On Friday, August 22nd, Cole Swindell made his way back north of the border to Niagara Falls and the OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino. He opened the set with Flatliner, standing at the top of a big staircase before making his way down to the front of the stage, greeted by a wave of fans already pressed up against the barricade.
From there, he dove into some of his biggest hits, including Single Saturday Night, Middle of a Memory, and Chillin’ It. By that point, all three levels of the venue were on their feet, swept up in Cole’s high-energy performance. But then he told the crowd it was time to slow things down for a few songs. I knew that meant one thing—his career-defining ballad, You Should Be Here.
Before playing it, he paused to thank fans for making the song such a success, saying he truly appreciates reading their stories and letters about what it has meant to them. He admitted the song has taken on even greater meaning for him in recent years, especially with his own “you should be here” moments—like getting married and welcoming his first child. Earlier in the night, he even stumbled on his words while confessing the last few weeks had been a whirlwind with his new baby and very little sleep. For the final verse, he asked the crowd to light up the arena with their phone flashlights, creating a breathtaking scene. From my seat it was incredible—I can only imagine what it looked like from Cole’s perspective on stage.
The song I had been personally hoping to hear came next—his brand-new track Dale Jr.. Cole shared how, when he first met NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr., their conversation wasn’t about gold records or checkered flags. Instead, they bonded over stories of their fathers. He also told the crowd how his own dad’s favourite driver was Dale Sr., and how much he would have thought it was “so damn cool” to see his son backstage, talking with Dale Jr. before a show.
As the night moved toward its finale, Cole teased the crowd, saying, “I hope there’s nobody here who’s recently gone through a breakup.” Right on cue, a guy in the front row raised his hand. Swindell walked over, handed him the mic, and asked him to tell the crowd what the next song was. Without hesitation, the fan shouted: Ain’t Worth the Whiskey. Cole laughed and said he couldn’t have introduced it better himself.
After that, the band exited, but it didn’t take long for the encore. Cole and company returned with Drinkaby, followed by a 90s medley packed with country throwbacks, including George Strait and Toby Keith classics. The crowd roared, singing every word. Cole leaned into it, joking that maybe he should just turn the whole place into a karaoke bar. The band launched into his Jo Dee Messina-inspired cover of Heads Carolina, complete with the lyrics displayed on the big screens like a true karaoke setup.
To wrap up the night, Cole made sure to visit each side of the stage, thanking fans personally before signing autographs and snapping selfies with those lucky enough to be up front.
It was a fun, memorable night—and hopefully, we won’t have to wait years again for Cole Swindell and his band to return to Ontario.
