After a year absence, The Randy Rogers Band and Stoney LaRue returned to the Big Apple this past Friday night at the Best Buy Theater in the heart of Times Square. Both artists, two of the mainstays on the Texas music scene for a better part of fifteen years, have well crafted songs, performed by skilled musicians who clearly still have a good time touring after all of these years. 

Without any airplay on terrestrial radio in the tri-state area, the crowd that turned out was an enthusiastic one who knew practically every word to every song, proving that people don't rely solely on Top 40 to find their music. 

LaRue opened the show with a too short forty-five minute set of a fan chosen (via twitter) set list. He and his band played "Look At Me Fly," "Aviator," "Wiregrass," "Texas Moon," as well as "Box #10," "Idabel Blues," "Empty Glass," "Velvet" and "Oklahoma Breakdown" to a crowd that appreciated every second of it. His time on stage felt like a big jam session (that's a good thing) with LaRue having no issue letting his band share the spotlight. LaRue was animated, grateful and even inspirational in his comments. He truly appeared to be having a terrific time while being slightly overwhelmed at the crowd's response to his music. They closed out with a "Guitarmageddon" showcasing his band's remarkable skills on a little bit of Petty's "Runnin' Down A Dream." 

Rogers walked out around 9:25pm and played an hour and a half set in the middle of which my friend (who is originally from Texas) noted "wow, he has had a lot of hits!" That he does and he pretty much played them all and then some. Although Rogers is the front man, he, like LaRue, has no problem letting the members of his band shine. While Les Lawless [percussion] stayed in the rear, Johnny Chops came front and center to play harmonica on "Trouble" and sing. Additionally, Geoffrey Hill [lead guitar] and Brady Black [fiddle] continually provide entertainment with their fun personalities and engaging presence. They opened with "Too Late For Goodbye" and continued through over twenty songs including "Flash Flood," "Standards," "Interstate," "Down and Out" and "Last, Last Chance" before returning to the stage after chants from the crowd of "Randy, Randy" to close with "Kiss Me In The Dark."

There was no need for backdrops, special effects or other hoopla. It was all about the music and Rogers and LaRue delivered. Rogers has said that his goal is to get people out of the house, singing, dancing and having a good time. That mission was most certainly accomplished.

Rogers and his band have just completed a new record. LaRue's Aviator is out now.

You never quite know what to expect for a turnout when a Texas or Red Dirt artist comes to Hill Country NYC, but the crowd for William Clark Green's first appearance in the Big Apple this past Saturday night proves his music, which is massively popular in Texas, is also reaching fans outside the Lone Star State. 

Not only a talented group, WCG and his band of four's enjoyment while playing is undeniable. Cameron Moreland [drums] and Ryan [bass] adeptly keep the beat while Josh Serrato and Steve Marcus both have some serious guitar chops. Green's vocals, gravelly yet warm draw you into a song whether a ballad or a song about a bad trip. As a front man, he is personable, and funny with a great energy, and definitely isn't afraid to let the band share the spotlight.

The set kicked off with "It's About Time" and continued with ninety minutes of his own music as well as a more than adequate cover of The Band's "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." Native Texans and New Yorkers alike sang along to "Hanging Around," "She Likes The Beatles," (with it's appropriate "Start Me Up" intro) and "Dead Or In Jail" while the Cajun flavored "Let's Go" had people on their feet. They also did two tracks from upcoming album Ringling Road: the first single, "Sympathy," which already went to #1 on the Texas charts and the title track which paints a vivid picture of the characters and debauchery of a travelling circus. They closed down in true honky tonk fashion with "Wishing Well."

Great Music. Great Time. Here's to the first of many trips back up to NYC!

For more information visit his official website
Pre-order Ringling Road here

Cumulus Media's NASH 94.7 in New York hosted the first NASH BASH Country concert at Barclays Center Tuesday night, in the intimate Cushman & Wakefield Theater. New York Country fans enjoyed an all-star lineup of artists, including headliner Cole Swindell performing his chart-topping song "Chillin' It" and his hit single "Ain't Worth the Whiskey." Other performers included Country favorites Gloriana, Jana Kramer and Michael Ray. The evening was emceed by NASH 94.7 personalities Kelly Ford and Jesse Addy. 

