You couldn't tell Jason Aldean had taken six months off by the sound of his tight band and powerful vocals.

Aldean headlined Sunday evening at Stagecoach 2019 in front of tens of thousands of fans on a cool spring night. A few songs in, he admitted he's been spending a lot of time with family lately but wouldn't let the break hinder him from giving his fans a performance to remember.

In a cowboy hat and plaid short-sleeve button-up, Aldean — who previously headlined the festival in 2014 — kicked off with classics like "Tattoos on This Town" and "Fly Over States."

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While the night was one of celebration, including for the Route 91 shooting victims, it also was one of exploration with Aldean showcasing songs from his entire career.

Here are the biggest takeaways from Aldean's set:

Route 91 shoutout

Sunday night was Aldean's first headlining performance here since the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival mass shooting in Las Vegas. During his 2017 set, a gunman opened fire on the crowd, killing 58 and wounding hundreds more.

Aldean acknowledged the large Route 91 crowd in attendance about midway through his set.

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He then said he wanted to finish "When She Says Baby," a song he didn't complete at the Vegas show because it was interrupted by the shooting.

Brian Ahlers, of Beaumont, and his daughter, Briannah, hugged and held each other during Aldean's set. Ahlers said his wife, Hannah, 34, was among the first shot by a lone gunman firing down on the crowd from a room at Mandalay Bay.

"The bullet that hit Hannah was fired just as Aldean began singing, 'When She Says Baby,'" Ahlers said. "She was dancing. She didn't know she was under attack."

When Aldean performed the song Sunday night, Ahlers said he became emotional.

"That one always gets me," he said.

Briannah, a mashup of her parents' names, watched Aldean from near the stage, then joined her dad after the song.

"It's been crazy," she said of watching Aldean perform. "But it makes me think of her, so that makes me happy."

Ahlers said he's appreciative of the outpouring of support this weekend.

"In the RV park, every other RV has a Route 91 flag or sign. Being here at Stagecoach, there's been so much love and support."

The song received exceptionally loud applause after Aldean finished.

Rock isn't dead

When you buy a ticket to California's premier country festival, you don't expect to get treated to a rock show.

Aldean, one of country's premier voices, proved rock isn't dead with songs like "Big Green Tractor" and "Crazy Town." With blistering guitar solos and bluesy licks complementing Aldean's vocals, it felt like fans were witnessing an artist who saw the value in country music for its unique lyrical perspective and rock for its ability to unite everyone.

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The anthems, Gibson Les Paul guitars and smooth bass licks felt less like your mom and dad's country and more like something new, a country-rock hybrid that recognizes the two are more similar than different.

If you don't rely on a little bit of rock, how else can you get people to believe in the (outdoor) stadium experience?

Aldean crafted a set with pacing reminiscent of something you might see from Bruce Springsteen.

Popular to everyone

Sometimes an artist's fans are only of a certain age or generation, and their ability to reach backward or forward to grab more fans is difficult.

That's a problem Aldean doesn't seem to have.

Whether it's a teenager being hoisted on some man's shoulders, or the parents and grandparents, everyone at the festival looked to be a fan.

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It showed in his songs, too.

There were your barn-burners ("Gettin' Warmed Up"), introspective thinkers ("Rearview Town") and others with just enough country twang to remind you where you were.

One young man jumped on a platform about halfway down the field up to get as close to one of the screens as possible. Another woman serving lemonade danced in between sets while a middle-aged couple swayed — a rare sight to see.

Shane Newell covers breaking news and the western Coachella Valley cities of Palm Springs, Cathedral City and Desert Hot Springs. He can be reached at Shane.Newell@DesertSun.com, (760) 778-4649 or on Twitter at @journoshane.