Fans filled the Swiftel Center on March 20 for Jake Owen as he kicked off the first day of his Days of Gold Tour in Brookings alongside Thomas Rhett and The Cadillac Three. 

The Cadillac Three, a three-man southern rock ensemble from Tennessee, opened the show featuring songs from their self-titled album including “I’m Southern,” “Tennessee Mojo” and “The South” sans Florida Georgia Line.

Thomas Rhett brought to the stage skin-tight jeans and a presence amping up the crowd for Jake Owen. 

Rhett’s popularity took off last year following the release of the single, “It Goes Like This.”

Rhett interacted with the crowd and invoked a humorous “boo” upon mistakenly initiating a cheer for NDSU. Rhett immediately corrected the statement.

“You’ll have to excuse me [laughs],” Rhett said. “I get a little nervous…”

Fans retained their enthusiasm as Rhett performed hits “Get Me Some of That,” “Front Porch Junkies” and “Sorry For Partyin’.” Rhett also performed his latest hit-single “Get Me Some of That.”

Upon performing the slow-paced “Beer With Jesus,” the crowd swayed in unison as fans held lighters and cell phones. 

“Not all of you will have lighters, but you can use that app on your cell phone,” Rhett said. 

The crowd chanted “USA” following the conclusion of “Beer With Jesus.”

Headliner Jake Owen opened his performance with songs from his latest album, “Days of Gold,” which was released to country radio in August 2013. 

A beach-themed stage proved true to Owen’s roots. As a Florida native, Owen grew up and continues to spend time on the water. In the video “Barefoot Blue Jean Night,” Owen can be seen executing his own wake board stunts on his personal Malibu boat.

Coincidentally, Malibu Boats is the tour’s title sponsor. 

Owen engaged the crowd by taking fan’s cell phones and taking selfies and video on multiple occasions throughout his performance. In Fargo the following night, one fan received a phone call from a mid-performance Owen via a fan’s cell phone. 

A handful of fans were invited to view the concert on stage positioned behind tiki bars, to fit with the beach-themed set up. 

The performance of “Don’t Think I Can’t Love You” brought the fans to a slow dance. One fan belted out vocals, which caught Owen’s attention. The fan was invited on stage to sing a verse in place of Owen. 

“I can’t say that I have a favorite of the three performances tonight,” Cliff Even, a Southwest Minnesota State student said. “A top-shelf performance from all three.” 

The tour is scheduled to feature more than 30 events across the United States and Canada between now and July 25.