Michael Ray kicked off the night's festivities with an eight song set, including a cover of "Dust On The Bottle," that had the crowd on their feet from the moment he took the stage. The newcomer repeatedly thanked everyone for coming and seemed genuinely thrilled to be playing the show. Jana Kramer followed Ray. She was a fireball of energy working the stage, stomping her feet and interacting with the crowd all while seeming to have a blast. The songs she performed included "Why Ya Wanna," "Boomerang," "I Got The Boy" and "Whiskey."

Gloriana began their set with their hit from 2009 "Wild At Heart" and continued with eight more songs including their current Top 30 single, "Trouble," as well as "Can't Shake You," "Kiss You Goodnight," and a well done cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams." The trio's set was a personal highlight of the evening. Their sound was polished and they were comfortable and confident onstage. Tom alternated between instruments and vocals with ease and Rachel executed her duties as vocalist and front woman perfectly. They closed with a The Beatles "Come Together."

From the second headliner Cole Swindell came onto the stage, the crowd was on their feet. He played his three #1 hits as well as other songs from his debut album while people danced in their seats and sang along. Swindell has the distinction of being the first country artist to play the Barclay's Center twice: once supporting Luke Bryan and now as headliner.

This was the first NASH BASH concert at Barclays Center as part of the newly-launched partnership between Cumulus Media and Barclays Center that will bring at least two concerts annually to the Brooklyn venue.

Sometimes the build up to see an artist live for the first time ends in disappointment. This however was most certainly not the case when Sam Riggs and his band, The Night People, performed a set at the Midnight Rodeo in Austin this past Friday. Sam and his band of four delivered on all counts and then some. Performing with the intensity and vitality similar to an Eric Church show (complete with leg kick and occasional chest thump), Riggs has a stage presence that you can't not watch. He is a talented multi-instrumentalist who embraces the idea of putting on a show with accoutrements (strobe lights, smoke machine and throwing beads for Mardi Gras) that while fun, never detract from the main draw.....the music.

Whether skillfully playing fiddle, guitar, banjo or a drum solo (You Tube that), he balances professionalism with fun and the joy he had being on that stage was evident throughout the set. The setlist included, among others, soon to be radio single "Long Shot," "Collide," "Angola's Lament," and "Six Feet in the Ground." In addition, he played songs from the new album, which garnered incredibly positive feedback from the crowd.

There is no question Riggs loves what he does. He has incredible energy and kept the audience engaged during the performance with fan interaction, telling stories about the songs and making humorous comments. The crowd was somewhere in the low hundreds, but his motto of "5 or 5000" certainly held true. It was a show worthy of a much larger venue and crowd, which undoubtedly Riggs will be playing sooner than later....so enjoy the small settings while you still can.
  
For tour dates and more information visit his official website

Raleigh, NC-based roots rockers, American Aquarium returned home for two sold out shows January 30th and 31st at the Lincoln Theatre. The shows were album release kick-offs to support their most buzzed about album yet, Wolves, which hit retailers February 3rd. The first show, opened by The Black Lillies and Cory Branan, sold out so quickly that a second show was added. I grabbed tickets for that one which included John Moreland and Turnpike Troubadours.

First up was John Moreland. The Oklahoma singer/songwriter played a short, but amazing, solo acoustic set.  His rich voice and gripping lyrics proved him very deserving of all the critical praise he has received.  For a taste of his music, check out "Nobody Gives A Damn About Songs Anymore" and "I Need You To Tell Me Who I Am."

Next, Turnpike Troubadours took the stage for their high energy 45 minute set full of fan favorites.  Front man Evan Felker and his band looked right at home. They fired up the crowd with their unique blend of country rock, folk and bluegrass.  Every song they played was a highlight, but it was great that they included "Every Girl," "Whole Damn Town" and "Bossier City." This is a band I can’t recommend highly enough. I’ll definitely look forward to seeing them again.

Finally, at 11pm, American Aquarium began their 2 ½ hour show. Though billed as an album release show for their new album Wolves, it seemed more like a well crafted thank you note to their long time fans. Their setlist included every song from Wolves and just about any song that would be on a fan’s wish list.  They seamlessly incorporated slow, moving songs such as "Man I’m Supposed To Be" with crowd friendly sing alongs like "Ain’t Going To The Bar Tonight." It’s hard to pick favorites from a 30 song setlist, but "Lonely Ain’t Easy," "Wichita Falls," "Wolves" and "Casualties" were standouts. Do yourself a favor and put American Aquarium on your list of bands to see and pick up a copy of their new album.

Thanks to Harriett Watkins for taking the time to write about the show for TDC.

American Aquarium, and their front man BJ Barham, is in a good place. This is not only evident on the songs you hear on Wolves, but is something that was on full display during their set at Mercury Lounge in NYC on Wolves release day February 3rd. 

BJ appeared genuinely happy, thrilled for having a sold out crowd in NYC, but seemingly on a natural high (he is half a year sober) from all of the positive responses, from fans to media to fellow artists, to the excellent Wolves. He said there was one exception, a guy named Tom, who commented on the WSJ site that he hated the record. BJ said his old self would go on the site and write something back, but he refrained this time only saying "F- Tom" with a grin. Smiling throughout and incredibly at ease, he even--charmingly--bantered with some of the people in the audience.

All of that was a joy to see, but the real draw here is the music. From Whit's pedal steel to Kevin McClain's keeping the beat on the drums to Bill, Ryan (who didn't seem to have enough room to sway and play on that tiny stage) and newest member Colin (keep an eye on him: incredibly talented and fun to watch), they are a talented group who are one of the best live bands around. Their music is emotionally honest and filled with substance; realistic stories of regret, failure, growing older and of course, relationships. BJ's weathered voice and expressions convey the emotions of the lyrics in an always effective, yet sometimes sad, pensive manner that make you really feel what he sings, as he, eyes closed, seems to get lost in the songs as well. Songs included "The Man I'm Supposed To Be," "The Losing Side of Twenty-Five" (those lyrics & that hook!) "Southern Sadness," and "Family Problems." They closed with "Burn.Flicker.Die.," then, thanks to the sound guy, they were permitted to play one more tune. The crowd shouted out numerous requests, but instead they chose to play what they wanted: a John Prine tune so nobody gets "pissed off" that they chose one song over another. No one complained about the song choice, only that the show was over too soon.

I have seen American Aquarium play NYC four times over the past year and know that next time, the venue will be larger, the set will be longer......and the fans will be more than happy to be there with them.

Visit their official website here
Purchase Wolves here

The Bros. Landreth played Mercury Lounge in NYC on January 30th in support of their debut album, Let It Lie, which was released January 27th on Slate Creek Records. The band, anchored by brothers Joey and David Landreth, with Ariel Posen and Ryan Voth, may be from the great white north, but they play an amalgam of roots, southern rock and blues like they were raised in the deep south. The majority of their songs, including the title track, have a quiet, almost gentle quality to them; songs that require one to listen attentively, which the respectful crowd was more than willing to do. They also know how to turn up the tempo with more rocking numbers, like the twangy "Angelina," keeping the audience dancing and swaying. Their forty five minute set was full of songs with purpose, delivered by warm vocals, harmonies and skilled musicianship. 

Bros. Landreth are must see for anyone who appreciates quality music. Be sure to check them out when they are in your town.

For more information visit their official website

One of the best live shows you will ever see: The Black Lillies. This past Sunday they played the intimate Fairfield Theatre in Connecticut. The quintet, who have had quite the success on the Americana charts, blend country, folk, bluegrass, honky tonk and roots rock into a style that is both creative and uniquely their own.

