“How in the Hell Am I Supposed To Walk Away From 10,000 Screaming Fans?”: Country Star Rejects Calls To End Show, Delivers a Career-Defining Performance

When it comes to concerts versus Mother Nature, the weather is nearly undefeated. No matter how much a singer prepares, a single storm can absolutely ruin a show that took months and millions to create. And to make it worse, it is the singer who ultimately has to apologize to fans for the canceled concert. But for Nate Smith, he proved that while he might not have the power to control the weather, he had the power to keep performing no matter how much rain fell. 

Scheduled to headline at Dauphin’s Countryfest, Smith was excited to entertain fans with hits like “Fix What You Didn’t Break” and “Bulletproof.” But after only performing a few songs on Sunday, he noticed the weather moving in. That’s when he got word from his crew. “I looked up at the sky, saw lightning and it started pouring. In my ears, my team said, ‘Nate, we gotta pull it.’”  

Looking out over the crowd, Smith didn’t want to break the news to the thousands of fans who paid. “I said, ‘How in the hell am I supposed to walk away from 10,000 screaming fans?’” Grabbing the mic, Smith had the perfect solution – keep performing. 

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Nate Smith Calls Performance Best Of His Career

With the crowd loving every second, videos of the special moment circulated online, showing Smith commanding the stage. He didn’t even seem to care about the lightning lighting up the night sky. 

Online, fans praised Smith for pushing through the weather. For fans, they understood that most singers would have called it a night. “You wouldn’t let it rain out your party. You’re on fire.” Another comment read, “He knows what the crowd wants.” 

Although entertaining the fans, Smith promised that it was the best moment of his career. “It was the closest I’ve ever felt to the crowd and without a doubt the best show moment of my live career so far.”   

Aside from Smith, Dauphin’s Countryfest also featured performances from Tyler Hubbard, Cameron Whitcomb, Brett Kissel, and Jelly Roll. One of Canada’s longest-running country music festivals, the event once again delivered a memorable weekend for fans and especially Smith.

(Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage)

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