Not many bands are worth fighting the traffic to get to the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center. But Friday night was worth the battle when Darius Rucker performed to a nearly sold out crowd.
Rucker, on tour promoting his newest CD “Southern Style,” opened his set with “Lighter Up,” Strapping on his guitar, Rucker said, “Let’s go old school,” and played “Time.” Here and there he added “Only Wanna Be With You,” “Hold My Hand” and “Let Her Cry” from his Hootie and the Blowfish days, which the audience loved.
Rucker played covers of Blackstreet’s “No Diggity,” which the set could have done without. A highlight came when Rucker had the Brothers Osborne and Brett Eldredge, his opening acts, join him on stage for a rendition of “Hold My Hand.”
Rucker ended his set with the upbeat “Homegrown Honey,” with shadows of a cornfield projected on the backdrop. For part of his encore, he performed “Wagon Wheel” and had the whole crowd sing the last verse.
The opening act was the Thousand Horses has a country rock vibe to them. They were heating up an already warm night when they sang their rising single “Smoke” to a packed amphitheater.
Brothers Osborne. Their music, while country, has a certain air that gives it a more modern feel thanks to the guitar playing by brother John Osborne — most definitely a talented musician — with brother TJ at the vocals.
Following was Brett Eldredge, another up-and-coming country singer. Performing his “Lose My Mind,” Eldredge had the crowd on their feet and rocking out and, perhaps, making some of the women lose their minds.
This concert brought many genres of people under one roof. That night we all came together as one and enjoyed a night filled with country rock and roll and rising stars that one day will be headlining
As Brothers Osborne performed at Kegs Canalside in Jordan, NY, the enthusiasm from the audience was just as loud and approving as their previous weekends audience at The Stagecoach Festival. Okay, maybe not as loud, but every bit as approving.
Saturday’s show featured the farewell performance from Sammy Award winner Briana Jessie as she sang her heart out before leaving to chase her dreams in Nashville. This little spitfire will do well down there with her amazing talent and driven personality, it won’t be long before you hear her name everywhere. NYSMusic.com wishes you well and can’t wait to cover a show for you on tour one day!!!
Brianna Jessie – Kegs Canalside
Another Syracuse native, Mick Fury, made his way home to Syracuse from Nashville as well for a one night performance opening for The Brothers Osborne. I was super psyched as this would be the first time I had the opportunity to see Mick’s live show, and he did not disappoint. Singing originals and some covers, Mick got the crowd a rocking, leaving them primed for The Brothers Osborne to take over. It never ceases to amaze me just how much talent we have here locally that eventually find their way to the big times. Can’t wait to say, I knew these two when.
Mick Fury – Kegs Canalside
I was happily anticipating this set as this would be the first time I really got to watch them play. I had covered them once before at a show but while working so I didn’t really get to sit and take it all in. As John and TJ Osborne took the stage, I loved them before they even began playing. Their stage setup included some cozy relaxing wall hangings, incense burning, macramé hangings, and everything groovy you could imagine making the set the most relaxing atmosphere. Then they began playing. TJ’s voice was low, and mellow, and just as smooth and throaty as can be while John’s playing took me away to another realm all together.
John is literally one of the best guitar players I’ve ever heard…amazing. Surrounding themselves with an amazing band, with Rochester native Pete Sternberg on bass, Adam Box on drums, and utility player and newcomer Jason Graumlich, the set was chocked full of amazing originals, outstanding covers and the night flew by before we knew it. Their laid back easy ways made us feel like we were just hanging out jamming with them. At one point in the show John yells out, “You may be a small but you are a mighty crowd”. That was the truth. We may not have been the large masses they had previously played to the weekend before at The Stagecoach Festival, but we sure raised some hell, sang along, screamed and shouted, and partied along with them all night!!
I highly recommend taking in their show if they get anywhere remotely closeby. These guys are amazing. Definitely going places as there are true to their sound, their style, and their music. Check out their latest single, “Stay A Little Longer” that is flying up the charts, and by all means purchase their album!! You won’t be disappointed.
Setlist: Let’s Go, Shoot, Sippin, The Last One, La Grance, Pins, Stay, Whiskey, Lonely, Hey Good Lookin’, Down Home,
Runnin, Rum, Shape, Natural High, Rocky Mountain Way, American Dreamers, 21 Summer, You Wreck Me, Going Down
One of the most anticipated country music shows of the year for Central New York is this week’s headliners Lee Brice and Chris Young, as they come to the Syracuse, OnCenter War Memorial. As Lee and Chris kick off their nationwide tour that will take them across America and the Pacific Ocean from Syracuse, NY to Hawaii, Kathy had a moment to speak with Lee about his musical career and future projects.
Lee Brice – Photo Credit Ryan Smith
Kathy Stockbridge: Lee, I want to thank you so much for agreeing to talk to today.
Lee Brice: Well hey there Kathy, how are you?
KS: Well I am doing great, thank you. Although New York has a reputation of being cold and frigid, we certainly are looking forward to giving you and Chris Young a warm Central NY welcome this week here in Syracuse when you arrive.
LB: I cannot wait to get there. This will be mine and Chris’ first show together of the year, so we’re excited too!
