Tag Archives: Backroad Anthem

Eli Young Band At The Fayetteville Town Center

Posted on by

Review: The Eli Young Band & Backroad Anthem Live In Fayetteville, Ark. The Eli Young Band performed at The Fayetteville Town Center in Razorback country earlier this month, and the house was packed with EYB fans ready to belt out some “Crazy Girl” Before the main act took the stage, though, Backroad Anthem primed the crowd up good! Backroad Anthem is a local, Arkansas band who have recently gained an impressive following in a short time. They know how to get a party started in about 35 seconds and keep the energy rocking during their entire set. They do some more recent hits justice like “She’s Country,” “Wanted,” “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” and “Cruise.” But I myself was impressed when I heard “Ain’t Goin’ Down ‘Til The Sun Comes Up” and “Devil Went Down To Georgia.” I was super excited when it came time for the Texas boys to hit the stage. I have been a fan of this band for many years, and when they played some of their older material, the memories came flooding in. You really can’t beat “So Close Now” and “Oklahoma Girl.” EYB also played “Guinevere,” “Always the Love Songs,” “Radio Waves,” and the ones that made them go from regional to stardom in what seems overnight, “Crazy Girl” and “Even If It Breaks Your Heart.” The boys ended with a very energetic performance of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Gimme Three Steps.” As soon as the concert was over, many attendees made their way to George’s Majestic Lounge on Dickson Street for the official after-party, and a special thanks goes out to the George’s crew for bringing EYB and other great acts to Fayetteville, AR! To sum the night up, “A good time was had by all.”

Backroad Anthem Live at Georges Majestic Lounge

Posted on by

Backroad Anthem Explodes Onto The Country Scene with Performance at Georges Majestic Lounge, Headed Somewhere Fast! I have a feeling that sometime soon, I’ll be telling everyone how I met the boys from Backroad Anthem before they made it big. I first stumbled across this group of local talent when they opened for Dustin Lynch at Georges Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville, AR at the beginning of January. I didn’t even know they were on the night’s bill until I got to the show, and I was immediately blown away by the energy in their performance, their original sound, and how they had the fans on their feet and grooving in a matter of seconds. I thought maybe Dustin’s fans were just particularly exuberant, but I caught Backroad again just a little over a week ago when they headlined at George‘s and sold out the venue. For the second time, I was taken aback by these guys, especially considering that, as I later learned, they’ve only been together a short time (less than six months!). No matter the short time frame, these talented young men have hit just the right note, and they’re headed in the right direction. The Energy The first thing you’ll notice about Backroad Anthem is the raw, no holds barred energy that they put into their performances. according to lead vocalist frontman  Craig Strickland this is exactly what they’re aiming for. “We want to offer people somewhat of a country power band, where everyone is incredibly talented at their instrument. When people walk out the door from a live show we want them saying ‘That band had something that other bands don’t have. Their crazy energy on stage is addictive.’” – Craig Strickland For his part, Strickland never stays in one spot for long as he’s constantly jumping, running around on stage, dancing on an amp or interacting with the crowd. At the same time the extraordinarily talented fiddle player, Eric Dysart, isn’t taking any breaks either and keeps things upbeat and sizzling with his superb skills. Meanwhile, Isaac Senty kills it on the drums, Toby Freeman‘s smooth vocals balance out Craig’s more rocker vibe while adding to the overall sound with his rhythm electric, and Josh Bryant keeps a cool demeanor without holding back as he fires away as lead guitarist.  Every single one of them is constantly giving it their all, and the result is a loud, well-performed, high energy show that has the audience on their feet, dancing, singing along, and cheering for more the entire time. Bottom line, one thing is for sure, the crowd won’t leave without having a great time. The Sound Besides the high energy of their shows, Backroad Anthem has an interesting and original sound, and is sure to draw folks back for more. Granted, at this early stage, they are still filling their set with a lot of covers of popular country hits, but even still, they demonstrate a pretty wide range in the process. They cover classics Continue reading Backroad Anthem Live at Georges Majestic Lounge→