Sunday nights may be the saddest day of the week with a fresh workweek starting bright and early the next morning, but Eli Young Band and LOCASH didn’t let the night of the week stop them from putting on a wonderful show at Terminal 5 in Hells Kitchen one of New York City’s nicest music venues.
LOCASH, one of country music’s most fun duos comprised of Preston Brust and Chris Lucas, opened up the show. Anyone who has seen these two guys live before knew they were going to be in for a wild and exciting show. They never fail to connect with the audience and keep them on their feet for their entire set. The recently rebranded LOCASH (previously known as LoCash Cowboys) began their set with upbeat C.O.U.N.T.R.Y, which definitely set mood for what would come next. Throughout their time on stage they played a combination of older hits, well known covers, and a number unreleased songs to be included on a future album or EP. The duo performed “You Gonna Fly” which was made into their first #1 hit when Keith Urban recorded and released the song in 2011, as well as Tim McGraw’s hit “Truck Yeah,” which they co-wrote along with Chris Janson and Danny Myrick. Brust and Lucas are talented and proven songwriters, a quality that is apparent when listening to their music and seeing the success writing has brought them. Another cover that delighted the crowd was the duo”s own version of Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” which as expected was a a fan favorite.
One of the highlights of LOCASH’s set was how many new tracks they performed. The sweet “I Know Somebody” a song from their EP that will be released in October was a definite standout. The infectious track features some beautiful harmonies has all the makings of a future single. “Drunk Drunk” which shockingly was about alcohol is a great live song, while “Wheels Fall Off” is another romantic song about growing old together. The other most notable new song for LOCASH was the John Legend and One Republic inspired “Shipwrecked” a track that they plan to release as their next single. The song features great lyrics and more awesome harmonies between the duo.
LOCASH closed their set with their current single “I Love This Life” which recently reached the top 25 at country radio and should continue to climb the charts. The song is their self-proclaimed antidote to all of the negativity constantly spewed out on news channels across the country. It’s anthemic feel and message to appreciate everything that you have in life makes it a relatable and uplifting track that has certainly hit the mark with country music listeners. The fans knew every word to the song, and it had them on their feet one last time before LOCASH left the stage.
Headliners Eli Young Band took the stage not long after. With a distinguishable vocals, a solid core of radio hits and quality songwriting, the guys in Eli Young Band (Mike Eli, James Young, Jon Jones and Chris Thompson) are an experienced and confident group who can always be counted on to put on an amazing show.
The band opened with “Drink You Up,” a lively track from their March 2015 EP Turn It On. They performed the title track and their current single from the album. With recent requests to incorporate more songs from early on in their discography into their live shows, the group delighted those who have followed them since their inception when they performed old fan favorites like “Guinevere,” and “Love Songs.” The feel good title track to their last full length album 1,000 Towns, picked up the pace, outlining the amazing things about small town living, while the heartfelt and impactful “Prayer For The Road” from the same album was dedicated to service members and first responders. Eli Young Band also performed the second single from the album “Dust.”
Any good concert includes several well-known covers, and Eli Young Band didn’t disappoint with their own renditions of Garth Brooks’ haunting “Thunder Rolls,” David Lee Murphy’s “Dust On The Bottle,” and Tom Petty’s “Fly.” The group also ventured into the pop side of things with a performance of Andy Grammar’s “Honey I’m Good.” The band and Grammar have collaborated to release a duet version of the song together that is available now on iTunes.
Eli Young Band has scored three #1 singles at country radio. The first, “Even If It Breaks Your Heart,” was inspired as Mike Eli told the crowd by the story of how each of his parents reacted when he told them he wanted to be a musician, and how he met his current band-members while attending college. The uplifting and rousing song about not letting anything stop you from following your dreams and reaching for your goals reflects the lessons learned from each of these stories and sparked an amazing live performance of the group’s first #1 hit as a group. The crowd enthusiastically carried the entire chorus on their own towards the end of the performance, which had to have been a meaningful moment for Eli Young Band to be a part of. Their performance of their most recent #1 hit “Drunk Last Night” was also a memorable one, but the band closed the show with perhaps their most recognizable and beloved song, “Crazy Girl,” a sweet track about making sure loved ones know you care about them. After leaving the stage briefly, and the crowd cheering for one more song, Eli Young Band returned for an encore, performing a fan favorite from their 2008 album Level.
LOCASH and Eli Young Band brought fun and great country music to New York City on Sunday night. Fans in NY will undoubtedly be looking forward to their next chance to see each act live.
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