*EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS * / CONCERT REVIEW: CRAIG CAMPBELL - CITY LIMITS RALEIGH, NC 2/18/12

Artists: Craig Campbell (Opener: Luke Kaufman)
Venue: City Limits Saloon Raleigh, NC
Date: 2/18/12

PHOTO CREDIT: ANTHONY BARHAM PHOTOGRAPHY / Lovin Lyrics Music Promotions

Watch Video Interview with Craig

I'd been waiting a long time for this one, country music's "Family Man", Craig Campbell, has been at the top of my "must see" list for well over a year so when I was told that he'd be playing City Limits, I knew come hell or high water (or in this case, actual snow), the three hour drive from the coast had to be done. Craig's an outstanding artist and tonight he proved he's got staying power and the talent to shoot right up to the top of the charts.

Sound Checkin'

We got to the venue around time for Craig to begin his sound check and from the first note, I knew this was not going to be your typical one song, rush through it and get it over with sound check. When an artist puts as much time and effort into their sound check as Craig does, it says alot about the kind of artist they are and how important their music and their shows are to them. Even in sound check, Craig's vocals are flawless, sounding so close to the voice you hear on the cd that I could have sworn he was lip synching, that's how good he is. He rehearsed "Family Man" and a couple of other songs, but the one that grabbed the attention of every person in that bar was his quiet, respectful rendition of the classic hit, "I Will Always Love You" in tribute to the late great Whitney Houston, whose funeral was taking place in New Jersey about the same time as sound check. Every person in the bar stopped what they were doing as soon as they heard the first few strains of the song, even the bartenders stopped stocking. The entire venue was hushed as we listened to Craig's emotional and reserved musical eulogy for an artist who brought so much to the world of music. There was alot of subtle sniffling and wiping of eyes, it obviously made an impact on those of us lucky enough to be present to hear this one time show of gratitude and appreciation.

When Craig was finished, we noticed another guy stepping onto stage and starting to set up. I knew the face but couldn't quite place where I knew him from. Then it hit me, the City Limits Cinco de Mayo party in 2011, it was Luke Kaufman who often plays with Sunny Ledfurd. Honestly, I wasn't too impressed with the last performance I'd seen and I'm 99% sure it had to do with being outside in the middle of a bunch of drunks in the 95 degree heat and lots of self ingested Coronas, but I was willing to give it another shot and I'm glad I did because he was actually much better than I remembered. His style is backwood country combined with his own style of hick hop. It's not my personal preferred style of music, but he's definitely established a rather large fanbase who will proudly lay claim to it. He's a former announcer for the PBR Rodeo circuit and a guy who loves good country music. He has a new cd coming out in the next couple of months, so keep an ear out! He's a very friendly, down to earth and fun guy to spend time with. If he's playing in your area, go see him, buy him a beer and strike up a conversation, you'll love him.

Interviewin'

Craig was kind enough to take time out of his day to sit down and do a quick on camera interview with us so we can show you a side of him when he's not on stage, find out more about who he is and what he's about. The bar was rather loud and the lighting wasn't good for an interview, so we decided the only place we could really do it was on the bus. Buses are always loud inside and the lighting isn't great, but at least there aren't people everywhere and too much interference. When we got on the bus, Craig had just finished getting dressed for the show and I gotta say, the man was smelling some kinda good! I don't know what that cologne was but MAN OH MAN! Ladies, I'll find out what it is and you all need to get your man somma that! We sat down and talked about everything under the sun: his hit songs, his new single, "When I Get It", his appearances on Fox and Friends and Huckabee, his SESAC awards, his trip to the Grammys, his family, his "Shirts for a Cure" cause and what we can expect next. He's such a humble, genuine and interesting guy. I appreciate artists like Craig, they're so much more approachable and that puts me at ease when trying to conduct an interview. Thank you Craig for your time and your consideration. You can find the video for the interview following this review.

It's Showtime Folks!

Luke Kaufman took the stage first to a pretty decent and already drunk crowd. He only played from 9:15pm until about 9:45pm, but he covered alot of ground in a short time and had the bar pumped up and ready for Craig's show. Check Luke out online at www.lukekaufman.com and follow him on Twitter at @lukekaufman. Tell him we sent ya! You'll love him, great guy and he put on a great opening set!

It's now 10:15pm: the bar is pretty much a sell out or very close to it, it's standing room only and there isn't much of that. This crowd is here for Craig and it's obvious. When the fog machine kicked in and the band started their into music, the crowd was ready and when Craig stepped out, the crowd let loose and the "yahoos and yeehaws" began! He kicked off the set with his latest single, "When I Get It" and everyone in the front few rows was singing along, not missing a word or a beat. This is gonna be the song that catapults Craig to Top 10 status, which has been a long time coming. He followed with "Party for a Livin'", "I'll Take That" which is one that I loved during sound check, "All Night to Get There", "That's Music to Me", "Me Lovin' You" and "I Bought It" and then kicked it into high gear when he launched into a fantastic medley of classic 90's songs like Shenandoah's"Two Dozen Roses", Clint Black's "Killin' Time", Brooks and Dunn's "Brand New Man", and Alabama's "Mountain Music". This crowd was LOVING it, they wanted good country music and Craig gave it to 'em. When he started the first few notes of "Family Man", screams went up and it was obvious that everyone knew this one and couldn't wait to hear it. You could hear the bar singing it along with him, knowing every word and both Craig and the audience were loving it. You could see the pride on Craig's face knowing that HE sold this place out , they were here for HIM, and they were having a great time. What a feeling that must be for an artist. When everyone finished "Family Man", he walked over to the keyboards, took a seat and cranked out a rockin' version of Tracy Byrd's "Watermelon Crawl" then went right into Luke Bryan's hit, "Country Man" and the crowd was amped up and singing rather loudly. He brought the tone down with a wonderful song called "When She Grows Up" and it was rather quiet during this one, people were paying attention which is always a great thing to see. He wrapped up his set with "Bonnie and Clyde", "Stay Here and Drink", "Can't Drown Misery" and one I really loved and hope comes out as a single, "I'm Just Sayin". Craig thanked the crowd and invited them to the merchandising table for a meet and greet and autograph signing to which a rather large crowd decided was a must do. It was so great to see him with such a large crowd who obviously appreciated his music and his talent. Even the crew from Tru Tv's hit reality show, "Lizard Lick Towing" came all the way out to catch the show. We loved him, City Limits loved him, the crowd loved him and his fans love him. I can't wait til the next show. In my opinion, he puts on one of the best live shows out there, it never gets dull or boring, he does more than just stand and sing, he interacts with the crowd.

In Closing

Craig Campbell is what every true country artist should strive to be: honest, genuine, true to himself and true to the music he writes and performs. Craig Campbell IS country and we think we're gonna be seeing alot more of him in the years to come. He's been called the "next Alan Jackson" and even though you might think those are some mighty big boots to fill, Craig's the voice that was meant to fill them. Thank you Craig and Luke for a great night, thank you City Limits for yet again, another fantastic show and thanks to WQDR 94.7 FM for bringing such great artists to the area.