Modesto, CA (10/8/26) – The Hudson Westbrook “Hits Me” tour rolled into The Fruit Yard Amphitheater in Modesto, California. A very cool 4,000 capacity amphitheater surrounded by orchards and farmland. The perfect place for a country concert. As part of the tour, Westbrook brought Ethan Burdick and Kenny Whitmire along as support.
Ethan Burdick, a singer-songwriter from Vancouver, Washington gained a ton of traction in the music world from going viral on TikTok with his song “I Get The Picture”. Since I don’t have TikTok, I was not familiar with Ethan. I felt that Ethan possessed a great deal of authenticity in his songwriting. He also expressed a great deal of gratitude to be performing as part of the tour. Going so far as saying. “I don’t have a lot of songs out, but I’ll give you everything I’ve got.” Burdick definitely kept the crowd engaged throughout his set. The most powerful moment was when he performed “Ditches”. A heartbreak song that is reminiscent of the sounds of Lewis Capaldi.
Kenny Whitmire is flat out country……. In a good way. Recently signed to MCA Records, Kenny had the crowd, dancing, cheering, and singing along while he performed several songs from his debut EP, “Fool In A King Size Bed”. If you like that PawPaw music, there’s no doubt you’ll like Kenny Whitmire!
Heralded by Rolling Stone that “Hudson Westbrook is on the cusp of bona fide country music stardom.” Those are some incredibly big words! It’s true that 2026 has been an incredible year for the Stephenville, Texas native. From playing shows with George Strait to receiving a nomination for New Male Artist of the Year by the Academy of Country Music Awards.
Westbrook has already amassed well over 1.5 billion global streams. He has also garnered three Number One songs on the Texas Regional Radio Report (“Two Way Drive“, “Weatherman“, “Painted You Pretty“). Earlier this year, Westbrook’s “House Again” reached the top of the Mediabase Country Chart, making him the youngest solo male artist to reach Number One since the chart’s inception.
Very impressive accomplishments for such a young career! On the cusp of country stardom, though? I mean, can he even really sing? Sure, I’ve listened to his recorded songs, but what about live? I felt that this was something I simply had to see for myself.
After watching Hudson Westbrook’s sold-out show at The Fruit Yard Amphitheater in Modesto, California, I would have to completely agree that Hudson Westbrook is most definitely on the cusp of country music super stardom. He effortlessly works the stage, as well as the crowd as if this was something he was born to do. He accomplishes such a feat with a sense of gratitude, going so far as thanking the cheering crowd and saying, “I can’t believe I sold 4,000 tickets in California.”
Leaning heavily into his story telling lyrics truly captivated the audience. From his song inspired by his parents’ divorce when he was quite young (Home Again) to “Texas Forever”, Westbrook did not need to rely on pyrotechnics. I will say that the stage lighting was top notch and quite stunning, though.
Somewhere near the halfway point of the show the stage went completely dark. I mean, it was pitch black for nearly a minute. Of course, many of us were wondering what was going on, then the stage lit up with a very appeasing glow. Hudson and the entire band were seated near the edge of the stage where they performed a couple songs acoustically. It was an incredibly cool vibe that had the ambiance of sitting around a campfire with your friends.
Overall, the entire show buzzed with an electric atmosphere and incredibly high crowd energy. The entire audience completely lost it when “Painted You Pretty”, “Sober”, and the night’s closing song “5 to 9” were played. The cheers really bordered on deafening.
Aside from his own songs, Hudson also covered “Amarillo By Morning” (George Strait) which showcased the absolutely flawless and brilliant fiddle playing of Wes Barlow, as well as the stellar musicianship of his entire band.
Westbrook also worked in a couple new songs from his upcoming release “Made You Look”. The new album has a release date on November 6th, 2026, via Warner Music Nashville. Signed copies of the CD and vinyl are available at https://www.hudsonwestbrook.com/madeyoulook
I’m truly excited to see what 2027 holds in store for Hudson Westbrook! I have no doubt that if you attend one of his shows, you’ll be thinking to yourself that this just “hits me”
Do not altar photos
Copyright: Chris Couture Photography
