"You like the way that sounds?"

I'm finally getting around to writing my review for the Jason Aldean/Eric Church concert in Columbus, OH, on February 26th! Better late than never, I suppose. 

This was my 50th Jason show (yes, it's unhealthy how much I like him and his music...), and I was so excited that I got to spend it in Columbus. It's a city full of memories for me! It's where I met Jason for the first time back in 2007, where I first met Rascal Flatts, where I met Keith Urban, where I got a stage picture with Jason in 2009, and now, where I got to talk in Jason's microphone!

This show was extra special because there were Aldean Army members from all over coming to see the show, and we got to spend some time together before the doors opened. There were girls from Canada, Indiana, West Virginia, Virginia, Michigan, North Carolina, Kentucky, New Mexico, and of course Ohio. It was great to catch up with people I hadn't met before and people I hadn't seen in a while. Christine from New Mexico ended up surprising me with a hand-made shirt for my 50th show! I had no idea that she was going to do that! You could tell that she worked really hard on it and it was so sweet of her to do that for me. Little did I know, Christine also made a sign for me that said, "Holly's 50th show". She went all out for me! :)

 Annie, Christine, Me

Once again, the show was nothing short of spectacular. This was my third show of the My Kinda Party tour, and I swear it just gets more and more incredible every time that I see it. 

I have mentioned previously that I wasn't crazy about the JaneDear Girls, but their live show is growing on me. The more that I see their show, the more that I like their music. They are good performers and I can see them improving from the very first time that I saw them in concert. Their backing band is incredibly talented as well. It's always fun to watch them just to see what they're going to do next!

 Eric Church rocked the place, as usual! He had all 16,000+ people in the venue on their feet with his rockin' set! He is definitely one of the most enthusiastic and passionate live performers that I have ever seen. His shows are so much fun to watch and they leave you wanting more. This show was also great because it was the first time that I got to hear Eric sing his newest single, "Homeboy", live. I think this song sounds nothing like anything that he has ever done before, but it's an amazing song and they did a great job with the live arrangement. This song has a wonderful message behind it and it's cool to hear Eric sing about something so different. If you haven't been able to catch a live Eric Church show yet, I strongly encourage you to find one ASAP! It's a show like nothing you have ever seen before!

 It was finally time for Jason! It's still crazy to me seeing him play to sold-out crowds of more than 16,000 people! I've seen Jason play in bars/clubs that held less than 1,000 people, so it's definitely cool to see how far he has come over the years! He is so deserving of all of his success! Jason took the time almost immediately after hitting the stage to thank the audience for coming out to the show.

I've wrote reviews for Jason shows before, and I'm pretty sure it's obvious how I feel about him, so I won't go into too much detail about the show. Point blank, he brought the house down! His energy level was off of the charts and his voice was on point in every way possible. The crowd was loving him and he was really feeding off of their energy. It was the third show in a row for Jason and his band, but you never would have been able to tell. His performance was top notch. 

What made the night even more special for me was that Jason stopped his show to acknowledge me for coming to 50 of his shows. It was something that I never would have expected, nor would it have ever happened if Christine wouldn't have taken the time to surprise me with a shirt and a sign! Jason basically thanked me for supporting him since 2005 and coming out to so many shows, saying "Now THAT'S a fan!" He also threw in that I have a thing for bald guys. HAHA! I was in love with Mike, Jason's old guitar player and, you guessed it, a bald guy, and Jason hasn't been able to let me live it down yet! It was hilarious though! My evening was topped off by him letting me say, "You like the way that sounds?" in his microphone in front of the 16,000+ crowd! I sounded incredibly stupid, but it's a moment that I will never forget as long as I live! Jason didn't have to take the time to acknowledge me, but it means the world to me that he did! Jason is such a fan-oriented artist, always putting his fans and their wishes at the top of his list, and I think that's the greatest thing in the world! He may be one of the most talented people EVER, but his kind heart and sense of humor are what make him my favorite singer.

Once again, another great memory is made in the beautiful town of Columbus, OH!

New Artist Alert/Concert Review: Kip Moore

If you watch a lot of television, you may have stumbled across a recent commercial on GAC introducing you to a fresh face in country music by the name of Kip Moore. That's how I was introduced to this talented rising star! About four months ago, while watching GAC, I saw the commercial and immediately went on the internet to find out more about him. I must admit, what first caught my attention about Kip is that he is extremely good looking (and trust me, I do mean EXTREMELY good looking), but I fell head over heels in love with his voice and his songwriting as well.

Being the big Jason Aldean fan that I am, I couldn't help but notice that Kip also has a connection to the man himself. Well, kinda. Kip has a publishing deal with Stage 3 Publishing and Brett James Corman Music. Brett James is a talented songwriter himself, co-writing Aldean's four week number one song "The Truth". I got really excited when I found out that Kip and Brett worked together, because Brett is probably one of my favorite songwriters. I knew that Kip was going to be an incredible artist that I was going to fall in love with.

And that's exactly what happened! I listened to pretty much nothing but Kip's music on my computer for about a week straight, getting a feel for his style and his songs. I fell in love with his song, "Faith When I Fall". It's probably one of my top five favorite songs at the moment. His voice sounds so pure on the song, and I think it's flawlessly written. After listening to Kip's music and getting to know more about him, I realized just why it is that I like him so much.

He's different.

I probably say that a lot about artists, but I REALLY mean that about Kip. His voice sounds nothing like any other male country singer currently out at radio. It's not a traditional country sounding voice, but it has an almost raspy feel to it. It makes you want to stop and listen, and it literally brings you to your knees. There's a sincere honesty in his voice, which helps tremendously when it comes to his songwriting, because it makes listeners believe every word that he is singing. His voice is so good that I just never want to stop listening to him. In fact, I'm listening to him as I type this blog.

If you've read my blog posts before, you probably know how much I love a good songwriter. Kip is just that! As great as his voice is, songwriting is where he shines. He writes all of his songs, and he writes about topics that you don't hear a lot about in country songs. Sure, he has your love songs and your breakup songs, but he also has a song about going for a ride on his motorcycle, and one about staying true to his roots and not changing who he is to please those around him. Kip's first single, which hits radio this month, is an adorable song by the name of "Mary was the Marrying Kind". It's a song about all of the girls that he has known in his lifetime and how each one impacted him in some way, but Mary was the girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life was. According to Kip, it's a song he wrote after coming back into contact with a girl he knew in high school who wasn't the prettiest girl in the world, causing him to overlook her. When they meet again, she has grown up and is beautiful, smart and, you guessed it, the marrying kind. He kicks himself for ever ignoring her in the first place. It's a great song with a lot of honesty behind it, just like the rest of his songs.

I got the opportunity to see Kip in concert about a week ago when my local radio station, WQMX, had him out for a Rising Star Showcase. He sounded just as great live as he does on his recorded songs, and he is such a down-to-earth guy. He has a heart of gold and was so nice to all of his fans, really taking the time to get to know everybody in the room. 

I expect that we'll be hearing a lot more from Kip this year. He'll be going into the studio to finish up his album this month, and the album should be out late this year. Be sure to call your local radio stations and request "Mary was the Marrying Kind".

www.myspace.com/kipmooremusic

"If heaven wasn't so far away..."

Back-to-back Justin Moore shows. That's something that has been on my Wish List for quite a while now, and I finally got to do it last weekend in Columbus, OH, and Covington, KY! 

If you have been reading my other blog posts, or if you know me personally, you know that Justin Moore is one of my favorite people on this whole planet. There aren't very many other people I would rather see in concert than him, as I think that he puts on one of the best shows I have ever seen. I was stoked to get to see him two nights in a row, especially after not getting to see him since December!

What made the trip even more exciting was that I was getting to do it with a new friend of mine from Illinois, Morgan. I met Morgan through Jason Aldean, and after realizing that she was a Justin Moore fan too, we planned this trip together. We hadn't met in person prior to these shows, but we connected instantly and we had such a great time together!

The first night of shows was at a bar in Columbus, OH, called Screamin Willies. I have been here a few times before to see Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts, Eric Church, and Luke Bryan. It's a neat little bar, but it always gets pretty rowdy; however, I had never seen it as crazy as it was on this particular night. I'm pretty sure the place was oversold, as it was practically impossible to even move in there. There were people falling over and puking because they were so drunk. It was mass chaos! It put a bit of damper on the evening, but we still had a great time. We had meet and greets with Justin at around 9:45, and he was as sweet as ever. I have said this numerous times before, but I still think that Justin is one of the most appreciative artists out there today. He always puts his fans first, and I love that so much about him.

