For two consecutive nights at Buckhead Theatre, Atlanta’s country music fans embraced their inner cowboy to show out for their favorite Texas-native, Dylan Gossett. The singer sold out both nights immediately upon going on sale, a truly commendable feat for the 1200-person venue.
With a Zach Bryan flavor of folky twang and a Mumford & Sons kind of earnestness, Gossett has the singer-songwriter thing down pat. He takes a laid-back, honest approach to his music, which bleeds through into his songs and makes them easy listens, especially in the almost-fall, windy chill that Atlanta has been stuck in for weeks.
Gossett has only released 12 songs in his lifetime as a musician, his first being “To Be Free” just over a year ago in June 2023. What put Gossett on the map as an artist was his hit song “Coal” that did rounds both on TikTok and on country radio. It debuted at number 89 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has only continued to grow, collecting 233 million streams on Spotify to date. Another monumental accomplishment for the singer was having his song “Stronger Than A Storm” on the much-anticipated “Twisters: The Album” alongside other featured artists like Shania Twain, Luke Combs and Tyler Childers.
All in all, what Gossett has been able to accomplish in just over a year is tremendously impressive. In the autotune-dominated country industry right now, Gossett is a breath of fresh air, revitalizing the genre from its overly produced failures using his barebones take on alternative folk music. He brings in that nostalgic, early 2010’s feel that artists such as Noah Kahan have brought back into the mainstream, and he uses it to masterfully tug on the heartstrings.
On Oct. 26, the first night of Dylan Gossett’s Atlanta shows, the line was already around the block as the doors were about to open. The crowd stood outside of the theater, looking slightly ridiculous on the streets of Atlanta in bell-bottomed jeans, cowboy hats and leather boots. No matter — the audience happily filed into the venue, already somewhat rowdy in true country music fashion.
James Tucker, an indie country musician from North Carolina, opened the show. He took an eerily similar approach to Gossett with his music, bringing in a tinge of Appalachian folk. This influence was easily apparent in the artist’s instrumentation that highlighted an unconventional use of stringed instruments. It was a seamless performance, a brilliant match for the main act to come.
Gossett took to the stage not long after, the crowd welcoming him with open arms. After a brief hiccup with his guitar not syncing correctly, Gossett leapt into “Stronger Than A Storm,” much to the delight of some of his newer fans.
During “Lone Ole Cowboy,” Gossett’s affinity for stripped vocals and lyrical grandeur shone through. Through his words, he is able to intricately build an entire little world. Without ever describing a setting, the song transports its listener to old Western backroads and long expanses of rolling hills. He uses almost exaggerated Southern references and wording to further embed the listener in the environment of the song.
Gossett’s use of instruments was another notable way he immersed the listeners in his creative setting. Besides the typical instruments a band uses, a banjo player accompanied him on stage, tying back to his folk roots. During “No Better Time,” a harmonica overpowered the other instruments to become the song’s centerpiece, and it drove home the emotional transcendence of Gossett’s discography.
“Coal” was the sentimental high point of the night with the whole venue collectively venting through Gossett’s words. They sang together, “This game of life plays heavy on my heart / Love is tough but loneliness is twice as hard,” in a deep show of catharsis.
The show ended on “Somewhere Between” in which Gossett and his band let loose to have fun with each other and take a dance break on stage. The crowd ate it up and goaded them on with clapping, closing the night with smiles on their faces and music in their hearts.
While Gossett is a newcomer in the music world, he has already made a significant dent. He embraces the folk-country genre of those who came before him and delivers it to a new generation of fans who yearn for his unique flavor of sorrowful longing and hopeful acoustic. Dylan Gossett is the new cowboy in town, and he is already well on his way to country superstardom.