nicotine” and “Girl You’re Taking Home.”
“I’m just making sure you are awake and stuff,” Langley laughed before diving into the mischievous “Made It Out of Mexico,” the ultra-relatable “Hungover,” and a celebratory rendition of her most recent No. 1 hit, “Weren’t for the Wind.”
But perhaps the most anticipated moment of Langley’s performance wasn’t even her own. Instead, the crowd — sated with barbecue and dotted with TikTok aficionados — were still eagerly awaiting Langley’s return to the stage, this time alongside duet partner Riley Green for the simmering tracks “You Look Like You Love Me” and “Don’t Mind If I Do.”
The two gave the crowd exactly what they were craving, trading sweet looks and flirty smiles. A fleeting brush of Langley’s hand on Green’s upper thigh sent the crowd into a frenzy.
But, setting aside the gossip around his romantic liaisons, Riley Green is inching toward legend status. That star power was on full display throughout his set, which kicked off with a roaring duck call into the microphone.
Sporting a vintage George Strait concert tee and what might just be country music’s best mustache, the CMA and ACM Award-winning singer-songwriter captivated the crowd with his cover of the Jamey Johnson hit “In Color.” The sentimental favorite hit a high when special guest Jackson Perkins, a member of the U.S. Marine Corps, joined Green for a few verses.
“I’m having so much fun –– I feel like going off script,” Green exclaimed as he proceeded to deliver a seemingly impromptu tribute to the late Toby Keith with covers of his pivotal hits “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” and “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.” Green finished his set with the emotional singalong to “I Wish Grandpas Never Died.”
As the sun started to set over the Academy of Country Music’s reigning “Festival of the Year,” the half-buzzed, half-hungover crowd rallied for Sunday’s headliner, Jon Pardi. A pyrotechnics show helped reenergize the crowd, as the towering Pardi slowly reeled fans back in with favorites like “Ain’t Always the Cowboy,” “Up All Night,” and “Mr. Saturday Night.”
When he two-stepped down the catwalk during “Beer Can’t Fix,” throwing in some hip thrusts that could easily give Luke Bryan a run for his money, the crowd was all in and the phones were all up, capturing singalongs to some of Pardi’s biggest hits like “Heartache Medication,” “Heartache on the Dance Floor,” and the set-ending “Head Over Boots.”
“Chicago! Thanks for always being there for us!” Pardi hollered at the end of his set before unleashing the Windy City faithful onto the streets of Chicago.
ELLA LANGLEY SETLIST
Paint the Town Blue
Country Boy’s Dream Girl
Nicotine
Here for the Party (Gretchen Wilson cover)
Never Met Anyone Like You
Better Be Tough
Girl You’re Taking Home
20-20
Cowboy Friends
Made It Out of Mexico
That’s Why We Fight
Hungover
Weren’t for the Wind
RILEY GREEN SETLIST
Different ‘Round Here
If It Wasn’t For Trucks
Damn Good Day to Leave
Half of Me
Georgia Time
In Color (Jamey Johnson cover)
Change My Mind
There Was This Girl
Should’ve Been a Cowboy (Toby Keith cover)
Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (Toby Keith cover)
Jesus Saves
Don’t Mind If I Do (with Ella Langley)
Hell of a Way To Go
You Look Like You Love Me (with Ella Langley)
Worst Way
I Wish Grandpas Never Died
JON PARDI SETLIST
Honkytonk Hollywood
Fill ‘Er Up
Tequila Little Time
Up All Night
Mr. Saturday Night
Your Heart or Mine
Friday Night Heartbreaker
Last Night Lonely
Ain’t Always the Cowboy
Me and Jack
Cowboy Hat
Love the Lights Out
She Ain’t In It
Starlight
Beer Can’t Fix
Boots Off
Dirt on My Boots
Heartache Medication
Night Shift
Heartache on the Dance Floor
Head Over Boots