Charles Kelley at HOB Boston 4-11-16
When I heard Charles Kelley was embarking on a solo project,
I was intrigued to see (and hear) how his solo album would compare to the projects from Lady Antebellum. As a longtime fan of Dierks Bentley and a new fan of Eric Paslay, I was pleased when the three collaborated for, “The Driver”. The song ended up with a GRAMMY nomination and, while it lost to “Girl Crush”, it helped to create buzz for The Driver album and tour.
The Driver album ended up being one of my early favorites of the year. The album quickly became one of my
most played and I began to get really excited for The Driver Tour to come to
Boston.
Josh Kelley at HOB Boston 4-11-16
Monday night’s show at the House of Blues Boston completely
exceeded my expectations. The show began
with Charles’ older brother, Josh, playing an acoustic set with some of his own
hits like “Amazed” and “Georgia Clay”.
Josh regaled us with stories about life growing up as Charles’ older
brother and his time in Boston complete with a trip to Fenway Park to catch the
Red Sox home opener and a stop at a college bar (The Bell in Hand). Josh was showing off his fun side with
playful covers and also shared some of the stories that inspired his new album. His first single off the album, "It's Your Move" is about the fight that makes or breaks a relationship. Josh's wife, Katherine Heigl, costarred and directed the music video.
Aside from the fun, Josh showed how talented he is with his own hits and soulful covers of Bruce Springsteen’s “The River” and Roger Hornsby’s “Mandolin Rain”.
Aside from the fun, Josh showed how talented he is with his own hits and soulful covers of Bruce Springsteen’s “The River” and Roger Hornsby’s “Mandolin Rain”.
His new album, New Lane Road, will be available for
purchase on April 22nd. You can preorder
the album on iTunes or Google Play.
Charles Kelley at HOB Boston 4-11-16
After Josh’s stellar performance, Charles came to the stage
flanked by familiar faces from the Lady A band. Kelley’s set was passionate and included
almost the entire The Driver album as
well as many of the Lady A favorites (“Need You Now” and “Better Off Now That
You’re Gone” among others) that gained him his original fans. The Driver has given Charles the opportunity to take some artistic leaps in the form of songs that didn't fit the Lady A mold.
In addition to his own songs, Charles sang two Tom Petty covers, “Southern Accent” which is a duet with Stevie Nicks on The Driver and “I Won’t Back Down” where he was joined by his brother Josh. Charles also included a tribute to Glenn Frey in the form of the Eagle’s “Take It Easy” as well as a stripped down "Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus. It was easily one of the most fun shows I’ve been to in a long time. Charles was clearly comfortable on his own stage and excited to share his solo work with some new audiences in smaller venues. It was great to hear the multi-talented Abe Stoklasa take a break from the steel pedal and saxophone to sing "The Driver", a song he co-wrote. Overall, Charles' vocals were phenomenal and you could tell how much the band loves playing together.
In addition to his own songs, Charles sang two Tom Petty covers, “Southern Accent” which is a duet with Stevie Nicks on The Driver and “I Won’t Back Down” where he was joined by his brother Josh. Charles also included a tribute to Glenn Frey in the form of the Eagle’s “Take It Easy” as well as a stripped down "Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus. It was easily one of the most fun shows I’ve been to in a long time. Charles was clearly comfortable on his own stage and excited to share his solo work with some new audiences in smaller venues. It was great to hear the multi-talented Abe Stoklasa take a break from the steel pedal and saxophone to sing "The Driver", a song he co-wrote. Overall, Charles' vocals were phenomenal and you could tell how much the band loves playing together.
You can purchase The Driver on iTunes and Google Play.
Follow Charles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Click here for additional dates on The Driver Tour.
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