Jason Michael Carroll @Joe's

As one of the featured eight shows at Joe's, US99 Chicago's country music radio station along with Bluechip Casino treated fans to a free concert on May 27th by Jason Michael Carroll. Jason just released his second album entitled "Growing Up is Getting Old" on Arista Nashville records. It almost seems like a typical thing to hear that a country music singer grew up as the son of a preacher and its no different with Jason, having grown up secluded from secular music it was only when Jason was at work that he started to listen to country music living in North Carolina. He enterered a karaoke contest sponsored by a local radio station and has since gone on to sell a half million records. The show at Joe's started about an hour after the doors opened and lucky fans got to meet and greet Jason before he took the stage. Being that it was a Wednesday night show i could not stay very long so i wont try and review the show but if you were there feel free to leave a comment about it. Click on the title to see more photos.

The Eli Young band @Joe's

Universal South recording artists The Eli Young band took the stage after the Carter Twins and Joey & Rory Friday May 22nd. The Eli Young band has been around making music for about 8 years now and after a lot of work with endless touring and self promotion they are really building momentum with their single "Always the Love Songs" which is number five on the Texas Music Chart as i am writing this.
Formed at the University of North Texas in Denton the band was started by Mike Eli and guitarist James Young and later they added Bassist Jon Jones and Drummer Chris Thompson to the line up. They started playing small clubs and bars in the area and were later signed to an independant label. After releasing a few albums on Carnival records they were signed to Universal South and released their latest CD "Jet Black and Jealous" with the lead off single "When it Rains".
For those who are not familiar with the older work of the Eli Young band "When it Rains" was actually on the live album "Live at the Jolly Fox" a few years before it was on "Jet Black and Jealous" they also performed it recently live on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. I have seen them live a few times and i thought this show was one of their best, they really rocked this time and the crowd was giving them great feedback. Mike even signed autographs from the stage during one of the songs even signing someones cowboy boot that was passed up to the front. If you ever get a chance to see these guys live you better "Throw and Go".

The Carter Twins and Joey & Rory @Joe's

Nashville's The Carter Twins and Joey & Rory started the night off at Joe's bar in Chicago on May 22nd opening for the Eli Young band. The Carter Twins are Zach And Josh from Akron Ohio who later relocated with their family to South Carolina and now call Nashville home. They have been busy writing songs for their debut album due out this Summer.
One of the finalists chosen for CMT's television talent show "Can You Duet" was the husband and wife duo Joey & Rory. They played a set backed only by Rory's acoustic guitar playing and sometimes a backing track that was recorded. Joey & Rory have been receiving a lot of positive press for their debut album "Strong Enough to Cry" on Sugar Hill records. Joey & Rory play country music as it should be with good songwriting and classic country style in a timeless form. Rory has written songs for Blake Shelton, Clay Walker and more. They live in Nashville now and operate a restaurant outside town called Marci Jo's Mealhouse, stop in for a good down home meal. Click on the title of this post to see more photos. The Carter twins

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Martina McBride @ Joe's

US99 Chicago's country music radio station along with Bluechip Casino, Coors Light and Best Buy sponsored another one of the "8 Shows at Joe's" putting on a free concert by none other than Martina McBride. The crowd was standing room only and as the rain outside stopped the show began. Martina has a new critically acclaimed new release out entitled "shine" and shine she did, Martina is a class act who knows her powerful voice is the only thing needed to prove to an audience that she is one of the best in the business. No gimmicks or theatrics just solid vocals and a commanding stage presence. New female country singers will come and go and most do not hold a candle to her raw talent as a singer. Martina performed songs off her new release including "Sunny Side Up" and "I Just Call You Mine" which she dedicated to her husband and also my favorite off the new Cd "Ride" plus many of her hit songs like "Wild Angels" "Where Would You Be" "Concrete Angel" and "blessed" and i am sure everyone lucky enough to attend this show felt Blessed to have been there.

Roger Creager & Cory Morrow @ Joe's

Everyone at Joe's bar in Chicago on May first went "Texas time travelin" with Roger and Cory. After Ashley Ray's acoustic set Roger Creager was enthusiastically greeted by the crowd ready to party on a Friday night with the good timing songs about love, women and beer. Roger played songs from his latest release "Here It Is" including his current single "Good Day for Sunsets" and songs from his past albums which are crowd favorites like "The Everclear Song" and "Love" as well as one of my personal favorites "Late Night Case of the Blues" Roger has a great band that has been with him for quite a while now especially Matt Madearis on the drums, Alan Huff on keyboards and accordian and Stormy Cooper on Bass, creating a tight rhythm section that can play a rich sounding ballad or a rowdy TexMex two stepper.
Cory Morrow who is now a veteran of the Texas music scene along with the likes of Pat Green and Jack Ingram took the stage next. Standing barefoot on a rug he seems to always use on stage, Cory performed songs from his latest release "Vagrants & Kings" which is his ninth Cd to date including "He Carries Me" and "When its all said and Done" which is a lesson in Texas music, naming song titles at a speed like Johnny Cash's "Ive Been Everywhere" and using that line also. Cory also played some old crowd favorites like "big City Stripper" and "21 Days" Roger came back out to share the stage with Cory for the last three or four songs, even borrowing someones camera to compose a shot of both of them hamming it up on stage. I can imagine the pranks that go on behind the scenes and on the bus between the two of them. If you chose not to attend this show all i can say is that you were "Having Fun All Wrong".

Ashley Ray @ Joe's

Universal South recording artist Ashley Ray opened another show at Joe's bar in Chicago after coming off the "Young and Wild" tour with Eric Church. This time she opened for Roger Creager and Cory Morrow on Friday night May first. Ashley has a few songs out right now and will be releasing her first CD soon. She has written songs with Wade Bowen and Performs some Randy Rogers songs in her set as well as songs she has written herself. I think we will be seeing alot more of Ashley Ray in the near future, keep an eye out for her.