Storm clouds rolled in Thursday evening (Aug. 4) as Joe Nichols took the stage at WE Fest 2016, but he kept the rain at bay. The tall, dark and handsome singer played an eclectic set that included a Merle Haggard tribute and a rap-turned-country song.

Although it wasn't completely "Sunny and 75" for Nichols' set, he brought his own light under the dark clouds. He kicked things off with "Freaks Like Me," "Hard to Be Cool" and "What's a Guy Gotta Do" before asking WE Fest fans to dance along to "Size Matters." He cracked a smile during the song, saying, "Ain't that right, ladies?"

When Nichols played "The Impossible," a nostalgic audience stood from their chairs to sing and sway along. "Thank you for our first No. 1, Minnesota. God Bless you," he said.

It wasn't all about the oldies at WE Fest 2016. Nichols teased everyone with "Tallboy," a song he says is coming out on a record later this year. It's a fun-loving party song about a girl drinking beer. "Look at them short shorts drinking them tallboys," he sang as country fans put their beers in the air.

The 39-year-old then addressed country music's current state, saying he's always been a fan of "traditional country" and guys like Haggard, but more and more artists are starting to put rap in their music. He says he can't do that, "So I thought maybe I'd take a rap and make it into a country song."

That, of course, led into his Sir Mix-a-Lot cover of "Baby Got Back." He gave just enough to tease the audience before jumping straight into a couple of Haggard songs, including "Misery and Gin."

Nichols closed his eclectic set with his newest single, "Undone," followed by "Brokenheartsville," "Yeah" and "Sunny and 75."

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