Though we left a little bit early because of the crazy crowd, Justin still put on an absolutely incredible show! It was my first time seeing his new show/new setlist, and I think it's absolutely perfect. Morgan and I were singing every word to every song, even the ones that will be on his new album, and were having a great time regardless of the inconsiderate people around us. Nothing annoys me more than when the crowd is loud and obnoxious while the artist is trying to perform a personal song. When Justin began singing his newest single, "If Heaven Wasn't so Far Away", which is a song with so much meaning behind it, the crowd would not stop talking. It was to the point where we could barely even hear Justin singing. I felt bad for him, but he still blew the song out of the ballpark. It's Justin fastest rising single to date, debuting in the top 40, and I have a really good feeling that it's going to go number one! Justin also played every song off of his first album, and songs that will be on the second album such as, "My Kinda Woman", "Redneck Side", "Outlaws Like Me" (my personal favorite song, ever!), and a catchy new song called "Beer Time". It made me even more anxious for the new album! As much as I LOVE the first CD, I think the new CD is going to be ten times more amazing than the first one! I can't wait to have a copy of it in my hands!

The next day we headed down south to Covington, KY, to see the show again! We were right in front of the stage this time and the crowd wasn't nearly as disrespectful, so we really enjoyed this show a lot more than Friday night's show! The show was generally the same as the night before except he didn't sing one of his new songs by the name of "In the Bed of my Chevy", which just so happens to be one of our all-time favorite songs. Sadness! Other than that, the show was out of this world! It's hard to find an artist that has as much stage presence as Justin does. He really goes out and puts 150% into his performances every night! He is a real class act, and I can't say enough good things about him!

If you haven't been lucky enough to catch a Justin Moore show yet, I strongly encourage you to stop whatever it is you are doing and look up his tour dates right now. He's currently on the road as the opening act for Miranda Lambert, and will be hitting the road with Rascal Flatts this summer. His new CD is also slated for a summer release. Make sure you keep your ears peeled for the final release date, and keep requesting "If Heaven Wasn't so Far Away" at your local radio stations!

 

"Bending the rules and breaking the law..."

I've known about Brantley Gilbert for a few years now, but I still hadn't had the opportunity to see him in person. When I heard that he would be playing at the Dusty Armadillo in Rootstown, OH, I knew I couldn't pass it up!

My Indiana friend, Annie, came up to see the show with me. We got in line at around 5 and there were already about 20 people in line. That's not something you see at the Dusty very often, so we were surprised, to say the least. When doors opened at 7, we made our way inside and claimed our spots up front by the stage. 

The crowd was very rowdy (rowdier than any other crowd I have ever seen there), filled with lots of annoying drunks and people wanting to start fights. At first we were a little frightened, but by the time Brantley came on stage, the crowd was perfect in every way imaginable, giving him one of the most incredible reactions an artist could have ever asked for.


I really didn't think many people in my neck of the woods knew who Brantley was, but his concert was the fastest concert to ever sell out in Dusty Armadillo history (and a LOT of awesome people have played here, such as Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Justin Moore, Lee Brice, Easton Corbin, etc.). Impressive, to say the least!


Brantley had one of his friends out on the road with him, so he opened up the show with a couple of his original songs, including one that he had written with Brantley. It was a guy by the name of Brian Davis, and though I couldn't really make out any of the words that he has saying (sound problems during the entire night), he had a great voice, and even kind of looked like Brantley. Haha!


At 10, Brantley hit the stage, and it was non-stop energy from the time that he took the stage until the time that he left, about 2 hours later. Again, there were a lot of sound problems, and I could hardly make out a lot of the words that he was singing because the bass was too loud, but he still put on one of the most incredible live shows that I have ever seen, and, hands down, the best show I have seen at the Dusty! He played songs such as, "Hell on Wheels", "Saving Amy", "Take it Outside", "Kick it in the Sticks", "My Kinda Crazy", "Dirt Road Anthem", and "My Kinda Party." The crowd knew every word to EVERY song, and they belted the notes out at the top of their lungs. Brantley was overwhelmed by the crowd reaction, constantly thanking us for "being so awesome" and supporting his music, and even said we reminded him of friends back home. I can't imagine how great Brantley must feel after a show like that. After singing "Dirt Road Anthem", with the crowd yelling every word right back to him and swaying their arms side to side with the music, Brantley said that he WOULD be back to play at the Dusty again. I always said that the Dusty is one of my favorite places to see a concert, and this is why! The audience will never let the artist leave without making them feel like they need to come back!

After seeing Brantley's live show for the first time, I must say that I am officially hooked. His albums don't do him justice. He sounds so much better live than he does on his albums! Also, being the songwriter fan that I am, I truly believe that Brantley has an uncanny ability to put words to paper in a way that very few country artists out there are able to do today. He has been through a lot in his short life, and all of his experiences and memories are written in songs that just about every person can relate to. He writes songs from the heart, and hearing those songs live (especially songs like "Saving Amy" and "Picture on the Dashboard") makes you connect to them even more. With all of the God-given talent that this man has, I don't think "My Kinda Party" (recorded by Jason Aldean) will be his only number one single.

