Cody Johnson showcases rising mastery of his country craft at FirstBank Amphitheater

"Decent doesn't cut the mustard."

Typically, country and rock are genres in which artists' onstage banter often sounds forgettably canned and absurdly pre-determined. However, when 35-year-old Sebastopol, TX native Cody Johnson addressed a capacity crowd at the FirstBank Ampitheater, the frankness in his voice matched the gratefulness of his demeanor.

Cody Johnson has emerged as an unexpected new superstar from the midwest's half-century-old dusty honky-tonk and one-night stand-driven scene. This arduous path to stardom seeks and destroys as many souls as storytelling voices it elevates.

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Cody Johnson: Cody Johnson performs at FirstBank Amphitheater

When Johnson -- who is known as much for his direct manner and straight-shooting demeanor (other stage banter included, "some celebrity with a blue check won't protect your freedom," during a rant about the importance of the Armed Forces members in attendance) -- began to wrap his voice around his 2019 ballad "Nothin' On You," something fascinating happened.

When decent will no longer cut the mustard, and excellence makes you an award-winner, then "burgeoning mastery of the craft" becomes the standard that defines why and how you achieve your following accomplishments.

General consensus says that Chris Stapleton's cover of "Tennessee Whiskey," Garth Brooks' "The Dance," and George Strait's "Carrying Your Love With Me" are among the genre's great modern ballads. This isn't to say that "Nothin' On You" is quite that good.

Instead, it's to note that after nearly 20 years of touring and releasing music, it's probably wise to recontextualize Johnson's best work moving forward. There's a blue-collar soul that mixes incredibly well with country's adoration of neo-traditional earnestness that is rising in the country radio chart-topper.

For much of their time together, when Johnson's voice would blend with Jake Mears on lead guitar and Jody Bartula on fiddle, the response was raucous hollering from his regular live audience. However, via an impromptu poll during his July 29 show, he realized that roughly 70 percent of the crowd was seeing their first Cody Johnson concert. So naturally, the style and sound were a mind-blower for a crowd that's likely new to Johnson in the past three years.

Seventeen years ago, Johnson was a bull rider, and aspiring guitarist-turned correctional officer. Fast-forward seven years to a decade ago, and he was four albums into a career as an independent artist, one album away -- 2014's "Cowboy Like Me" -- from achieving a top-ten country album without a mainstream record deal.

Five more years pass, and Johnson's onstage at the Houston Livestock and Rodeo Show. That appearance begat four more appearances leading into 2022, wherein his opening set at the 90th Anniversary of the event drew comparisons between Johnson to the previously mentioned Strait and Brooks.

Now, couple this with Johnson's streaming numbers spiking during 2020's COVID-19 quarantine. Blend this with his "Human: The Double Album" -- his second as an artist now signed to Warner Nashville -- and his feature-length film debut via his biographical documentary "Dear Rodeo." A sense emerges of why Johnson doesn't rest on his laurels. Instead, he fashions them into a lasso, gets back into the chute, and prepares for roping another award trophy.

Openers Easton Corbin and Drew Parker were ideal pairings for Johnson. Parker's the co-writer of "Doin' This," Luke Combs' November 2021-released 13th country radio No. 1 single. As for Corbin, he's as adept at the barrel-chested, flannel shirt and Wrangler jean pop-country in the vein of Blake Shelton as he is recalling Hank Williams' "Hey Good Lookin'" and Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried."

Johnson ended the evening with "Long Haired Country Boy," followed by "Human" and "Til You Can't." The latter is easily a masterclass in how to inspire heartfelt motivation in the face of intense intoxication.

Had, as noted, Reba McEntire been able to be booked for the gig to pair with him for "Dear Rodeo," as the CMT Male Video of the Year winner hinted, it would've followed "Son of A Ramblin Man" and preceded "Build A Fire." That triple-play may have exceeded the show closer. However, it's fortuitous that the "Fancy" vocalist was not present.

Cody Johnson is a stand-alone headlining artist. Cutting the mustard on Bible Belt highways has yielded him success almost wholly defined within, but in many ways, without many conveniences of the Nashville system.

Now he's armed with those benefits, and his sold-out CoJo Nation fanbase roars in approval deep into the night.

Cody Johnson at FirstBank Amphitheater Setlist

• Honkytonk Hardwood Floors

• Wild As You

• Ride With Me

• Dance Her Home

• Diamond In My Pocket.

• Longer than She Did

• Half a Song

• With You I Am

• Nothing On You

• Son of a Rambling Man

• Dear Rodeo

• Build A Fire

• Stronger

• Me and My Kind

• On My Way To You

• Long Haired Country Boy

• Human

• 'Til You Can't

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Cody Johnson showcases his country craft at FirstBank Amphitheater