Every seat in the PPL Center in Allentown was sold out, but most of them were never used May 6. Country music artist Jason Aldean headlined his “We Were Here” tour after openers Thomas Rhett and A Thousand Horses played sets to the packed house.

The uniform for the evening was a familiar sight for country music events: cowboy boots, cowboy hats and a plaid button-up shirt. It seemed like everyone got the memo as a sea of colored plaids filled the stadium to watch Aldean, RIAA’s top digital country male artist of all-time, rock the house.

A Thousand Horses kicked off the evening with a stellar set. A man clinging to the barrier at the edge of the stage said that this was his 13th time seeing A Thousand Horses in concert. The group released its first full-length album, “Southernality,” last January.

Thomas Rhett’s entrance was punctuated by smoke machines and screaming fans. As giant screens flashed rhythmically behind him, he began his set with songs that seemed to straddle the fence between country music and EDM. But to showcase his range, he brought out an acoustic guitar and played a slow country ballad he wrote, “Beer With Jesus,” showing his true country side.

Both opening acts had their lead guitarists throw their guitar picks into the crowd after electrifying the arena. A local man was lucky enough to catch them both. Northampton resident Dale Wagner was there to see his third Jason Aldean concert. He even proposed to his fiancé Tara during Aldean’s “Burnin’ It Down” tour at Hersheypark last year. “We’ve been fans of Jason since the very beginning,” gushed Wagner. With his right arm around Tara and his left hand clutching the picks, he laughed. “We’re only here for Jason, but these are definitely a bonus.”

Aldean’s show proved to be full of more bonuses. Jason Aldean hats, shirts and beer koozies were available for sale and one could even purchase a “Burnin’ It Down” drink at the bar (rum and Coke). Its popularity was evident because before Aldean even took the stage, all the bars on the concourse were completely out of rum.

As the lights dimmed for the main event, the front portion of the stage lit with a giant purple square as the band played the chorus of Prince’s “Purple Rain” in tribute to the deceased artist. Then, the party started. The black curtains shrouding the stage were thrown back and Aldean entered surrounded by bright white lights while projectors showed screaming fans at concerts past.

Since many of Aldean’s music videos feature his concert footage, few were surprised to see men following Aldean around on stage with handheld cameras that occasionally pointed toward the crowd. The crowd was ecstatic when Aldean gestured to the men and told the crowd, “Get wild in here, because y’all are gonna be a part of my next music video.”

Aldean sounded crisp and clear and played every guitar he was handed with ease. But that wasn’t the only good part about the show. The visuals were amazing. The stage and crowd were bathed in green light for the hit song “Big Green Tractor,” and in red and orange for the award-winning “Amarillo Sky.” Strategically-placed microphones kept Aldean moving from stage left to stage right, playing to all edges of the house. The lights and visual effects punctuated the awesome work from the band with sweat pouring down the musicians’ faces by the third song.

After the set, the band left the stage, but the crowd did not quiet. Soon the words “We Were Here” began flashing rhythmically on the screen, prompting the crowd to start chanting the same title of the tour. The words sped up and soon some were jumping themselves into a frenzy, screaming the tour name. Aldean soon returned to the stage to play the encore numbers “Burning it Down” and “Crazy Town.”

The songs completed, Aldean was handed a SteelHawks football helmet and a marker. After signing it, he picked a little girl out of the crowd surrounding the stage, brought her on stage with him and placed the helmet on her head. The crowd went wild. As the band played their last powerful chords, Aldean was tossed a Coors Lite, opened it in the center of the stage and chugged the frothing brew before finally saying goodnight.

The “We Were Here” tour continues through 2016 with Jason Aldean returning to Pennsylvania in September with concerts in Hersheypark and Philadelphia. Information: jasonaldean.com