Brandon Wenerd
Sturgill Simpson has always been a musical chameleon, shifting genres and personas with vision and conviction at the top of his game. That’s why so many fans have gone all-in, never knowing what to expect from ole Johnny Blue Skies as he launches a new chapter.
From the trippy, country-meets-cosmos vibe of Metamodern Sounds in Country Music to the soul-drenched pollywog rock of A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, and then the unhinged fuzz of Sound & Fury, Simpson keeps everyone guessing. With his latest album, Passage du Désir, he’s settled into a groove that feels like a love letter to 70s basement rock—think wood-paneled walls, a lava lamp in the corner, neon domestic beer signs flickering over a basement home bar, and your dad’s vinyl on heavy rotation.
On Sunday night at the Santa Barbara Bowl, Sturgill Simpson brought all that and more, kicking off his 35-song set with a three-hour, no-set-break marathon that started at 7 PM sharp and ran right up to the venue’s 10 PM curfew.
If you’ve never been to this venue, it’s perched in the hills with panoramic views of the Pacific—the perfect mix of nature and sound. The evening started with the usual California marine layer hanging low, but as the show ramped up, the sky cleared for a stunning watercolor sunset, and by the time Simpson hit his stride, a bright moon hung over the amphitheater, making the setting feel as intimate as the performance.
I’m obsessed with it. I think it’s one of the best outdoor music venues in the United States, right up there with the Red Rocks, The Gorge, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Greek Theater theater in Berkley.
One of the highlights of the night? A rendition of “Midnight Rider”, The Allman Brothers Band’s Southern rock anthem.
Simpson’s version wasn’t just a cover—it was a bluesy, rock’n roll reawakening. This song has been covered by every bar band in the history of bar bands, yet here is Sturgill singing his damn heart out like the late, great Greg Allman would. Drenched in pedal steel and gritty guitar riffs, he captured the road-worn energy of the original while layering it with his signature outlaw edge. “Midnight Rider” is steeped in rock history, but in Sturgill’s hands, it felt like the perfect anthem for a guy who’s never stayed in one lane.
And what was he wearing? A black crew sweatshirt that read, “I’m not your everyone,” which might as well be Simpson’s mission statement. He’s always been at the center of the endless debate about what “real country” is. You know the clichés—dirt roads, trucks, and drinking songs. But Sturgill bulldozes all that, proving country can be whatever the hell it wants. His music is more like an unpaved road winding through rock, blues, psychedelia, and yes, even reggae.
Sturgill Simpson covering a little Allman Brothers with Midnight Rider pic.twitter.com/1hpAtGTZV3
— brandon wenerd (@brandonwenerd) September 16, 2024
Speaking of genres, the set was a masterclass in fusion. There was pedal steel, but not how you’d expect—woven into bluesy, gritty rock that felt like a jam session straight out of a 70s basement. And then, just when you thought you had it figured out, Sturgill hit you with some straight-up blues-rock riffs, the kind that belong in a dive bar, not an ocean-side amphitheater.
SETLIST: Sturgill Simpson x Santa Barbara Bowl 9/15/2024:
- “The Promise” (When In Rome cover)
- “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” (Procol Harum cover)
- “I Don’t Mind”
- “All Said And Done”
- “Long White Line” (Moore & Napier cover)
- “Railroad Of Sin”
- “Brace For Impact” (Live A Little)
- “A Good Look”
- “Stir It Up” (Bob Marley cover) (snippet)
- “Just Let Go”
- “LA Woman” (The Doors cover)
- “All Around You”
- “Life Of Sin”
- “Remember To Breathe”
- “Turtles All The Way Down”
- “It Ain’t All Flowers”
- “Best Clockmaker On Mars”
- “Crying” (Roy Orbison cover)
- “Right Kind Of Dream”
- “I’d Have To Be Crazy” (Steven Fromholz cover)
- “Living The Dream”
- “One For The Road”
- “Purple Rain” (Prince cover)
- “If The Sun Never Rises Again”
- “Spanish Moon” (Little Feat cover)
- “Fastest Horse In Town”
- “Scooter Blues”
- “Voices”
- “Midnight Rider” (The Allman Brothers Band cover)
- “Red Red Wine” (Neil Diamond cover)
- “Sing Along”
- “You Don’t Miss Your Water” (William Bell cover)
- “Mint Tea”
- “Jupiter’s Faerie”
- “Call To Arms”
And then there were the covers. I wasn’t expecting Simpson to weave in so many covers. He’s no stranger to pulling out legendary tunes, but last night’s selection was like a musical fever dream. He kicked things off with “LA Woman” by The Doors, slipped seamlessly into Prince’s “Purple Rain”, and threw in Bob Marley’s “Stir It Up” for good measure. At one point, he combined “A Good Look”, “Stir It Up”, “Just Let Go”, and “LA Woman” into a single medley that felt like dusting off a crate of old vinyl and rediscovering why you loved music in the first place. Sturgill didn’t just cover these songs; he reimagined them, making them his own with his trademark sound.
It’s clear that Simpson is doing what he’s always done best—refusing to be pinned down, refusing to fit into anyone’s preconceived notion of what country, or even rock, should be.
His shows right now are proof of that. So if Sturgill Simpson rolls through your town, put on your own “I’m not your everyone” attitude and go. Because no matter what genre you think you’re getting, Sturgill’s going to blow it up and build something way cooler in its place. Plus, where else are you going to see a 35-song, three-hour jam session with very few breaks and covers of Prince, Bob Marley, The Doors, and The Allman Brothers Band all in one night?
Sturgill Simpson has mastered the wild art of rock ‘n roll—no apologies, no holds barred, just pure, unfiltered swagger.
Sturgill Simpson’s 2024 Tour Dates: Why Not? Tour:
09/14 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Greek Theatre
09/15 — Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl
09/17 — West Valley City, UT @ Maverik Center
09/19 — Bend, OR @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater
09/20 — George, WA @ The Gorge Amphitheatre
09/22 — Missoula, MT @ KettleHouse Amphitheater
09/24 — Moorhead, MN @ Bluestem Center for the Arts Amphitheater
09/25 — Minneapolis, MN @ Roy Wilkins Auditorium
09/27 — Lexington, KY @ Rupp Arena
09/28 — Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre
10/01 — Chicago, IL @ Salt Shed
10/02 — Chicago, IL @ Salt Shed
10/04 — Brandon, MS @ The Brandon Amphitheater
10/04-06 — Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Music Festival
10/08 — Oklahoma City, OK @ Criterion
10/09 — Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP
10/11-13 — Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Music Festival
10/15 — St. Louis, MO @ Fabulous Fox Theatre
10/18 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Petersen Events Center
10/19 — Forest Hills, NY @ Forest Hills Stadium
10/21 — Asheville, NC @ ExploreAsheville.com Arena
10/22 — Cary, NC @ Koka Booth Amphitheatre
10/24 — Duluth, GA @ Gas South Arena
10/25 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
11/12 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Met
11/15 — Hampton, VA @ Hampton Coliseum
11/18 — Washington, DC @ The Anthem
11/20 — Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
11/21 — Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
11/23 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway