Top Favorite Songs of the Week: 

1. Keith Urban “Blue Ain’t Your Color”: Urban newest song showcases some of the best lyrics of his career. It is poetry set to a moving country tune. The song is a reflection of where Urban is in his life and celebrates his successful 10-year marriage with wife, Nicole Kidman. This song is a reminder that Urban should be praised for his great guitar skills and lyrical artistry.
2. Brett Eldredge “Wanna Be That Song”: Eldredge is using poetry in his country music as well. This is third single he has released from his album “Illinois.” He had the idea for this song before he appeared onstage at the Kansas Motor Speedway. This song is about life’s big moments. Eldredge also showcases how he has grown as a country artist and what he has given back to country music.
3. Chris Young “Sober Saturday Night”: This song showcases the heartache, sadness and regret of breaking up with someone. Chris Young and Vince Gill form many great harmonies and they create a beautiful sound together. This song has a lot of emotions in it as well. The duet between Young and Gill may not have been expected but it does not sound bad at all.
4. Jake Owen “Good Company”: “Good Company” is all about a day of relaxing and enjoying the good company of friends and family. This is a perfect summer tune for anyone who enjoys Owen’s music. This song has a great beat that fits right with his fun lyrics. This song would make a great soundtrack for any summer get-together.
5. Stephanie Quayle “Drinking With Dolly”: “Drinking With Dolly” is a tribute to female country musicians. Many country fans that feel they were born in the wrong decade may relate to this song. This song offers fun lyrics while combining a smooth southern sound. This song will make you feel like you are living in a time period when you did not have to worry a lot.

9/4/16: Sunday

Marshall Tucker Band

The Canyon

6:00 PM

9/7/16: Wednesday

Boot on Stage Presents: Chaley Rose, Caleche Ryder, Jill & Julia, Katie Dix and Sophia Scott

7:00 PM

Hotel Cafe

9/9/16: Friday

Alabama

The Greek Theater

7:30 PM

9/10/16: Saturday

Dierks Bentley

7:00 PM

Irvine Meadows Theater

9/14/16: Wednesday

Carrie Underwood

7:00 PM

Staples Center

9/17/16: Saturday

Lee Brice

TBA

LA County Fair

&

Garth Brooks

7:00 PM

Honda Center

9/18/16: Sunday

Joe Nicholos & Tyler Rich

7:00 PM

CA Beer Festival in  Ventura

&

Eli Young Band

4:00 PM

Morongo Casino

9/23/16: Friday

Luke Bryan

7:00

The Forum

9/24/16: Saturday

On August 20, 2016, I went to see Jason Aldean at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre for his Six String Circus tour. The Academy of Country Music’s Entertainer of the Year performed 21 songs for a sold out crowd. He played hits from “Night Train” to “My Kinda Party” as well as songs from his upcoming album “They Don’t Know”, out September 9^th.

Aldean is not a big talker during his live concerts and he even stated that the night was really “all about the music.” We did not hear him speak until after he performed the first three songs. One thing that I really liked about his performance was a quote he shared with the audience. He said, “all of these people say there’s not a lot of country in L.A., but there’s not an empty seat in the house left…so what does that say?” I feel that L.A. does not get enough credit for how much we support country music. So many Southern California residents are always ready and willing to go watch a country musician performing in a city close to them. I really enjoyed Aldean’s new song, “Lights Come On”, because he is blends two music genres I am really into right now. His mix of rock and country will appear heavily on his latest album.

Aldean ended his show with two of his hit songs “Burnin’ It Down” and “Crazy Town”. He also showed his kindness by thanking all of his fans for coming out to watch his show.

Aldean also had two opening acts. The first act was A Thousand Horses, which includes Michael Hobby (lead vocals), Bill Satcher (lead guitar), Zach Brown (guitar and vocals) and Graham Deloach (bass and vocals). There were some people in the crowd singing and dancing to their top hits like “Smoke” and “(This Ain’t No) Drunk Dial”; both of which have been played on the country radio for quite some time.

The next opening act was Thomas Rhett. When Rhett took the stage, the amphitheater was pretty much filled up. Known for his hit songs like “T-Shirt”, “Vacation” and “Die A Happy Man”, he could have been considered a co-headliner. He performed a full hour of drum solos, ballads and pop cover songs which had everyone in the crowd on their feet and singing along.

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Temecula Road is a new country trio from Temecula, California. The members of this group are sisters, Emma and Maddie Salute, and their close friend, Dawson Anderson. The trio writes their own songs and background instrumentals with Dawson on the guitar and Emma on the mandolin. In this last year, the group gained a huge fan following while playing shows in many different parts of California. They were just recently named the West Coast Country Association’s Vocal Group of the Year.  For only being in their teens, each of them has skillful techniques that are way beyond their years.  

I was lucky enough to see this talented group as an opening act for country singer Jessie James Decker this past spring at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California. It was entertaining to watch a new country group that sounded different from any other group I’ve heard before. I feel that this young talented group has a lot of potential and we will see much more from them in the near future. 

If you want to see more of this group then go check out their music on Spotify. Their hit single Paper or Plastic can be found on ITunes. If you ever want to see them in concert, check their website to see when they are in a city near you. Their next show is at Wilson Creek Winery with the popular and well known Eli Young Band.  It seems this year is the year for Temecula Road to find huge success in their blossoming career.

