The Eli Young Band has been touring long enough that they’ve figured out the perfect balance between work and play on show nights. Jon Jones says, “We have a two-hour guideline before we go on state and that’s kinda the magic number of kind of having a couple drinks to relax before we go on stage without it affecting the show in a negative way.”
Mike Eli admits, early on, “We used to break the two-hour rule a lot.”
Jon says gathering at the bar before the show, “It’s like we’re at the office and that’s about the time you can find us around the water cooler. It’s just about two hours before the show, you can just kinda see us all at the bar in the bus and that’s when we all start interacting.”
Eli Young Band’s latest single, “Dust,” is currently in the top 20 and climbing.
Eli Young Band – two hour pre-show limit :47
Jon – “We have a two-hour guideline before we go on state and that’s kinda the magic number of kind of having a couple drinks to relax before we go on stage without it affecting the show in a negative way.”
Mike – “We used to break the two-hour rule a lot, but that was back before we had.”
James – “That was back before there was more than 10 people at the bar.”
Jon – “It’s like we’re at the office and that’s about the time you can find us around the water cooler. It’s just about two hours before the show, you can just kinda see us all at the bar in the bus and that’s when we all start interacting.”
Mike – “You know I … there’s not a bottle of liquor that I normally disagree with.”
James – “We can usually make do. The only times you run into the problem is on Sunday when you’re in a town where.”
Mike – “I’ll drink anything that’ll give me a headache the next day.”
James – “Yep.”
WHAT THEY’RE DOING THIS WEEK – SEPTEMBER 8, 2014 – MONDAY
Mike Eli said of last week’s third consecutive CMA nomination for Vocal Group of the Year: “We’ve been at this for a long time. It’s really nice to know that everything we have built is continuing. We’ve worked really hard to get here.” The guys have also teamed up for a video with the Houston Texans who announced that they have partnered with EYB for a new “tradition” of “Deep In The Heart of Texas.”
Always busy on the road, the band plays shows on Wednesday (9/10) at The Cotillion In Wichita, Kansas, at the Walmart AMP with The Cadillac Three and Jake Owen in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Thursday (9/11) at Fourth Street Live in Louisville, Kentucky on Friday (9/12).
2014 CMA NOMINATIONS
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR – Eli Young Band
The 48th Annual CMA Awards will be handed out in Nashville live on ABC on November 5.
ELI YOUNG BAND – THE FACTS
MEMBERS: Mike Eil (lead singer, guitar), James Young (guitar), Jon Jones (Bass guitar), Chris Thompson (drums)
FORMED: The guys got together after meeting at the University of North Texas.
HOMETOWN / ORIGINS: Denton, Texas
DEBUT SINGLE: “So Close Now” – 2006
DEBUT ALBUM: Eli Young Band – released in 2002
CURRENT ALBUM: 10,000 Towns – RELEASED: March 4, 2014
CURRENT SINGLE: “Dust” sits in the top 15 on the country charts this week.
GRAND OLE OPRY DEBUT: November 2008
LATEST MUSIC VIDEO – 2014 – “Dust”
RECENT TWEETS:
EliYoungBand @EliYoungBand · Sunday, September 7
#teamwork
EliYoungBand @EliYoungBand · September 6
#merica
EliYoungBand @EliYoungBand · September 5
Thanks for the new shirt @Dickies
ELI YOUNG BAND – AWARD WINS
2011 – Academy of Country Music – Song of the Year – “Crazy Girl”
2011 – Music Row Awards – Breakthrough Artist