Photos and Review by David Kasiorek
Pittsburgh’s own Gabby Barrett lit up the Timber Rock Amphitheater on Saturday night – a perfect venue for live country music to the backdrop of mountain landscapes in Farmington, PA. This was an extra special night for me as I had the opportunity and privilege to work with Gabby as she was a contestant on American Idol and up until she was signed to her record breaking deal. It was a mini reunion on the party deck as many of Gabby’s supporters from the beginning of her career were there to cheer for her on the big stage. Having been friends with the Barrett family for many years it was nice to be included in such a big night. I got to take in all of the performers during the pre-show including the up and coming Morgan Gruber, who was also a contestant on Idol and Gabby’s husband Cade Foehner (who she met while on Idol) as he played a set of original tunes about life on the farm in a form of country music akin to Johnny Cash. Prior to the show starting Gabby’s father (Blase) had a plethora of give aways and fun activities for the crowd to interact with making this more than just a concert but also a way to give back to those that were there through all the years supporting Gabby since she started at just 10 years old.
When the sun set it was time for Gabby to take the stage as thousands of eager fans waited for the moment. To kick things off a local drum line performed which was the first of a few special guests for the hometown show. As the lights dimmed and Gabby entered center stage, her band warming up the crowd, it was clear that Gabby was in fact – home. The show kicked off with “Glory Days”, the lead single of her most recent record (2024s, Chapter & Verse) a song about family and raising children. After ripping through a few more songs of the Chapter & Verse record, Gabby performed her new hit single “The Easy Part” followed by “Cowboy Back” which featured a local line dancing group to add some extra flavor. On the next few songs the band came front and center in a more intimate setting while surrounded by a camp fire to sing stripped down versions of some tunes. Gabby and her husband (Cade) had a little duet going on, followed by Cade performing one of his originals that was played at the pre-show and finishing up with Gabby angelically singing a rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide”. Once the band got back on their instruments it was time for the mega hit “The Good One’s” (a huge wedding song from 2020 and beyond) which included a couple of young fans on stage to sing along with Gabby. A few songs later Gabby performed a rocked up version of her hit single “Footprints on the Moon” following a call back to her past on Idol and prior to that as she performed covers of Bon Jovi, “Living on a Prayer” and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” with plenty of crowd interaction. The final song of the night was “I Hope” Gabby’s biggest hit and the song that propelled her into country stardom.
What a great night it was and such an awesome venue to experience it all. It was a day filled with friends, family, fun and music. I hope (no pun intended) that Gabby will return home for another show soon!