MUSIC

Cody Johnson's dream-chasing journey takes him to his biggest Nashville-area show yet

Matthew Leimkuehler
Nashville Tennessean
Cody Johnson opens for Luke Combs at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Saturday, May 21, 2022. The show kicked off Combs’ first-ever headlining stadium tour.
  • Rising country star Cody Johnson plays FirstBank Amphitheater later this month.
  • Johnson heads back to Tennessee on the heels of his 2021 double album 'Human.'
  • In a new interview, he traces his Nashville history from 3rd and Lindsley to chart-topping success.

Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the name of Cody Johnson song "'Til You Can't." The story has been updated.

The first time Cody Johnson played in Nashville, he needed to set the room on fire. 

An up-and-coming Texas country singer with a knack for neotraditional showmanship and a do-it-yourself work ethic, he didn't know which Music Row gatekeeper might be bellied-up to one of the tables inside 3rd and Lindsley, waiting to be impressed. 

"I knew that half the crowd that night were people who were comin' to see who this Cody Johnson kid was," Johnson told The Tennessean about that show a decade ago. "I put all the pressure on myself to make sure that show was the best. I was playin' my best songs, I was puttin' on my best performance." 

Spoiler: It worked out for Johnson. 

In 2022, the 35-year-old draws a few more people to his gigs. Whether it's a newcomer ready to shout each syllable of his monster radio hit "'Til You Can't" or a tried-and-true vet of his honky-tonk days, each showgoer comes ready to watch Johnson light a proverbial match that sets the stage ablaze. 

Cody Johnson opens for Luke Combs at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Saturday, May 21.

'This song is going to be around forever'

Later this month, Johnson returns for his biggest show in the Nashville area to date: a capacity headlining night at FirstBank Amphitheater in Williamson County. He plays July 28 at the rock quarry concert venue roughly 30 miles south of Nashville, one of 31 sold-out shows so far this year. Easton Corbin and Drew Parker support the show. 

A country singer seemingly steering a jet-fueled trip to household stardom, Johnson arrives in Nashville after months of red-hot success behind 2021 double LP "Human."

His second release on Warner Nashville after years of building independent success in dance halls and on county fair stages, the small-town East Texas native topped country radio with album song "'Til You Can't," arguably the year's most successful country single. A resonating reminder to chase a dream at all costs, the song spent two weeks at No. 1 in March, per the Billboard Country Airplay chart – a rare achievement for chart-topping songs in the format. 

"This is something that people in radio have told me: This song is going to be around forever," said Johnson, who once chased dreams on the baseball diamond and at rodeo competitions.

He added: "My first No. 1 hit wasn't about cut-off shorts or four-wheel drives. It was about something that might change somebody's life. I take a lot of pride in that." 

Cody Johnson performs outdoors on Lower Broadway during the CMT Music Awards in Nashville in April.

Earlier this year, he brought his new double-album to stadiums – playing main support for radio kingmaker Luke Combs on his inaugural run of shows inside venues built to hold NFL games. And last week Johnson supported Zac Brown Band at a one-night gig inside Boston's historic Fenway Park. 

CoJo's real-life stories meld tradition with modern

At these shows or his headlining gigs, Johnson – known to fans as CoJo – attracts a fast-growing following fueled by his real-life stories that meld Texas country tradition with a modern touch of arena-ready hitmaking. 

Unlike the dreams in his hit song, Johnson doesn't want to chase radio trends of label analytics, he said. After years of cutting, releasing and touring on independent music before signing a major label deal, his market research comes with 90 minutes of singing each night on stage. 

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No matter how successful "Human" could prove to be (the title track continues to climb on country radio), Johnson won't change how he conducts his research. 

"It doesn't change anything, as far as the way we create," Johnson said. "We find those songs no matter what the subject matter is, no matter what the tempo, no matter what the key. When we love 'em – whenever you go, 'Oh my gosh, that's an incredible song.' That's the songs we record because that's what we're passionate about it."

He added: "As long as we're being honest with ourselves when we're creating in the studio, that translates through to the listener no matter if they've known me for 15 years or if this is (the) first album they pick up." 

Cody Johnson opens for Luke Combs at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver. Johnson supported Zac Brown Band at a one-night gig inside Boston's Fenway Park.

And, yes – he still feels the heat to entertain each person who walks through the door. Nowadays, it burns a little brighter. 

"I used to tell my band before we'd go on stage, 'Play this show like you wanna play for the rest of your life.' As if we had something to prove to the people in the crowd," Johnson said. "My perspective has changed (to where) I say, 'Go play this show like it's the last show you're ever going to play.' 

"There's a difference in the approach. The crowd ... appreciating them paying their money to be there. The appreciation that radio's playing my single. We're thankful for all those things." 

At publication time, some resale tickets remained available to see to Cody Johnson at FirstBank Amphitheater. Visit firstbankamphitheater.com for more information.