For country singer Brantley Gilbert, channeling his life through music has been huge. His albums reflect who he is, along with his past, including his latest release: “The Devil Don’t Sleep.”

He said that the album tells a pretty clear story from a chapter in his life, and he mentioned that songwriting has been one of the greatest ways he can express himself.

“I think songwriting is the truest form of expression outside of prayer,” Gilbert said. 

Gilbert found his passion for songwriting early. He said it was something he can remember doing since the time he first started writing. As for taking a career in music seriously, he said it came quite naturally as he set his mind on the possibility in middle school.

“Music for me just got more intense and more intense, and writing for me got more intense and more intense,” Gilbert said. “It just kinda gradually became what it is.”

Now, he uses his skills to relate to his fans. He said that many of them probably pick up on his music because he comes from similar small town and country backgrounds like they do.

“I’m a small town fella,” Gilbert said. “I write a lot about my life. Small town folks and country folks get it because I’m speaking their language.”

At the end of the day, Gilbert has a very big love for his fans and feels blessed because of their dedication to his music.

“A lot of them have been following me since before the first record and its [the fan base] done nothing but grow,” Gilbert said. “I thank God every day for them.”

On Friday night, Gilbert took his latest tour to Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moies. A crowd of over 8,000 greeted the singer along with Brian Davis and Luke Combs.

Before going to the show, I asked Gilbert what a show on “The Devil Don’t Sleep Tour” was like, and he said that it was something I would get an accurate view of by seeing it myself. His promise didn’t let me down, as what he brought to the stage was unique and very energetic.

Davis took the stage first, and he opened up the show in style. The single-guitar-playing artist brought a ton of energy to the stage early on, and pumped up the crowd. He did everything an opener should do. For being a solo act, he really made the most of the big Wells Fargo Arena stage.

“Raise Em’ Up to Right Now” was a song Davis sang pretty early in his set, and it really stuck out to me. Before playing it, he gave a nice nod to our servicemen and women and dedicated it to them afterward.

Davis left the stage making the audience feel great, and soon after Luke Combs took over the spotlight.

Combs and his band turned up the volume a little with their set. They came out onto stage to Waylon Jennings’ “Good Ol’ Boys” and then played a song all about the outlaws in country music.

Many of Combs’ songs dealt with real life and felt very heartfelt and sometimes even fun. “What Memories are Made Of” and “Sheriff if You Want To” were two songs of his that really drew me into the up-and-coming singer.

Combs closed with his recent hit “Hurricane.” The audience caught on pretty fast to this one, as many could be heard singing along with it around the arena. It was a good choice to close off on as it really resonated with the crowd.

After one final intermission, the lights became dark again and an exciting video along with wild lights and even fire welcomed Gilbert out onto the stage. Cheers took over the venue.

Quickly into his set, Gilbert’s talent for getting a crowd pumped up really shined. He made the start of the show feel like it could have been the middle of his set. His energy from early on never seemed to die. In fact, it only grew and the audience’s excitement never seemed to stop either. 

Early on, he played the song “My Kinda Party,” which he wrote and Jason Aldean later made famous. Even though I had never heard Gilbert sing it before, the way he did felt perfect. The whole idea of the song pretty much summed up the night too, as everything felt like a party atmosphere.

But, when things needed to slow down and feel more intimate, Gilbert had no problem doing that either. “One Hell of an Amen” had emotional lyrics in it already, but Gilbert’s live performance made the song even more special. I could hear the emotion in his voice, and everyone singing along with him made the moment feel sentimental.

He also had a couple of songs that were about his wife, which were very heartfelt. While they were played, photos and videos were displayed behind Gilbert and his band. The whole set up really showed off the feelings he has for his wife and it added something unique to the performance.

The high energy was not done though, as he played his hits “Bottoms Up” and “The Weekend” in style. Gilbert looked like he was genuinely having fun on stage to the point where it felt like the environment was that of a heavy metal concert, not a country one, but in the best of ways.

His finale did not disappoint either. Fireworks, flames and several flashing lights filled the stage and everything seemed to end with a boom. After the show, I felt an adrenaline rush. Gilbert gives a crowd a special kind of excitement that only someone of his style and personality can bring.