Cody Jinks and Tanner Usrey bring outlaw grit to Syracuse

The late-summer air off Onondaga Lake carried a mix of cowboy hats, denim jackets, and anticipation on Sunday night as fans packed the Empower FCU Amphitheater for the Syracuse stop of Cody Jinks’ Hippies & Cowboys Tour. 

From the stage to the lawn, fans in boots, band tees and denim gathered to welcome one of modern outlaw country’s biggest voices.

Usrey’s soulful set and Black Sabbath surprise

Opening the evening was rising Texas songwriter Tanner Usrey, who wasted no time showing why his name is climbing fast in country-rock circles. With a raw, raspy voice that slid effortlessly between hits like “Beautiful Lies” and rowdier anthems like “Gasoline and Adderall,” Usrey delivered the kind of opener that demands attention.

But it was his final moments onstage that drew the loudest reaction. As a nod to Ozzy Osbourne’s recent passing, Usrey launched into a thunderous cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs,” and the lawn section came to life. 

Just when the crowd thought the tribute couldn’t get bigger, Cody Jinks himself strode out early to join Usrey for an electric cover of “Paranoid.” The duet blurred genre lines and lit the stage in a way only outlaw country and heavy metal could.

Jinks delivers outlaw honesty

By the time the lights dimmed and fog machines hissed, the amphitheater was buzzing with anticipation. Jinks emerged in his signature cowboy hat and sunglasses, hands raised, before cutting straight into “Outlaws and Mustangs.” 

His voice, gravelly and honest yet unwavering, cut through the amphitheater with force, and the crowd was ready to echo every line back at him.

Jinks steered the night between bruising honky-tonk stompers and whiskey-soaked ballads. “Must Be the Whiskey” became a communal singalong, thousands of voices fusing with Jinks’. 

“Somewhere in the Middle” and “Hippies and Cowboys” drew equal cheers with their outlaw grit resonating across generations in the stands. The band behind him played as tight as barbed wire, with pedal steel sweeps and electric guitar breaks adding punch without ever drowning Jinks’ words. 

What stood out most wasn’t the lights or impressive voice; it was authenticity. Every lyric sounded like it had been lived, every chord weathered.

Between songs, Jinks kept his banter short but meaningful, pausing to tip his hat and thank the crowd for sticking with him since the early honky-tonk days. He spoke less like a performer commanding a stage and more like a neighbor telling stories over a backyard fence, even telling of how the now sober artist came to write “Put the Whiskey Down,” inspired by the passing of the “King of the Honky Tonks,” Gary Stewart.

Fans, families and an outlaw communion

Looking around, the crowd reflected Jinks’ broad appeal. Weathered country vets in pearl-snap shirts stood shoulder-to-shoulder with college kids in cutoffs, while families danced with toddlers on their shoulders. 

A cool lake breeze rolled in as the sun dropped behind the stage, giving the night the air of both a Saturday night party and a Sunday gospel revival.

Jinks acknowledged the crowd several times, thanking them for sticking with him from his early honky-tonk days to the amphitheater stage. The sincerity landed as this wasn’t a performer going through motions, but a songwriter grateful for the journey and the people who helped carry him here. 

Jinks even gave a nod to Usrey and his band, saying it’s nice to see some new boys still trying to do it right and follow in the old-timers’ footsteps.

Photo by Matt Hofmann

With a devoted following and consistent touring schedule, Cody Jinks’s shows are built on soulful storytelling and persistent connection.

Thunderous and timeless

As the main set closed with roaring applause, the crowd wasn’t ready to let go. 

Jinks returned for an encore, capped by “Loud and Heavy,” his calling card and a regular closer of this tour. The sound of thousands chanting “Loud… and heavy…” back at him seemed to rumble across the lake, leaving fans sweaty, smiling and satisfied.

The night carried everything a summer concert hopes for: surprise collaborations, heartfelt tributes, gritty storytelling and a crowd united by music. 

For Syracuse, the Hippies & Cowboys Tour wasn’t just another stop; it was a reminder that country, like rock before it, is at its best when it’s loud, lived-in and unapologetically honest.