August 15, 2016   

1. Maren Morris “80s Mercedes” (Hero): This song has been a fan favorite for quite some time, but for a new listener of her music, this song is very different by the way it balances more of a pop tune than a country song. The melody stays on “whoa’s”, in the intro and each chorus keeps you singing along with it. Morris shows us a being balanced while behind the wheel of a beloved Benz. Lyrically she cleverly compares herself to the classic car when she sings about it and shows how it is being made for practically and being built to last. There is a ton of ease in the hook as she sings “I’m a 90s baby, in my 80s Mercedes,” and she makes this line so repetitive throughout the song, it also provides a verse that you know you will hear again. I feel this song will help Morris’ music career continue to skyrocket to many more ventures in her near future.
2. Eric Church “Record Year” (Mr. Understood): This song is well written song, that showcases someone who is sad and getting healed by the power of music. This song tells a story about a man getting lost in old records as a way to ease the pain of losing his woman. My favorite line of this song is “Your leaving left me goin crazy, I’m counting on a needle to save me, I drop it in the groove and we go round and round in a spiral”. I think this is great writing, the different tone of this song combines with the power of Church’s vocals make this a well-written tune. Musically, this song is pretty great as well. The verses come in at a low level and the chorus comes out hard. This song isn’t a traditional country song, but it is a wonderful combination of country and rock that fits well within country radio.
3. Cole Swindell “Middle of a Memory” (You Should Be Here): This song finds Swindell caught in a love at first sight moment that is clearly shown more than one time. However, there is some drama that pulls his leading lady away toward the end of the first verse. He spends the rest of the song describing the life and love the two of them would have shared. A sing along type of chorus is the main moment throughout the song. It focuses on a limited moment in time that every guy has lived through. A mix of emotions the main character has while going back in time and only has a broken heart at the end.
4. Tucker Beathard “Rock On” (Tucker Beathard-The Demos-Vol 1): In this song the melody is solid and appealing. The lyrics are strong, mostly the main hook, as it hits the melancholic spot between regret and moving on. It is well written which is sometimes uncommon for an up and coming country musician Beathard actually does a great job in selling the story.
5. Jana Kramer “Circles” (31): Kramer praises her husband as being the most solid person in her life and how he makes her a better person each day. She also shows a new side of emotions when she shares how he changed her life and made her feel like she was his one and only. Kramer and her band could not have picked a better song for her next single. This softer beat perfectly fits in with the chorus and allows her to showcase her musical range and skills. I this powerful love song is perfect for Kramer and also it seems many fans of her will also be happy this is her new single.

On August 4^th, 2016 I went to see country female singer Miranda Lambert at the Greek Theater for her Keeper of the Flame tour. Her show started with a video montage featuring several female pop culture figures from Betty Boop to Dolly Parton. After the montage, Lambert and her eight-piece band, they played a ninety-minute set with a lively verison of her hit song “Fastest Girl in Town.” The fast pacing harmonica and banjo playing for her song “Kerosene” was equally bad ass. A wild verison of her song “Bathroom Sink” got the whole crowd on their feet. Then Lambert went into a hard rock phase for her cover of Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen” and totally lost herself in the moment. Her heartfelt song “Over You”, co-written by Blake Shelton, had many of her fans singing along with her. She was glowing during her performance for her song “All Kinds of Kinds”, where old time country sounds of the mandolin and lap steel was in the lead. Halfway into her show, she finally introduced her new single to the crowd “Vice”. Other highlights of this show was her singing of “Mama’s Broken Heart”, “Little Red Wagon” and the main set closer “Gunpowder and Lead”. Lambert’s fondness for the 1970’s continued with a carefree performance of “Ophelia” by the band and well known sax player Johnny Reno. They also did a cover of Danny O’Keefe’s “Covered Wagon” and encored with a take on Lowell George’s “Willin”, that Linda Ronstadt recorded for “Heart Like a Wheel”. Tour mates Kip Moore and Brothers Osborne traded verses with Lambert.

Kip Moore whose “Up All Night” album was the most successful male country debut of 2012, and followed it up last year with his album “Wild Ones”. Dressed in a backward ball cap and torn jeans. This croaky vocalist did a 65 minute Greek set with all his popular songs and even some new ones. The rock n’ roll guitar playing, loud drums and a great chorus really made this arena sparkle. His Top 10 single “Beer Money” received a great audience response. Moore also surprised the audience by taking a Jimmy Eat World’s song; “The Middle” and putting his own country twist on it. The good-looking musician was open onstage, while preforming his song “I’m to Blame”. While performing “Come and Get it”, there were three electric guitars there to provide a wonderful sound. He made many ladies in the audience blush and scream while pulling on his shirt while performing his sultry song “Back Seat”. He also took a girl’s cell phone so she would focus on his song “Hey Pretty Girl”. Moore sang to her and followed up with a few verses of Bill Withers song “Lean On Me”. He also stayed in the audience, for his number 1 single “Somethin’ Bout a Truck”. He raised the show’s energy level to a 110% and he finished his set with his song “Magic”.

Earlier, the famous duo Brothers Osborne, played a half hour set of songs from their latest album “Pawn Shop”. John Osborne impressed the crowd with his great electric guitar work, especially while playing “Rum” and “Down Home”. Also John rock out to his own guitar solo on “Stay a Little Longer”. Meanwhile, lead singer TJ Osborne called playing the Greek, “a bucket list moment”, and sang through a megaphone to start “Green Pastures”, a upbeat and twangy country song. Also TJ proved his range in vocals for their single “21 Summer”.