Ford corrals concert crowd

Before singing the final chorus of his song “Dirt Road Anthem,” country musician Colt Ford encouraged the audience to sing the words with him.

“Sing it loud,” he said. “Let everyone in Ohio and Kentucky know that Indiana knows about four-wheel drive and dirt roads!”

Ford performed Friday at the Bluebird Nightclub to a large and rowdy crowd. He is currently on a nationwide tour, which heads to Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri before the month’s end.

The concert featured Bedford native Clayton Anderson as the opening act, as well as a special performance by Ford’s lead guitarist and backup vocalist Tyler Farr, who is just starting his own solo career.

“You know it’s a good night when you’re playing at a bar and instead of people holding up glasses of beers, they’re holding heavy pitchers,” Farr said during his set.

Ford finally climbed on stage just before 11 p.m. He wore aviator sunglasses and a black cowboy hat. Patches stitched onto the shirt draped over his 300-pound frame read “American by Birth, Southern by the Grace of God” and “ABCDEFUCKU.”

Ford played for more than an hour, performing many of his original songs, including “Ride Through the Country,” “Mr. Goodtime,” and “Chicken & Biscuits,” the title track from his newest album. The set was also packed with covers such as Charlie Daniels Band’s “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” and KISS’s “Rock ’n’ Roll All Night.”

Any dead noise was filled with chants of “hell yeah” from the crowd and the sound of empty beer bottles breaking as they were thrown into trash cans, or, occasionally, dropped onto the floor.

“Where are all my Indiana rednecks at?” Ford asked at one point. The crowd screamed and applauded in response.

After being coaxed back on stage for a two-song encore, Ford, who had never played in Indiana before, expressed his gratitude.

“Thank y’all so much for making my first time here so special,” he said, removing his hat to show his appreciation. “I hope to play here again soon.”

He returned the hat to his head and added, “Right now, though, I’m pretty hungry — anyone know where the Waffle House is around here?"

After the concert, Ford signed autographs and took pictures with fans.

“I’ve been trying to get to Indiana for a while, and I’m just excited to finally get here,” he said as a fan moved toward him for a picture. “We had a good time, good crowd. Everybody here had fun, and that’s what it’s all about.”