Kane Brown's CMT 'Storytellers' showcases his most comfortable groove

Kane Brown made his Grand Ole Opry debut during the program's 95th anniversary NBC special on Valentine's Day 2021.

The venue's Studio A is where "Hee Haw" was recorded from 1982–1993. Brown recently returned to record an episode of CMT's "Storytellers," airing on Tuesday at 9 p.m. CT.

The event premieres on CMT and will be available via streaming on multiple portals.

The space has a seating capacity of 400, although its upper balcony hasn't seen much use in the past three decades.

Thus, when Brown, joined by his band, walked onstage holding a red Solo cup containing a few tequila shots, looked skyward and saw a raucous crowd, he gulped. In a manner not unlike the Opry itself, roughly 500 feet away, the effect the TV studio has on an entertainer is something akin to playing country music in a small baseball stadium.

Brown is in the middle of a frenetic schedule while preparing to host April 2's CMT Music Awards. The week of the show includes a travel from Augusta, Georgia, to Austin, Texas — with stops in Knoxville and Nashville, after a three-show bus loop for Midwestern tour dates the week prior.

There's something in his smile onstage and sense of humor that makes him adept at hiding how much he has going on behind the scenes while performing songs to a deceptively "intimate" crowd.

The crowd? He knows they're there. Perhaps they haven't been seated so close to him for a show since a Whiskey Jam set eight years ago. However, they're still primarily women, representing — even though he's a married father of two — every manner of surrogate girlfriend or mother he could ever need should his life circumstances change.

The awe with which his performances are regarded on the soundstage proves that adoration for the singer-songwriter is as palpable as ever.

Brown's stage banter is less about telling stories about his hits that cast them as productions with epic pedigree. Instead, as in the case of 2022's No. 1 hit "Like I Love Country Music," he's more into describing the track's production process.

"I didn't remember recording it the first time, but I returned to the demo and remembered that I liked how it broke down," Brown says. "The version I recorded didn't have that, so we got back into the studio with [producer] Dann Huff, and we got it right the second time."

Those snappy, trap-styled swings are important.

Brown is developing two styles of music with which he is most comfortable. They're both directly related to his youth.

Yes, one is 2000s-era-styled neotraditional country ballads and rock-edged radio-ready sounds.

"Whiskey Sour" and his new single, "Bury Me In Georgia," are representative of his interests in that vein, harkening back to his social media rise with songs like Randy Travis' "Three Wooden Crosses" and live sets where he breaks out a standout rendition of Blake Shelton's "Ol' Red."

As for "Bury Me In Georgia," the song written with Jordan Schmidt, Matt McGinn and Josh Hoge shows him growing as an interpreter of songs.

Brown still loves a good songwriting round. His latest album, "Different Man," features 25 collaborators.

However, in attempting to mimic something akin to his hero Travis' style and something leaning in the direction of classic soul crooners, all of the ballads performed bear a certain earnest yearning in a manner that certainly appears heartfelt but also somewhat restrained.

Thus, in the "Storytellers" format, confirmation that he was born in Georgia, 10 miles south of Chattanooga, will have to suffice in place of something that dares to break the all-important fourth wall between himself and the crowd.

"Yeah, I bet you're wondering what's in the cup," he says, joking. "You know, it's tequila."

The stage is as much a character in the taping as Brown himself. He's played the equivalent of a show per week for the last 18 months, on stages 10 times the size of Studio A's space.

The comfort he's developed rappelling from the top of 30-foot video walls, speaking similar stage banter and generally knowing how to deliver to the exact specifications of a 25-song in 90-minute set is not present here.

The format unnerves him.

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However, by the set's close, the fact that one thing — the songs — remained the same ultimately steeled his resolve, as what began as Brown discussing songs as business propositions evolved into a focus on delivering quality performances.

"Can we do the breakdowns like we do them live?" Brown asks the show's director before performing "Bury Me In Georgia."

"Sure," he replies.

Brown sets to running around, gleefully, from instrument to instrument, headbanging while singing along.

"We don't need to record that again, do we?," Brown asks with a deep grin upon completion.

Eight No. 1 singles into his career and more likely highlighted during his "Storytellers" tapings to come, it's clear that Brown is discovering his most comfortable groove.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Kane Brown's 'CMT Storytellers' showcases his most comfortable groove