Line-up

Headliner
Little Big Town Last time in Newark: 13 years ago

Venue

Prudential Hall, New Jersey Performing Arts Center

1 Center St., 07102, Newark, NJ, US

www.njpac.org/

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Little Big Town biography

Formed in Nashville, Tennessee, US, Little Big Town are a country music vocal group, known for their impressive four-part harmonies.

Initially coming together as a duo of Kimberly Roads and Karen Fairchild, the college friends soon brought in Jimi Westbrook and Phil Sweet to expand the lineup, becoming a quartet by 1998. After initially struggling to find record label support, the success of another country vocal group, Dixie Chicks, made Little Big Town appear a commercially viable option, eventually signing with Monument Records in 2000.

It was two years before any recorded material surfaced but with "Don't Waste My Time," the band had their debut single. Bolstered by a number of minor hits, their self-titled debut album grew into a moderate success that same year. However, it was in 2005 that the band found superstardom, through their second record, "The Road," which spawned several Top 20 hit singles.

Despite the Platinum-selling success of their second release, 2007's "A Place to Land" failed to build on the previous commercial success. Although through extensive touring and high profile support slots with Sugarland and Carrie Underwood, the band continued to grow. 2010's breakout hit single, "Little White Church" brought Little Big Town more chart success, reaching number 14 on Billboard's country chart, helping to establish their fourth album, "The Reason Why."

In 2012, the band managed to top the country charts with the single "Pontoon," the lead single off their fifth record, "Tornado," released the same year. The album itself shot to the number two spot on the Billboard 200, bringing Little Big Town their biggest chart success of their career. Utilizing producer Jay Jayce's talents once again, they released "Pain Killer" in 2014, featuring the lead single, "Day Drinking."

Live reviews

There is only one way to describe a Little Big Town show: home—that remarkable feeling of something familiar, something deep in your bones. A little bit Eagles, a little bit Fleetwood Mac, and a dash of southern charm, LBT has a sound and a presence unlike any other in music today.

With Karen’s piercing voice at the helm of their “Pontoon” (pun intended), the band is mesmerizing on stage without having to resort to gimmicky sets or flashing lights. Give them a few microphones, a couple guitars, and a little steel for flavoring and you won’t miss the distraction of an overproduced spectacle. Given the 70s rock comparisons implied in their music, you might not be surprised to hear them rock some “Heartache Tonight,” but you might be unexpectedly dazzled to hear them breakdown a bluegrass version of Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way.”

In fact, it wouldn’t hurt to check out the band’s “Scattered, Smothered, and Covered” series on their YouTube channel to study up. Their impressive harmonies transcend genre so effortlessly you’ll find yourself wondering if they weren’t really the ones who originally recorded “Rolling In the Deep.” I mean, Adele, who? But what might be more impressive than their musicianship is that they seem to not only enjoy their jobs, but each other.

Whether it’s the loving flirtation of married couple Jimmy and Karen looking at each other like Garth and Trisha on stage or the comfortable affection of four people who genuinely enjoy sharing a stage, you’ll feel like LBT just decide to play a few tunes in their own house and invited you along for the ride.

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