Cardinals legend performs in Chaffee during solar eclipse

For a guy who became a multimillionaire playing baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals at a legendary level, Adam Wainwright’s music resonated more with the humble lifestyle of his venue.

The former pitcher performed as the headliner of a country music concert on Monday, April 8, in Chaffee, Mo., as hundreds of spectators converged at the Rock ‘N’ Roll Drive-In to witness a total solar eclipse.

“I was proud to be out there in front of the guys, represent Cardinal Nation but also rep this cool new album we got coming out,” Wainwright said.

It was a more intimate performance compared to his previous career. On the mound, the fans in a nearly sold-out Busch Stadium were there to support the team he played for. This time around, the audience was there for him personally, for a meet & greet and a concert experience that felt fun and interactive for both parties.

Some of the songs from his debut album “Hey Y’all” emphasized his life as a father and upbringing as a kid without one. “One Day They Won’t” and “If You Would’ve Stayed” were two emotional songs that even he admitted on stage were a challenge to perform.

“I’m glad to be able to share it,” Wainwright said. “It’s my life story and all these songs are real.”

It wouldn’t be a country concert without a declaration of patriotism and an acknowledgment of the military veterans in attendance. He ended the concert with “American Hearts” but as he exited the stage, the crowd stood up in cheer and asked for an encore, a first in his music career.

So he obliged with a song that was an ode to the Cardinals fan base that’s been behind him since he began in the bullpen during a World Series run in 2006.

“It’d be cool to sit up there and play for a while and then tell stories for a while,” Wainright said. “I think people here would probably rather hear Cardinal stories and not country music. We’re working on that. We’re working on trying to make some good stuff.”

The concert at Chaffee capped off a string of bucket-list events that saw Wainwright perform at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and open for the Zac Brown Band in St. Louis.

“It’s just an incredible month for me,” Wainwright said. “It’s one of the highlights of my life, I gotta be honest. I never thought I’d do anything like this. So I feel very blessed and honored to be up here.”