Cole Swindell sells out Warner Theatre in Erie, PA

People with their flannel shirts, baseball hats and cowboy/cowgirl boots lined State Street in downtown Erie, PA on October 20th, 2022 for the Back Down to the Bar Tour which featured Cole Swindell and special guests Ashley Cooke and Dylan Marlowe.

They played at the newly renovated Warner Theatre to a SOLD OUT show.

People told me they waited a long time for this night and there’s something special about country music in Erie, PA. It’s not what you would typically think of when you think ‘country music’, but for some reason, it’s become a hub for touring country musicians and the growth of country fans here has been increasingly noticeable. Dylan Marlowe kicked off the night at 7pm, followed by Ashley Cooke, who got the crowd pumped up. Dylan — a native of Statesboro, Georgia — is one of the fastest rising stars in country music; you truly got the feeling he is going to end up a household name in the near future while watching him in action. Ashley Cooke has been cutting her teeth in the world of country for a while: a resident of Nashville, she has a beautiful voice and a knack for storytelling through song. 

Swindell came on at about 9pm to his hit song “Down To The Bar”, followed by the song called “Chillin’ It”. Swindell interacted with the crowd throughout the night, making sure to let the crowd know how much he appreciated them and continually chatted with the audience. Swindell, another resident of Georgia, exploded onto the country music scene in 2014 and he has never looked back.

His music makes you feel like you are at one giant party.

I can’t think of a time during his set that fans weren’t going absolutely crazy. Later on, he brought back Ashley Cooke and they sang the song “Never Say Never” together. With the crowd chanting his name, Swindell ended with two more songs — “90’s Medley” and “She Had Me at Heads Carolina”. At the end of the night, fans were very pleased with everyone’s performance and hoped to see Swindell back in town real soon! I am so happy that country music has established such a strong presence in places like Erie, PA!

Photography by Brandon Soto

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