KS: Oh my, I think we are all over the moon with excitement to have both of you at the same time. This is awesome! Now you grew up in Sumter, SC, which is right down the street from my happy place, Charleston, SC. You have been singing and playing your whole life, talk to us a little about how the music bug bit you and the journey it’s taken you on.
LB: Well, it’s a thing that’s just been in me, the music, since I was a kid. I played to play, and sang to sing. It never left me. I went off to high school, and college, and worked some, but music just kept on calling to me. So I went off to Nashville. I felt that as long as I kept working hard at things, it kept working for me, and it’s been a beautiful ride.
KS: You have been tearing up the charts with hit after hit, but I don’t think people realize you’ve been in the business for a lot of years both performing and writing songs. You have penned some of the most famous songs around Nashville over the last few years. Talk to us a little bit about that songwriting process and how you came from writing songs, to performing, and the transition to where you are today.
LB: I was always writing the songs to sing them. When I came to Nashville, I had been writing since I was about 10, I had a little bit more success early on as a songwriter than as an artist… it worked well for me as I was able to take those songs on the road and play them. I think there’s nothing better than being a songwriter.
KS: And you have a knack for it. Your songs touch on subjects we can all relate to. Songs like “Drinking Class”, it just epitomizes us as hardworking, fun loving people, “I Don’t Dance”, and “I Drive My Truck”, these songs tell stories and touch on real life feelings. Now how do you decide to keep a song or give it away to someone else to sing? How does that work?
LB: It’s one of those things you can’t put a finger on. There have been a couple of songs I wanted to keep for myself that I ended up giving away and they worked out okay.
KS: I give you credit, I think I would be territorial and say, “No, that’s mine”. Must be hard to give them away. I also want to thank you and Sara both for sharing with us moments of your wedding…as a photographer I cannot tell you how much I loved the video on “I Don’t Dance”, I loved the vintage look. Share with us how you came about saying, I want to share that part of my life with my audience. A lot of artists are guarded, they don’t want to share such intimate details, and you and Sara opened your lives up and put it out there for the rest of the world to enjoy and relate to you folks. Talk to me about the video.
LB: Yes, Sara definitnely is very private so I was very happy when she was okay with the idea of us sharing some of the wedding footage. I knew I had written “I Don’t Dance” and I had this feeling that I wanted to have some wedding footage in it. I just thought, that it was just “us” (the concept) and I wanted to share her all over the world. So I brought in a guy to shoot footage on that old 8mm film. I wanted it to feel really really real, so I had plans for it back then. Then with Sara’s help, she helped decide what would and wouldn’t go in the video so that it was just right. She helped me so much on that video. Our next door neighbor was producer and we both got to go right into the studio with him as we were editing, so she got really deep into that one. So a lot of what you’re seeing, is Sara.
KS: I have to say, it is absolutely beautiful. Thank you both so much for sharing all that with us. I truly loved it. Now, I Don’t Dance is your third album, and you produced this album. Explain if you would to our readers, what it is mean to produce an album and how much does that play a part in the finished product you put out to your fans.
LB: Well producing an album is having a part in every single aspect of the album. From the music, and every single part of that music, to where it gets recorded, how it gets recorded, and the songs that go on it, the order they go on it…I mean there’s a lot that goes on besides just the music, and then on top of that the producer oversees exactly what the music needs to be. Me as an artist, I’m not really trying to be a producer, I just want to make my own music.
KS: Right, I understand.
LB: I want to do what my ears are hearing and kinda be true to me, but I have co-producers that I work with as well and they are really awesome. They help keep me on the path, and we work so well together, were just great friends so it works out really great.
KS: This winter tour that you and Chris as starting this week will take you across the nation, staring in frigid, Syracuse, NY and ending in balmy Hawaii. I know, someone has to do these tough jobs. We’re so excited to kick it off here for you this week. Tell us in addition to the tour what are some future projects we can share with our readers to watch out for?
LB: Well, I am producing a couple other folks that are right on the crest of some great things happening. Just some amazing artists; there’s American Young who is actually my co-producer Jon Stone’s band, and so I’m actually producing their record with them. That’s really exciting. I’m also working on some stuff with my brother, Lewis, and we’re in the studio working on some things that are almost finished. I’m also working with a band called Sister C, three sisters who are amazing. So, check them out, American Young, Lewis Brice, and Sister C.
KS: I definitely will. Thank you again Lee for taking the time to speak to our readers. We are really looking forward to this week with you coming to Syracuse, and wish you all the best as you tour across America. Thank you so much.
LB: Thank you so much, you were so wonderful.
As I ended the interview with Lee, I stopped to reflect on what a down to earth decent guy he was, and how easy he made the interview. Someone great once said that all an interview is, is a conversation between two folks. Sometimes those conversations are just enjoyable and that’s the category this one fell into. As someone who loves what he does this much, Lee will most definitely bring it to the stage and leave it behind for those he entertains. This is one show I am eagerly anticipating.
Hope to see you all at The Oncenter War Memorial, this Thursday, at 7:30 pm for Lee Brice, Chris Young, and the Brothers Osborne in one of Central NY’s country highlights this year. Tickets can be purchased online at for $41.50, $37 and $31.50 (additional fees may apply); they will be available in person at the Solvay Bank Box Office at The Oncenter (760 S. State Street), charge by phone (315.435.2121) or online via Ticketmaster.com.
