Get ready for a rockin' country New Year's Eve with Thomas Rhett in St. Paul

The "Beer Can't Fix" hitmaker will headline the Wild's Winter Classic NYE's Bash at Xcel Energy Center

November 8, 2021 at 7:40PM
Thomas Rhett (Alex Kormann, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

For a change, New Year's Eve will bring a big-name music star to the Twin Cities — country superstar Thomas Rhett at Xcel Energy Center.

The soul-tinged hitmaker behind "What's Your Country Song" and "Beer Can't Fix" has announced only one other show in December (Naples, Fla.) and a couple dates in 2022. But he has announced two new albums for next year: "Where We Started" and "Country Again: Side B," a follow-up to his April 2021 release "Country Again: Side A."

Opening on NYE will be Cole Swindell and Conner Smith.

Rhett last rocked Xcel Center in 2019, with a guest appearance by his dad, country stalwart Rhett Atkins.

Rhett's NYE gig at the Minnesota Wild's arena is being touted as the Winter Classic New Year's Eve Bash, a prelude to the Wild playing the St. Louis Blues on Jan. 1 at Target Field.

Maybe that will add to the appeal. Seven weeks is a short time to try to promote a country arena concert, especially during a fall stretch that will see Twin Cities appearances by country stars George Strait, Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town, the Brothers Osborne and Cody Jinks.

Tickets to Rhett's concert — priced from $59 to $129 — will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at Ticketmaster.com.

about the writer

about the writer

Jon Bream

Critic / Reporter

Jon Bream has been a music critic at the Star Tribune since 1975, making him the longest tenured pop critic at a U.S. daily newspaper. He has attended more than 8,000 concerts and written four books (on Prince, Led Zeppelin, Neil Diamond and Bob Dylan). Thus far, he has ignored readers’ suggestions that he take a music-appreciation class.

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