The Road Episode 1 Recap & Review

A new singing competition show has debuted on CBS called The Road. The series sees 12 artists taking the stage to win the grand prize of a recording contract, $250,000, and a slot on the Mane Stage at Stagecoach Country Music Festival. Each week, follow along as Keith Urban and Blake Shelton, along with the crowd, vote to see who goes home. I will be recapping everything that went down, including my favorite performance, who was in the bottom three, and who went home. 

The Road Episode 1 Synopsis

“The Premiere” – The journey kicks off for 12 emerging musicians as they take the stage as opening acts for Grammy® Award winner, executive producer, and “headlining superstar” for THE ROAD, Keith Urban, at their first stop at Tannehill’s Music Hall in Ft. Worth, Texas. As each musician performs, Keith and executive producer Blake Shelton watch closely to see how they connect with the crowd. Grammy® Award winner and “tour manager” Gretchen Wilson shares her first words of support, offering viewers a raw, behind-the-scenes look at life on the road—before and after the spotlight hits. As the night unfolds, the live audience casts their votes, and one musician will be sent home, while the remaining 11 earn a coveted seat on the tour bus and begin a thrilling 10-week ride through the highs and lows of touring, where one ultimate winner will claim the grand prize.

Who are the contestants on The Road? 

Adam Sanders, Billie Jo Jones, Blaine Bailey, Briana Adams, Britnee Kellogg, Cassidy Daniels, Channing Wilson, Cody Hibbard, Forrest McCurren, Jenny Tolman, Jon Wood, and Olivia Harms.

What goes down in episode 1? 

Each singer has to play an original song in front of the audience, with the crowd voting on whom they like. After the crowd voting, there will be a bottom three, where Keith and Blake will decide who goes home.

My favorite performances: Adam Sanders, Billie Jo Jones, Cassidy Daniels

Who Was Sent Home in Episode 1 of The Road?

Cassidy, Cody, and Adam were the top 3 this week. The bottom three were Olivia, Forrest, and Blaine. Not much of a shock here, but Blaine was sent home. I don’t agree with this based on him being mixed up in a situation where it wasn’t his fault. However, because he didn’t connect with the audience, that is why he went home. Everyone else will embark on the bus to head on tour with Keith Urban.

Overall Thoughts

One of the biggest things I loved about the first episode is we got an insight into who these people are. Most shows don’t give us this insight, and even though the length of the episode was long, for a pilot it was brilliant to allow audiences to connect with these people. We are about to go on this journey and follow them. This stands out in a world of your typical music competitions that could really be something we see go beyond just country music. I am excited to follow this ride through the whole season.