New beginnings
Brantley Gilbert is America’s country-boy sweetheart. Though it might not seem so from his hardened, tattooed exterior, the 33-year-old has been shaping up his life and melting hearts along the way. Sure, he makes music that speaks to the souls of millions (he topped the charts in 2014 with his second studio album, “Just As I Am”), but it’s his personal story that endures.
Gilbert suffered through a years-long opiate and alcohol addiction, and his story of falling down the rabbit hole as a high school football player who just “popped pills here and there” to manage post-game-day pain sounds all too familiar. And even though Gilbert was producing songs like “My Kinda Party” and “Dirt Road Anthem” for country singer Jason Aldean while in the throes of addiction, he knew his habits weren’t manageable in the long run, kicking them in late 2011.
“Knowing where I am now, looking back almost makes me sick to my stomach,” he said to People in May. “To go back to that frame of mind now is hard. Just what the hell was I thinking?”
Since then, Gilbert has produced two studio albums, and an upcoming album is in the works. In 2015, he married his long-time crush, Amber Cochran, and the two had their first baby in November.
It’s great news, then, that the country star is on another tour. As such, he will be gracing Mohegan Sun Saturday as part of his “The Ones That Like Me Tour.” Expect hits such as “Kick It in The Sticks,” “Bottoms Up” and “My Kind Of Crazy.” Brantley Gilbert, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Mohegan Sun Arena; $39-$79; 1-800-745-3000.