Besides Brantley being the incredible performer that he is, he has one of the most talented backing bands that I have witnessed with my own two eyes. At one point during the show, Brantley left the stage to let his band show us what they were made of, and they definitely did not disappoint! Each guy is a talented artist in their own right, so when you get them all together to create music, it's bound to blow your mind!

I strongly encourage you to see a Brantley show as soon as you possibly can! He won't disappoint you. Also, if you have been living under a rock and still don't have either of his albums, do yourself a favor and go purchase them NOW! Your ears don't want to miss out on all of this greatness!

For a guy who doesn't get much radio play at all, people all over the world are starting to take notice to Brantley and his music. I think it's just a matter of time before he takes this world by storm, and I, personally, can't wait for it...

Jason Michael Carroll at the Dusty Armadillo

Last weekend I went to go see country singer Jason Michael Carroll at the Dusty Armadillo in Rootstown, OH. I have mentioned this place in some of my previous blog posts, but for those of you unfamiliar with it, it's a very small bar basically out in the middle of nowhere. It's probably my favorite place to see a concert, however, because the crowd is always so into the show and the artists really feed off of that energy to put on some amazing live shows!

I hadn't seen Jason Michael Carroll in concert since June of 2010, and even then he only performed a couple of songs because it was during CMA Fest week. I have always thought that we put on a great show, but his performance really blew me away on Saturday night.

I went with one of my co-workers named Cathy and a friend that I have known for a couple of years now (whom I met from the Rascal Flatts fan club), Mandy. Cathy doesn't go to many country concerts, but she was really excited to finally see a show at the Dusty, and I really think she had a great time.

Jason played for two hours, singing all of his top 20 hits such as "I Can Sleep When I'm Dead", "Livin' Our Love Song", "Alyssa Lies", and "Hurry Home". He also played a number of songs off of both of his CDs that weren't singles, a couple of covers, including an absolutely breath-taking version of George Strait's "I Can Still Make Cheyenne", and, on top of that, he sang about 5 songs off of his new album that he is currently working on. All of them sounded fantastic and made me even more anxious for some new music from him. Below is a video I found on YouTube of one of my favorites that he sang called "Numbers":

I think it's incredibly unfortunate that, after all of these years, Jason is still playing small bars and clubs in little podunk towns. Don't get me wrong, it's obvious that he loves what he does, and you can tell that he absolutely loves playing live, regardless of where it is. However, I think Jason has one of the most incredible voices in country music. It is raw and natural, and it has the ability to capture your attention the moment you hear him sing. Also, though he isn't much of a songwriter, he knows how to pick great songs. Each song that he picks tells a story, and I find them all very easy to relate to. They are fun and energetic, emotional and powerful, heartfelt and sincere. It's obvious that he picks the songs that he picks because he has an emotional connection to them, and he hopes to share that connection with his audiences. On top of all of that, I think Jason is one of the most down-to-earth, and, hands down, the nicest country musician I have ever met. He doesn't have a mean bone in him, he always puts his fans first, he's respectful, honest, funny, and kind. He has a heart of gold, and his smile is absolutely contagious. Besides being such a wonderful performer and singer, his personality makes it hard not to love him. I think that, by now, Jason should be playing in arenas to much larger crowds. He definitely has the talent to do it. I just wish that other people would see that. I hope that he continues to only see more success as the years go by. Regardless, I will be right behind him, supporting him along every step of the way.


If you haven't seen Jason Michael Carroll in concert yet, I strongly suggest that you do. His ticket prices are cheap and he definitely puts on a killer live show! You can also purchase both of his albums in any store that sells CDs near you (Best Buy, Walmart, Target, etc.). They are worth the money!

"I started out in Little Rock..."

Well, I have been wanting to go to an opening show of Jason's for a few years now, and I finally got the opportunity to do it this past weekend. Annie (Indiana), Christine (New Mexico), and myself (Ohio) all headed to Arkansas for the first two shows of Jason Aldean's "My Kinda Party Tour" and it was more than worth the 8 hour drive that turned into a 12 hour drive because of ice and snow. Thank you, Illinois...

As I'm sure many of you know, Jason Aldean is my favorite singer. No matter how many times I see him, I still can't get enough. Needless to say, I was counting down the days until I would finally get to see him again. I couldn't believe it when Thursday, January 20th, finally got here!

