CONCERT REVIEW: CMT Next Women Tour // Kelsea Ballerini & Jana Kramer

5.7.15

House of Blues || Cleveland, OH

CMT Next Women of Country Tour

Kelsea Ballerini: The minute that I heard that Kels would be on the CMT Next Women Tour and that it was coming to Cleveland, I knew immediately that I had to have tickets. There was no way I would miss a chance to see this girl take over the HOB stage. And damn, am I happy I was witness to her star power. To be fully honest, most of the crowd that I talked to only knew “Love Me Like You Mean It” or “Dibs”. But when she came out on that stage, she had the whole room watching intently as she rocked out to the songs close to her heart. I’m not kidding when I say she had everyone’s attention and they could only talk about how adorable she was. I had tears in my eyes and was getting choked up while singing along at one point because I was so proud and my heart was full watching the crowd loving Kels just as much as I do. She shined brighter than the North Star on the clearest night. I could not be happier for the attention that she’s getting, or the success that is coming her way. This girl is the kindest, and deserves every ounce of praise.

Jana Kramer: I first heard of Jana Kramer on One Tree Hill when she came on as Alex Dupré. I wasn’t sure how I felt about her character, but I knew one thing for sure…this girl had a voice & she could sing. Fast forward, she’s now headlining the CMT Next Women of Country Tour. And let me tell ya, this girl has found her niche. Country music is where she belongs. Majority of the shows I go to are male artists, but Jana had more energy and power up on the stage than a lot of the boys in country music. I seriously couldn’t get over how impressive she was. I had no expectations going into the show, only that I knew I liked her style and I was diggin’ her music. She burnt the stage down from the heat she brought. A highlight of her set was when she decided to sing a song she had written while on OTH since there were so many fans of the show in the crowd.

I have to give CMT major credit for picking two of the biggest rising stars in all of country music, not just women in country music, to co-headline this tour. Kels has the sweetheart personality & raw emotion in her writing similar to what Taylor Swift brought to Nashville with her when she joined the country music fam and released her debut album in 2006. On May 19^th, Kelsea will be releasing her debut album, The First Time. Jana on the other had has a feisty attitude and spitfire persona up on stage, while still being an all American girl with a gigantic heart. Her music has sweetness, but there’s also times when it has the sassiness. Her current “I Got The Boy” is out now.

 

xox

Christy

CONCERT REVIEW: Chase Bryant & Kelsea Ballerini

2.7.2015

Thirsty Cowboy || Medina, Ohio

Take It On Back Tour

Kelsea Ballerini & Chase Bryant

Kelsea Ballerini: So let me just start by saying that Kelsea is the sweetest girl you will ever meet. She saw a few of us waiting outside before doors open so she came out to say hi to us. That’s someone who cares about the fans. By the time doors opened her sound check wasn’t finished yet so we had what she & Josh dubbed a “Sound Check Party”. During sound check, Kelsea mentioned how she’d been battling with a respiratory flu the whole week but it didn’t stop her. Kelsea was a last minute addition to the ticket for this show but that didn’t stop me from getting overly excited to see her live. I was right up front singing along to every song that she played. The girl can light up a bar with her talent. She killed it on stage with her band. And Josh was killin’ it on the guitar the entire time. Hands down, Kels is my fave new female talent takin’ on Nashville. I cannot wait to watch as she continues to gain more fans and so much more success.

I was lucky enough to have a private meet & greet with Kels prior to the show. It was so fun just being able to talk with her for a few minutes. We made sure to take some #kelfies together too. I’m glad to say that this girl is someone I will endlessly support because she’s such a sweetheart. I’m also happy to have a new friend. 

Chase Bryant: This guy had the crowd goin’ wild before he even made it to the stage. And once he came on, the crowd got even more rowdy. Chase is definitely on his way to becoming one of the guitar greats. He can shred on the guitar like you wouldn’t believe. He’s also a pretty funny guy when he’s talking out into the crowd and interacting. This guy has so much energy up on stage; you can’t help but to keep your eyes on him. The crowd was singing along to his songs as he jammed on stage. But once it came time for his single Take It On Back, it went to the next level.

With the help of my TL gals, I chose to wear a simple black tee that said “Holy Smoke” and paired it with the typical skinny jeans and leather jacket. I also rocked a pair of custom cowboy boots.

The night showcased the talent that’s comin’ up in country music and I’d have to say that we’ve got stars on the rise here. Both of these artists have the ability to make their names the ones you see in bright lights. I look forward to seeing where both of these artists take their careers. 

xox
Christy