Bailey Zimmerman
Hudson Westbrook
Blake Whiten
Different Night Same Rodeo Tour
Vibrant Arena
Moline, IL
Friday March 13th, 2026 at 7pm
A sold-out crowd and a home state stage made for the perfect combination when Bailey Zimmerman returned to his roots for a night that felt more like a celebration than just another stop on his tour. From the moment he stepped onstage, the energy in the room was undeniable as fans sang every word back to the Illinois native who has quickly become one of country music’s fastest-rising stars. Zimmerman delivered a performance that proved coming home can sometimes be the loudest and most unforgettable stop of all. Before Zimmerman took the stage, Blake Whiten and Hudson Westbrook came out to warm up the crowd.
First up for the night was Blake Whiten. As rising country-rock singer-songwriter from a small town in South Carolina, Whiten is known for his emotive storytelling and gravelly vocals. He rose to fame in early 2021 on TikTok and Instagram with his acoustic covers. Whiten has created his sound with a blend of traditional country storytelling with modern country-rock. He performed a variety of his songs such as “Bet on That,” “Made for Goodbyes,” and “Rollin’ Stone,” capturing the crowd with his raw vocals.
Hudson Westbrook was next to take the stage. As a Texas native, Westbrook was born and raised on a cattle farm and attended college at Texas Tech University. While working toward becoming a landman, he worked at a feed store. He began singing in high school but never felt he was good enough to have it become his career. After a TikTok of his debut single “Take It Slow” went viral, Westbrook dropped out of college to pursue a career in music. He released his first studio album in July of 2025 after releasing his first self-titled EP in January of 2025. Westbrook kicked off his set with “LMWYL” while the crowd cheered and sang along. “Funny Seeing You Here,” “Dressed Down,” and “Painted You Pretty” are a few other songs that were included in his setlist. Westbrook brought an electric energy to the crowd, where fans sang along to all his songs. He later closed out his set with “5 to 9” and “House Again,” which was his first single to country radio.
A curtain on the stage dropped as the stage lights shined bright, signaling the start of Bailey Zimmerman’s set. From the small town of Louisville, IL, Zimmerman began playing guitar at the age of nine. He devoted much of his childhood to playing baseball and riding dirt bikes. Prior to making music, Zimmerman worked in the meat packing industry, on a union gas pipeline and later he pursued a truck lift venture with his stepbrother’s welding business. In 2020, Zimmerman recorded himself singing a cover of “Stay” by Black Stone Cherry for social media to impress girls. The video became widely shared and he later began writing his own music and sharing it on social media. He signed to Core Entertainment in 2021. After three of his singles in 2022 hit the charts, Zimmerman was signed to Warner Music Nashville and Elektra Records. His first major level project Leave the Light On released in 2022, followed by two studio albums Religiously. The Album. in 2023 and Different Night Same Rodeo in 2025. After the album released, he announced his first ever arena tour, the Different Night Same Rodeo Tour, which goes through June 2026.
The screen illuminated as smoke and fire lit up the stage while the band took their places, signifying Zimmerman’s appearance. Zimmerman emerged from the raised back section of the stage, launching high into the air and landing, while hyping up the crowd. A large rope was then lowered down, which he grabbed ahold and swung down like Tarzan to the main part of the center stage. He continued to run down the thrust while the band played and grabbed his microphone that was waiting for him at the end of the stage. He jumped right into his first song of the night which was “Backup Plan,” which was recorded as a duet with Luke Combs. He followed with “Never Comin’ Home” and “Lost.” After performing five songs, Zimmerman left the stage for an outfit change.
When he returned the stage, he read some of the audience’s signs. There was young fan in the audience who was celebrating their 12th birthday, so Zimmerman had the whole audience sing “Happy Birthday” to her. He then spent some time talking to the crowd about his time growing up. He acknowledged how he understands how hard it is to earn a living and he was so touched that people spent their hard-earned money on a concert ticket to see him. Through the support of the fans purchasing tickets and buying merchandise, Zimmerman, his band, and crew are able to travel all over the country and world to share his music. Selling out a show in his home state meant the world to him, especially as someone who came from a small town. He shared his advice for anyone who has a dream: keep working and fighting for it. Zimmerman then moved into singing “Get to Getting’ Gone” and the title track for his newest album “Comin’ in Cold.”
“I grew up a lot like everybody here. I grew up with morals and values. You help your neighbor. You take your shirt off your back when you have to. You work your ass off for the things that you want and I’ll tell you Illinois, the hard work was so worth it. We are sold out tonight in my home state. I am Bailey Zimmerman. I’m from Louisville, Illinois. I believe in God. I believe that everybody has a purpose. I believe that there’s nobody on this Earth without a purpose, big or small. You are meant to be here. And the main thing I want you walking away with tonight is inspiration. I am a skinny white boy from a trailer park. So, if I can do it, why can’t you Moline?”
The crowd began chanting Zimmerman’s name, which he asked them to chant his buddy Chandler Paul Walter’s name as he made his way to the stage. He was a cowriter on Zimmerman’s song “Fix’n to Break,” so he asked Walter to join him on stage to perform it with him. Zimmerman moved to the raised section at the back of the stage and began sharing a story about his grandfather who passed away. He owned an auto shop and Zimmerman wanted to keep his memory alive, so he created a screen visual of his auto shop to accompany his song “Chevy Silverado,” which is about the truck he bought as a kid when his grandfather owned his business.
A short break came while the crew set up a piano at the end of the thrust. He then dedicated the next song to his future wife before performing “Before You.” A fan then gifted him a copy of his debut album, where they bedazzled the cover. Zimmerman then moved into playing “Yours for the Breaking” before the crew moved the piano offstage. “Holy Smokes” was the next song performed before he moved into his newest song that released that day, “Just Believe,” which is a duet with Brandon Lake. Zimmerman performed “Ashes” while jumping off the stage into the pit to make his way to his B Stage that was behind the soundboard.
Zimmerman invited Whiten to the stage where they talked about their lives growing up in small towns. They then performed “Holding On” together. Zimmerman then shared, “No matter where you are or what you’re doing you’ve already made it. Just always remember the climb” before performing “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus, which was played in the Disney tv series Hannah Montana, celebrating the 20-year anniversary of the show. Zimmerman then stated, “I know this is a country concert, but let’s turn it into a club just tonight, okay?” as he moved into “All the Way” which is a BigXthaPlug song in which he featured on. He performed while moving through the audience and making his way backstage for another outfit change.
The music started up and Zimmerman appeared on stage in a Quad City Hockey Club jersey and began performing “New to Country” and was later joined by Hudson Westbrook. He closed out the show with his hit songs “Religiously,” “Where It Ends,” and “Rock in a Hard Place.” Zimmerman left the crowd buzzing from his electric performance. Fans left the venue with the same high energy Zimmerman displayed throughout his entire performance.
For additional information on these artists and events coming to the Vibrant Arena, please visit:
Bailey Zimmerman- https://www.baileyzimmermanmusic.com
Hudson Westbrook- https://www.hudsonwestbrook.com
Blake Whiten- https://www.blakewhitenofficial.com
Vibrant Arena- https://www.vibrantarena.com
Additional Images:
Photographs and writing by Jaclyn Duske