With cheers from the crowd, many of whom were definite fans, The Black Lillies took the stage starting out with "Whiskey Angel." From there the music continued for almost two hours and included songs such as "Catherine," "Same Mistakes" and "Gold and Roses." The rollicking "Smokestack Lady" had the crowd on their feet not only dancing, but for a standing ovation (the first of many) as well, which had Trisha remarking how the crowd was more lively on a Sunday night than the previous night. In addition to their well known songs, they played a few new tunes including the spectacular "Mercy" and song that was a mash up of what they called (If I recall correctly) "Doc Watson meets Led Zeppelin." They also did a beautiful acoustic version of "Walking Through Your Town in the Snow" with each member taking a vocal turn and closed with "All This Living" before returning to raucous applause for the encore.

The Black Lillies musical style is authentic, diverse and rich with the quieter more reflective songs being as equally powerful as the honky tonk numbers that bring the crowd to their feet. The same can be said for the members; from Bowman's head bobbing and keeping the beat on percussion to Robert providing the rhythm on the bass to multi- instrumentalist Tom on pedal steel (among others), they play with an obvious talent, assuredness and ease. Vocalist Trisha (harmony and lead vocals, guitar, tambourine) and front man Cruz (piano, mandolin, guitar, vocals) hold everything together with a palpable joy for what they are doing. Individually, their vocals are warm, emotive and real, but when the two harmonize, it is simply beautiful. When The Black Lillies are in your town (or a town near you), do not hesitate to get go!

The Black Lillies are playing a special NYE show in Knoxville. For tickets and more information visit their official website.

In addition, they are working on their fourth album and have started a Pledge Music campaign with awesome perks. Check it out and Pledge!

So, if you are a regular reader of this site, then you know I am not lacking in love for the Brothers Braun. And it having been three months since the last show, I was definitely overdue. Hello Charlotte and Raleigh, where Reckless Kelly and Micky & the Motorcars made stops on their Southeast tour playing the Neighborhood Theatre and Lincoln Theatre respectively. 

With well over a dozen albums between them, both bands have plenty of material choose from; and that they did, playing a mix of songs old and new. The Motorcars opened Sunday's set with "Naive" mixing in "The Band Song," with "Hearts From Above," "Seashell" and "Ain't In It For The Money," among others. Micky got a break while Gary took lead vocals on "Twilight" and the terrific "You Led Me The Wrong Way" from their July release Hearts From Above. Energetic and enthusiastic (watch Dustin and Bobby play); it was more than obvious that they love what they do--and the crowd loved them right back.

Reckless started out their set with a cover of Springsteen's "My Love Will Not Let You Down" and played songs ranging from ballads ("Mirage") to out and out rockers ("American Blood") and some excellent covers including "Bird Dog." One of the highlights of their shows is when things quiet down a bit and Willy performs a solo, this time a stripped down version of "Romeo and Juliet," (that's right, a Dire Straits cover) and the rest of the guys join in for "Wicked Twisted Road." It's always nice to hear Cody sing, as he did on "Windfall" and a special treat to see Jay's father Tom take the lead on "Running Bear." The Motorcars returned to close out the night with "Highwayman" and Petty's "Runnin' Down A Dream." Pretty perfect.

If Sunday night was almost perfect, Monday night was the definition of "killer." Both bands seemed more...amped up if you will. It's great to have a good time, drink and enjoy the show, but it adds so much more when you look up and see that the bands themselves are having a blast. The Motorcars switched up their set a bit including "Little Baby" and "Long & Lonely Highway" at a fan's request. And as with the previous night, the crowd went crazy when they played "Carolina Morning," but when RK joined them for "Nobody's Girl" the excitement was off the charts. Once again, they closed with "Stay With Me."

Reckless took the stage and just barreled through great song after great song until they reached the night's stripped down offerings which included the tremendous "Papa Was A Rodeo" and "God Forsaken Town" after which Willy laughingly commented how depressing that one was and went full throttle into, as I like to call them, "The Motorcycle Songs," "Seven Nights in Eire" and the deceptively happy Beatles tune "Run For Your Life." There was a lot more chatting with the crowd and storytelling, especially from Willy, who said he "hadn't had one of these rants in awhile" and proceeded, with humor, to compare childhoods from the past and present (and cell phone use at shows) prior to "Save Me From Myself." They closed with the Motorcars on "Ain't Living Long Like This."

