CONCERT PREVIEW
Kristian Bush of Sugarland
With Larkin Poe. 8 p.m. Feb. 1. $21 (advance) and $25 (day of show). Buckhead Theatre, 3110 Roswell Road, Atlanta. 1-800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com.
Last March, Kristian Bush made his live solo debut not in his hometown of Atlanta or our twangy neighbor to the west, Nashville, but in … London.
Shortly after performing at their inaugural C2C: Country to Country Festival at the O2 Arena, Bush released his first solo single, "Love or Money." Then the floodgates opened and every Monday since has brought the release of a new song on his website (kristianbush.com) for Music Mondays.
Considering the prolific-ness of the male half of Sugarland — he’s written roughly 17 bazillion songs this year and counting — he probably has enough material to supply fans with new songs every week through the end of the century.
He does plan to whittle down his stash for an album release this summer — he notes that the timing seems right now that Sugarland partner Jennifer Nettles has gotten her solo effort, “That Girl,” launched — but first comes a string of live shows, starting Saturday at the Buckhead Theatre.
Bush chatted recently from his Decatur home about the show’s set list, his ace backing band and why it will be a “melt-your-face-off” kind of night.
Q: So in a perfect world, what’s the timetable for this album to come out?
A: In a perfect world, you'll hear something on the radio in the next two months and it will come out in the summertime and it will be awesome. I'm down to 78 songs to pick from. … One of the inspirations for releasing this record is that country radio has changed in the last three or four years.
Q: How so?
A: A few years ago, my voice, which sounds more like Rod Stewart than George Strait, wouldn't have been accepted as a country voice. Now I say, Kip Moore, way to go, you just parted the waters for me! Charles Kelley from Lady Antebellum, Thomas Rhett … we're getting closer and closer to Paul Westerberg, people!
Q: When we talked recently at the Grammy party to recognize nominees and members of the Atlanta chapter of the Recording Academy of Arts & Sciences, you described this upcoming show as a “melt-your-face-off” kind of night. Explain a little more, please?
A: (Laughs) I have always loved performing with bands. It has gone back a long time into my history to when I got bitten by the bug. I was at Emory at the time and on the council for bringing music to the school, and I was old enough to start lobbying for bands I wanted, so I went to bat for the Replacements. I REALLY wanted them to come to Emory, and they were coming to play Center Stage so we were able to work out the timing and I saw them twice. I got kicked in the face by their music that there was nothing else I wanted to do so badly except be in that band. The songs I knew had a live energy that I didn't expect. I'm so excited by the energy that is in this band and I've spent kind of a year letting it simmer. So if you're expecting a songwriter's show, you're going to get hurt!
Q: What is the plan for the set list? Are you going to do Billy Pilgrim and Sugarland songs?
A: I think there should be a slot for Billy Pilgrim and a couple of Sugarland songs since we're still active as a band and a lot of fans coming might not be aware of Billy Pilgrim, but they are of Sugarland. Sometimes when you hear a song that's familiar through a voice that's not, that's what I'm doing, trying to paint a picture of the same song. So now you'll have this beautiful chance when you hear me sing (Sugarland's) "Baby Girl."
Q: Tell me about having Megan and Rebecca Lovell from Larkin Poe in the band.
A: They're opening the show and part of the band. Now, there's a better mandolin player than me in the band! I love that they are so good. There's a part of me that always felt like Jennifer represented women in a very strong and intelligent and vulnerable and holistic way, and that's very important to me. I seek out women who are also powerful. Intelligence is sexiness now. One of the things I love is that my daughter is 8 years old and she can look up to Rebecca and Megan as girls who are beautiful and talented and super-smart, who can outplay their dad, who dress like the coolest girls on the planet. There's this wonderful role model-ness going on with them.
Q: Who else is in the backing band besides the girls and your brother, Brandon (Bush)?
A: Brandon is music directing this whole thing, which is usually my job, so I'm playing artist on this tour. We've never missed a band together. But we have Travis McNabb, he was the original drummer for Billy Pilgrim and joined Better Than Ezra for 15 years and drummed for Sugarland the last three tours. Tim Smith is on bass. He's from Atlanta and played in Jellyfish and the Producers and with Sheryl Crow. It's a rhythm section that feels like Muscle Shoals.
Q: Did it feel weird at that first (solo) show at the O2 in London last year to not have Jennifer next to you onstage?
A: I remember after I got off stage after that show, Tim turned to me and said, 'I really like playing with you.' I'm kinda like your coach out there. I'll get up on somebody and be like, 'Play harder!' Because I am, in fact, having the time of my life. I hope it's contagious with the players.
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