Nate Smith
Josh Ross
Brandon Wisham
Long Live Country Rock and Roll Tour
Old National Centre
Indianapolis, IN
Friday April 17th, 2026 at 8:30pm
Nate Smith didn’t ease into his Indianapolis headlining set—he stormed it. From the first note, the Long Live Country Rock and Roll Tour hit with a gritty, full-throttle energy that felt more like a statement than a show. Guitars roared, the crowd answered every lyric, and Smith’s raw, unmistakable vocals cut through it all, equal parts power and vulnerability. It wasn’t just another tour stop—it was a loud, unapologetic reminder that country rock is alive, restless, and louder than ever. Before Smith took the stage, Brandon Wisham and Josh Ross warmed up the crowd.
Wisham is a 23-year-old singer/songwriter from Savannah, Georgia. He was the youngest of seven children and took up guitar as a child. As he grew up, Wisham began playing in local bars. At 19 he wrote his first song, “Pain Won’t Last,” which was recorded by Bailey Zimmerman and featured on his debut album. Zimmerman enlisted Wisham as support for his first headlining tour back in 2024. Since then, Wisham has been writing and recording his own music and touring with artists, such as Chase Matthew and Tyler Hubbard. He shared with the crowd that he had his mom and aunt on FaceTime to watch his set since they do not get to attend many of his shows and the audience all said hello. He performed his songs “She’s Good,” “Back Together,” and “Tears in Her Tequila,” along with some covers including “When It Rains It Pours” by Luke Combs.
Next up for the night was Josh Ross, who is a Canadian country music singer/songwriter who grew up listening to country and rock. He was a multi-sport athlete from a young age and pursued football when he went to college. Ross had dreams of playing in the Canadian Football League but elected to pursue a career in music after a few injuries and surgeries. With growing up around both rock and country music, Ross says one of his biggest musical influences is Steve Earle. He signed with The Core Entertainment and Universal Music Canada in 2022 and has opened for many artists, such as Bailey Zimmerman, Jordan Davis, and Nickelback. His first single to air on country radio in the US was “Single Again” which hit number one on the Canadian charts. Ross kicked off his set with his new single to country radio “Hate How You Look” followed by “Red Flag.” He then performed a melody of old rock and country songs before talking about and performing one of his first released songs “On a Different Night.” “Ain’t Doing Jack,” “Trouble,” and “Drunk Right Now” were a few of the other original songs Ross performed before closing out his set with “Single Again.”
Before Smith took the stage, his crew began getting the stage ready and hung up a large banner across the whole stage. Smith is an American country singer from Paradise, California. After releasing his song “Wildfire’ in 2020 on TikTok, it went viral and he was able to sign a publishing deal with Sony. His social media presence helped him grow his career before landing his first major label record deal. Some of his musical influences are Tom Petty, Garth Brooks, and Fleetwood Mac. After moving to Nashville at age 23, Smith opened for artists such as Brett Eldredge and Eli Young Band. He later returned to his hometown in 2018, where is home burned down in the Butte County Camp Fire. He channeled his grief into his songwriting and wrote his breakout song “One of These Days” which gained traction and encouraged him to continue pursuing music. He has released two studio albums with his most recent being California Gold back in 2024. He released “Whiskey on You” as his first single to country radio, where it reached number one on the US Country Airplay Chart.
The crowd roared to life when the lights dimmed, and the hanging backdrop of Smith illuminated under the stage lights. As the music began, lights began moving and showing off the backdrop before it dropped, and Smith emerged. He kicked off his show with his new single “After Midnight” which was recorded with Tyler Hubbard. “Nobody Likes Your Girlfriend” and “LFG” were the next songs Smith performed for the crowd. Smith told the crowd that while he loves performing on stage for everyone, his favorite place to be is in the crowd. He then came off stage into the audience and performed “Whiskey on You” and a cover of “Beer Never Broke My Heart” by Luke Combs.
After making his way back to the stage, Smith performed one of his new songs, “Break Up Like That,” which he wrote with HARDY and “Sleeve,” which he admits is one of his favorites that he has ever written. “Fix What You Didn’t Break,” “Which I Never Felt,” and “Bulletproof” are a few other songs Smith performed throughout his show. He then shared more about his life growing up in the small town of Paradise, California. When he moved to Nashville, he was working as a certified nurse’s assistant. He loves helping and caring for people. Smith was behind on payments and working to survive before he got his record deal with Sony. One of the first songs he ever put out was “Wreckage,” which he performed next in his set. Smith shared that before the tour started, he was asking fans on social media what songs they wanted to hear. Across all the songs that were suggested, one song took the lead more than any other, and it was not one of his hit songs. It was actually a song that hasn’t been released yet. Smith posted a clip of himself performing his unreleased song “Pray” and it grew a lot of traction. The crowd was singing loudly along with Smith as he performed “Pray.”
Smith later followed with covers of “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” by Green Day and “My Own Worst Enemy” by Lit. He closed out his set with “World on Fire” and “I Like It,” which were recorded with Alesso. By the time Nate Smith closed out the night, Indianapolis wasn’t ready to let go—and honestly, neither was he. The Long Live Country Rock and Roll Tour didn’t just deliver big vocals and bigger moments; it left behind a crowd still buzzing, still singing, and still wanting more. It was the kind of show that lingers long after the lights come up—proof that when Nate Smith takes the stage, he’s not just playing songs, he’s building something loud, lasting, and impossible to ignore.
For more information on these artists and events coming to the Old National Centre, please visit:
Nate Smith- https://www.natesmithofficial.com
Josh Ross- https://www.joshrossmusic.com
Brandon Wisham- https://www.brandonwisham.com
Old National Centre- https://www.livenation.com/venue/KovZpZAEAkvA/old-national-centre-events?utm_source=GMBlisting&utm_medium=organic
Additional Images:
Photographs and writing by Jaclyn Duske