I had driven to Annie's house in Indiana on Wednesday night, and we left for Little Rock, AR, at around 6:30 in the morning on Thursday! Of course it was snowing, and though it wasn't really sticking on the roads too bad, we were still forced to drive slow to avoid any problems. It made the drive an extra long one, as we didn't arrive in Little Rock until around 5:30. That long in a car can make a girl say some delusion things. Pretty sure we had lost our minds at that point. Ha! Anyways, we headed to the airport to pick up Christine, then it was off to our hotel.

Our first night in Little Rock was a BLAST! We had so many laughs. I have truly been blessed with some of the most amazing friends ever as a result of Jason and his music, and I can't thank him enough for that. 

Friday was the big day: opening night! After getting some breakfast, we headed over to Verizon Arena at around 12:30. We got to hear Jason soundcheck "See You When I See You" and "Wanted Dead or Alive," the Bon Jovi cover he is doing on this tour. Both sounded amazing, as was expected after they had been rehearsing allllll day the day before. We completely froze our butts off in line (literally almost to the point of hypothermia), but it was worth it when we got our spots right in front of the stage, on Kurt's and Jay's side! The pits appear to be a lot smaller on this tour, and we were told that only 70 pit tickets were sold for Little Rock. We still think he must have meant 70 per side, as our pit was pretty full, but that explains why many people may be having trouble getting pit tickets on this tour. 

The show was sold out (we were told it holds about 15,000 people!) and the audience was rocking! While we were waiting for the JaneDear Girls to come out, we rocked out to the tunes that DJ Silver (the DJ that Jason has invited along on the tour) was spinning. He definitely plays better music than what we had to listen to before. Haha!

The JaneDear Girls hit the stage at around 7:30 and sang 4 songs (all up-tempo). I have never been a big fan of their music, but their live show is a lot better than I expected it to be. Their tunes are catchy, and I think they did a pretty good job getting the audience ready for Eric Church!

Speaking of Eric Church... this guy will absolutely blow your freaking mind! I have always been a fan of Eric and have seen him numerous times before, but the live show that he puts on for this tour is like nothing I have ever seen before. He puts so much heart and passion into his performance, and he won't leave that stage until every single person is on their feet, screaming and enjoying themselves. He has no problem doing just that, either! His 45 minute set is non-stop, playing songs such as "Guys Like Me," "These Boots," "Sinners Like Me," "Ain't Killed Me Yet," and, of course, "Smoke a Little Smoke." He told the audience that it was his mission to "kick our asses" and he did just that... even kicking his own ass, as he appeared exhausted after his set was over. I can't say enough good things about Eric and his performance abilities! He truly BRINGS IT every night, and I think he's the perfect opener for Jason on the My Kinda Party tour!

At first, I have to admit, I was kinda worried for Jason. Eric put on such a good show and the crowd absolutely loved him. I knew that if Jason didn't put everything he had out there on the stage, that many would have thought that Eric was the shining star instead of Jason. Jason's show kicks ass, though, and he did a wonderful job on opening night!

Though there were a few glitches and he didn't seem as energetic as he normally is (probably because he was nervous), the show really lived up to all expectations that I had, and then some! The set list is great, adding songs such as "See You When I See You" (which he sings absolutely flawlessly) and "Don't You Wanna Stay" (with Kelly Clarkson appearing via video). He works the stage a lot more this tour, signing "The Truth" on the right side of the stage, "Crazy Town" on the left side, and "See You When I See You" out on the catwalk. He really tries to reach every possible part of the audience, and he does a great job at it. 

This tour also showcases the true talent of Jason's band. Rich Redmond, Jason's drummer, performs an excellent solo near the end of the show, demonstrating what passion and love he has for his instrument. Kurt Allison, lead guitarist, also has several guitar solos, including one during the Bon Jovi cover "Wanted: Dead or Alive" that will absolutely blow your mind. Kurt has always been one of my favorite guitar players, but you really get to see just how talented he is during this tour. Jack, rhythm guitarist, also has a solo that is executed near perfectly. Each of these guys are so talented in their own right, and it makes the show that much more enjoyable to watch.

Speaking of the Bon Jovi cover, Jason picked a great song to cover live! I must admit that I don't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed seeing him perform "Cowboy" by Kid Rock, but this song showcases his vocal talents in a way that we don't get to see or hear very often. 

I think Jason truly put on a wonderful show, and this tour is going to be one to remember! The next night, in Fayetteville, AR, the nerves were all gone and he ripped that stage to pieces! I don't think I have ever seen him perform so flawlessly as he did in Fayetteville.

Major props to the JaneDear Girls, Eric Church, Jason, and the band and crew for putting on a hell of a show! If you are able to, I highly suggest that you go out and see a show SOON! Trust me, you don't want to miss this one!