Michaels, Gilbert playing The Arena this weekend

Brantley Gilbert is scheduled to perform at The Arena Saturday night.

The Arena in Corbin will be rattling the rafters Friday and Saturday night as rock legends Bret Michaels and Warrant take the stage Friday night while country music star Brantley Gilbert goes on Saturday night.

Gilbert, who has scored back-to-back platinum albums with “Halfway to Heaven” in 2010 and “Just as I Am” in 2014, is going for the hat trick with his current album, “The Devil Don’t Sleep.”

“It is going to be wide open,” Gilbert said when asked what fans can expect at the show. “It will be high energy as always. Loud and a lot of fun.”

Gilbert, who writes his own music, said he believes it resonates with fans because the songs are about his life.

“Writing music is the truest form of expression outside of prayer,” Gilbert said.

Gilbert said the influence of hip hop and dance music making the rounds in country music is like any other trend in the music business.

“Things come in and out of style,” Gilbert said adding country music has reached a point where everything is kind of trending, which is a great thing for songwriters.

“As a songwriter, you can just go wherever the vibes take you,” Gilbert said.

Growing up in Maysville, Georgia, a town of less than 1,800 people in northeast Georgia, Gilbert said he loves and appreciates small town life. The opportunity to get out of the likes of Rupp Arena in Lexington and Thompson Bowling Arena in Knoxville and play in the smaller setting in Corbin is a welcome change.

“When you come to a smaller market, you can feel how much the people appreciate it,” Gilbert said. “They are just hungry for music. It is always a great time.”

Whether it is Rupp Arena or The Arena in Corbin, Gilbert said walking out on stage feels the same.

“It is an adrenaline rush,” Gilbert said of the feeling he gets when he takes the stage and looks out at the crowd. “It is right next to walking out on the football field on Friday night.”

Gilbert said he considered several careers before committing to the music business.

“I was one of those guys in college that had a bunch of different majors,” Gilbert said. “My first was criminal justice, but after looking at myself, my friends and my recorder, I knew that would never work.”

“I also thought about being a relationship counselor, but I would have more divorces on my hands than social media,” Gilbert added.

In the end, Gilbert said he likely would have returned home to Maysville and gone into coaching.

“I just really enjoy that,” Gilbert said.

Gilbert said traveling on tour is a different experience than the typical trip around the country.

“We always travel at night, so I wake up in a different city,” Gilbert said explaining he doesn’t have much of an opportunity to see the sights.

When not on tour, Gilbert said he enjoys spending time with his wife, on his motorcycle, or if the season is right, hunting.

Gilbert’s other passion is his farm in Alabama that he working to make accessible to allow veterans with disabilities to be able to go hunting.

“Because of some of their injuries, it may not be easy for them to hunt,” Gilbert explained. “Here, there are several stands that are handicapped accessible. Next to with my wife that is my favorite place in the world.”

Less than 150 tickets remain available for Gilbert’s concert.

“I would love to see them at the show,” Gilbert said when asked if there is anything he would like to say to the fans. “I will do everything I can not to disappoint them.”

Tickets are still available for Michaels’ show on Saturday.

Tickets for both may be purchased at The Arena box office or online at www.ticketmaster.com.