Brad Paisley Fans Left Shocked When Lightning Hits Venue Mid-Concert

Country music fans at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre got more than they bargained for during Brad Paisley’s recent concert when a sudden lightning strike lit up the night, and nearly stopped the show.

The viral clip from the August performance shows Paisley mid-song, effortlessly shredding through a guitar solo. But as soon as he steps back up to the mic, the giant screen behind him flickers to static, the sound distorts, and the mic lets out an odd noise.

Brad Paisley pauses, looking around in visible confusion, before saying something into the mic that’s difficult to make out over the commotion.

Fans quickly realized what had happened. Lightning had struck the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, sending a shock through the venue’s system. The moment had the crowd jumping in unison, and the comments section lit up with reactions.

“I had a lady almost jump over my chair on to my back. It was crazy!” one fan recalled as someone else joked, “This and the second one made a whole room of Floridian jump. That’s saying a lot. He was still so great!”

Others chimed in with their own close calls. “That made me jump and the second one on the right side of the stage was close too,” one wrote.

Another attendee admitted, “I felt so bad for the people at the top just getting rained on.”

TikTok user Ava Brown, who posted part of the incident, added, “Girl, I was there… my mom got a picture before and I ran out there so fast I ran into the hallway, but he was so good from what I saw.”

The wild lightning moment wasn’t Brad Paisley’s only headline-grabber this week. Just days earlier, the country star had the crowd in stitches when he turned his show into an impromptu comedy skit featuring a few local police officers as he was "taken into custody."

Paisley invited the officers on stage mid-set, smirking as he told fans, “They’re the ones calling this a speed trap, not me.” He then passed out guitar picks to each of them, playfully adding, “This isn’t a bribe… well, maybe just a little one.”

The audience erupted with laughter, and the Bridgeport Police Department even posted the hilarious exchange online. As the song wrapped, Paisley shook hands with the officers, earning a standing ovation from the crowd.

Brad Paisley is also making headlines off the stage this week, thanks to a major career milestone.

On Wednesday, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame announced its 2025 class of inductees during a press conference at the historic Columbia Studio in Nashville. Among the honorees are Paisley and legendary singer-songwriter Emmylou Harris, both celebrated for their decades of shaping country music’s storytelling tradition.

The announcement, made by Hall of Fame board chair Rich Hallworth and executive director Mark Ford, cements Paisley’s status as one of the genre’s most influential voices, not just behind the mic, but behind the pen.

Brad Paisley may have carved out his own legendary place in country music, but he’s never been shy about who inspired him the most. The one and only Alan Jackson.

Speaking to Country Now, Paisley revealed that the “Chattahoochee” singer has been his ultimate country music hero from the very start of his career. Paisley recalled joining Jackson on tour in his early days, when he was still playing just a handful of songs early in the set.

“It was Alan Jackson for me in the beginning,” he shared. “I was new, and I only did a few songs, and it was way early in the set. And it’s a challenge, first of all, because half the people aren’t in their seat yet, but it’s part of the process.”

Paisley’s "Truck Still Works Tour" is now winding down after a whirlwind summer of packed venues, surprise onstage moments, and plenty of fan-favorite hits.

With support from Walker Hayes, Avery Anna, Alexandra Kay, Mae Estes, and Dylan Scott, the trek covered coast-to-coast stops from Idaho Falls to Phoenix, Los Angeles, Richmond, and beyond.

The run officially wrapped on August 3 in Clearwater, Florida.