New York City gets a Front Row Seat for Texas Country

Josh Abbott Band was at Gramercy Theatre in NYC on Friday night, January 29, 2016. Opening for JAB was Carly Pearce and Tucker Beathard.

Hailing from Lubbock, Texas, JAB released their fourth studio album, Front Row Seat, in November of 2015. The 15 tracks, broken down into five acts, tell the emotional story behind Abbott’s recent divorce, with each of the acts representing stages of their relationship.

Act 1 – Exposition – highlights the joy of being young and carefree. Act 2 – Incitation – is steeped in passion. Act 3 – Intimacy – shows a man deeply in love. Act 4 – Dissolution – takes on a darker tone, where mistakes are made. And finally Act 5 – Dénouement (French for Aftermath) – ends with the the ultimate realization of being alone and having to move on.

“When you get to the end of this album, you see a band that grew up before your eyes – like literally front to back, a band that sonically changed.” – Josh Abbott

I reached out to fans on social media who were at last night’s show at Gramercy Theatre to get their thoughts:

Presley Scott (Instagram: @presley_scott) said “As a Texan living in New York, it’s a special experience to be in a room full of fellow southerners and be taken home for a night. It’s even better when you throw in a banjo and the sweet voice of a true Texan, and Josh Abbott Band did just that! The high energy kept me dancing and singing through the whole show and to my surprise, the New York crowd did not disappoint when it came to their southern stomping and celebratory singing, I even ended up standing next to someone from my hometown! Josh Abbot reminded me that no matter where I live, I’m Texan and I’m dang proud of it!” Presley shared these pics from the show:

Josh Abbott Band at Gramercy Theatre - Photos by Presley Scott

Josh Abbott Band at Gramercy Theatre – Photos by Presley Scott

Jen Webb (Twitter: @Jmw268) was really excited to see opener Carly Pearce, who she recently saw open for Kelsea Ballerini and “became an instant fan.” Webb said “Carly is extremely talented and she blew me away with her strong lyrics and powerful vocals.” Commenting on JAB, Webb enjoyed how Abbott interacted with the crowd, noting how he “ate Cheetos that were thrown to him on stage, ordered shots for a bride to be and her friends, and threw guitar picks out to everyone up front.” One of the highlights of the show was JAB’s Wasn’t That Drunk, which Pearce joined in on (she also lent her vocals to that track on JAB’s album). Webb added “The combination of Josh Abbott Band’s unique country style and Carly Pearce’s powerful vocals left me mesmerized…It was an unforgettable performance.” Jen snapped these pics of Abbott and Pearce:

Josh Abbott with Carly Pearce - Photos by Jen Webb

Josh Abbott with Carly Pearce – Photos by Jen Webb

Tricia Murdy (Instagram: @trishyness) was seeing JAB for the first time: “They were everything I could have hoped for and more – they sounded amazing and really entertained the crowd.” Murdy also commented on how great Pearce and Beathard were as openers. “Carly Pearce was singing about broken hearts and crappy relationships which we all can relate to,” said Murdy. She added, “Tucker Beathard was awesome. He had a little rock edge and I expect we will be seeing a lot of him in the future.” Tricia was fortunate enough to run into Beathard randomly after the show and mentioned that he was “as sweet and humble as could be.”

For all of JAB’s upcoming tour dates head over to their website by clicking here.

Josh Abbott Band: Amnesia Lyric Video