“I think Brantley Gilbert is captivating,” he said. “He is pure country with an edge, a combination of Jason Aldean and Eric Church rolled into one. His songs are filled with emotion and intensity with catchy, compelling lyrics.”
Gilbert’s songs have received more than 16 million plays on Myspace.com and more than 25,000 plays a day, including four songs topping 2 million plays. His latest album, “Halfway to Heaven,” was released in March 2010. The album produced two hits, “Kick It in the Sticks” and his current single “My Kind of Crazy.” After its release, the album went to No. 1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Album Chart and peaked at No. 2 on the iTunes Country Albums Chart.
Gilbert was born and raised in Jefferson, Ga. He said he has been playing guitar and singing since the was 3 years old.
“I think my first concert was in my bedroom. I stood so I could see myself in the mirror and I played for an audience of one,” Gilbert said.
A few years ago Gilbert survived a nearly fatal car crash. He suffered some memory loss, but he said it was his music that helped him cope.
“It was definitely a life-changing experience. I lost a sense of who I was, but it was the songs I recorded prior to the accident that reminded me,” Gilbert said.
Gilbert said if it weren’t for the large amount of support from friends and family, he wouldn’t have gotten this far. Gilbert said he and his band are excited to share their talent with the Oxford community.
“We have a lot of fun, but we also like to slow it down in the middle to see the emotional side, then we crank it back up to finish the night,” Gilbert said. “We can’t wait to get there and meet everybody and we hope they like what we’re doing.”
Local Oxford resident Renee Moore said she considers herself a huge country music fan and enjoys looking for new singers to support. She first heard about Gilbert when Jason Aldean recorded Gilberts song “The Best of Me.” Moore is excited to have such talent performing in Oxford.
“I really wish more people knew about this event because Brantley Gilbert is amazing and it’s going to be phenomenal. It’s not often that you can see this kind of talent for only $10,” Moore said.
Talawanda graduate Ryan Broshear will open for Gilbert at 8:30 p.m. Broshear is an aspiring country artist who has opened for Lee Brice, Luke Bryan, and Love and Theft. Gilbert’s performance will start at 9:30 p.m.
Tickets are already on sale for $10 in advance and $12 the day of the show. Tickets can be purchased at Brick Street or online at www.brickstreetbar.com.
For more information about Brantley Gilbert, visit www.brantleygilbert.com.
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