It's just ridiculous how good these guys are, from the vocals to the songwriting to the musicianship. You never walk away disappointed.....well, maybe only because the show is over! Now where will I have to go in three month's time?

While many of my friends were watching the CMA Awards on television, I opted to see some real music played by some real musicians in New York City. In a stroke of incredible luck, both The Dirty River Boys and The Damn Quails were in town on the same night and for once, the timing was perfect--the shows were spaced far enough apart that one could easily make both.

The Dirty River Boys played the Mercury Lounge in NYC in support of their recent self titled release. They hit the stage at 7pm and played for only about fifty five minutes to a crowd of maybe fifty people--but they played as if there were ten times that many there. They gave an unrestrained performance that just blew me away. Talented, crazy good, versatile, incredible...take a positive adjective and insert it here....they're it. There is really is no front man in the band; they are a tight unit, trading off vocals and incorporating banjo, mandolin, cajon and upright bass for a gritty, folky, rockin' sound uniquely their own. First time live and I'm hooked, you will be too.

The Damn Quails played slightly farther uptown at Hill Country Live, a venue they played earlier in the year. Where the turnout was less than stellar then, this time was different. Word got out, about one hundred people showed up (including some DRBs) and everyone had a good time-including the band who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the welcome reception. They played songs from Down the Hatch, some terrific covers, "Ophelia" and "Easy Chair" and even a new tune. As usual, they sounded great successfully melding genres into a sound, like the DRB, that is uniquely their own. Can't wait for their return.

For more information visit their official websites:
The Dirty River Boys
The Damn Quails

Reigning CMA Vocal Group Little Big Town is taking over NYC this week with a series of events in the Big Apple celebrating the release of their highly anticipated album Pain Killer. One of their stops was the iHeartRadio Country Live Series held at the iHeartRadio Theatre. Hosted by Bobby Bones, the hour long event, which could be heard on the radio and the internet, was part Q&A with LBT and part live performance. 
For the first thirty minutes, Bobby spoke with the foursome-Jimmy, Karen, Philip and Kimberly-about the album and dished on some of the stories behind the tracks.

Little Big Town started off the evening with "Quit Breaking Up With Me" and went into "Day Drinking" which they said involved enjoying a few cocktails a/k/a "method writing" when they were writing the track.  Next was "Stay All Night," which can only be described as a country-funk jam; one that was a definite crowd favorite. Then Deacon and Thor (as Jimmy and Philip are affectionately known) stepped away from the mic to let the ladies shine. Karen sang "Girl Crush," a song they knew they had to cut the minute they heard it because it was such a unique take on a situation that has been written about many times before. Then Kimberly took the lead on "Save Your Sin." And honestly, she threw herself into that song and was phenomenal. At the completion of the song Bobby said 'I liked it' to which Karen said 'You cannot not like it because that would be like insulting Holly Hobbie.' Kimberly was quick to remark 'For 20 years I have been the cute one and she has been the sexy one and I am tired of being the cute one!' Well, she may still be known as the cute one, but she surely can hold her own on a gritty track.

The last thirty minutes included LBT sounding polished and having a blast performing "Pain Killer," "Faster Gun" and "Live Forever," which Karen said was a song about why love is soooo good (as are their harmonies on the track). Additionally, they played "Tornado" and closed with "Boondocks" (complete with a rockin' intro).

Little Big Town's sound (and live performance) has definitely evolved into something quite extraordinary. Pain Killer is a diverse, quality album; definitely their best yet.

For more information and tour dates visit their official website.

And major kudos for not only introducing and complimenting their band, but thanking their team, and their "glam" squad because as Karen said "we don't wake up every day looking like this." It's nice to see artists appreciate others.