Hailing from the San Antonio area, country singer Braxton Keith put himself on notice headlining his first sold-out show at the iconic Floore’s Country Store in Helotes on Saturday, January 20th. The bars inside were open, the drinks were flowing and the crowd was ready for a Saturday night to party with the rising star.

The night started with Grant Gilbert as the opening act, coming out with his band wearing a black hat with a great big G on it; almost as if he was announcing his arrival to the Helotes stage for the very first time.

“I’ve wanted to play this place my whole life,” Gilbert remarked to the crowd. “Feels good to have a whole bunch of y’all in here tonight!”

As much as it was a country show he and his band were playing, they infused a real rock energy into the show as well. There were many electrifying guitar solos and dynamic drumming in songs like “Six Pack State of Mind” that started the energy high for the night.

He had great interaction with the crowd, with one moment in particular standing out before going into his song, “What’s Stopping Us.”

“I don’t know if y’all came here with somebody or if you came here alone, but I hope nobody leaves here alone tonight,” to which the fans laughed wildly.

The band ended the set with a rendition of “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, with Gilbert’s vocals and the rest of the band ensuring the Helotes crowd was rocking hard through the finale.

At the stroke of 10 pm, Braxton Keith came out to the hype sounds of BigXthaPlug’s “Texas,” where he and his band shut Floore’s down for an hour and a half performance. Donning a vibrant multicolored Wrangler shirt and a classic white cowboy hat, he ensured a high-octane start.

“Y’all ready to honky tonk or what, y’all?!” he exclaimed to the enthusiastic crowd.

It was great to see many young people come out and have a good time with his music, but it was the blend of both their crowd and the older crowd that matched the blend of both contemporary and old-school country songs in Keith’s discography.

All his songs have a terrifically authentic country twang to them, such as in “Honky Tonk City,” one of the many that drew lots of yeehaws from the crowd.

While the packed venue didn’t provide the most room to dance fully, the crowd still had lots of fun and lots of love for the emerging country singer. Moments like “Gonna Come Back as a Country Song,” fueled many shuffles and continued the loudest hollers.

While the set was filled with fast-paced instrumentation, with the guitarists and drummers on stage never letting the lively spirit stop, the band skillfully engaged through Keith’s slower tracks as well. Highlights included “I’m Not Him” and “Let Me Love You More,” with the latter tugging at the crowd’s heartstrings, inspiring a sing-along to the lyrics about the heartbreak of setting their lover free.

Other highlights of his set comprised his debut single back in 2019, “Make Up Your Mind,” where all of his fans knew every single word, as well as “A Little Bit Closer,” with Keith noting it’s one of his favorite songs to play, with the crowd’s singalong to it making it clear it’s one of their favorite songs to hear.

The height of his set arrived with “Cold Hard Steel and Sand,” an old-school Marty Robbins-inspired track that features introspectively descriptive lyrics that felt even more fitting to experience live inside a historic venue like Floore’s. The crowd certainly agreed as the song drew the loudest cheers and yeehaws from them all night.

He capped off the headline set with a spirited cover of Eddie Rabbitt’s “Drivin’ My Life Away,” remarking that he didn’t write this song but he damn sure should have. It was a dynamic final note with him and his band rockin’ and rollin’ with the sold-out Floore’s crowd one last time.

As he took the time after the show to meet and take pictures with all his fans, the talent, charisma, and heart of Braxton Keith was on full display. If he continues to deliver shows like this all across Texas and beyond, there’s no doubt he’ll continue to evolve as one of country’s youngest and most promising stars.