Josh Kelley: New Lane Road Showcase
Recap of Josh Kelley’s performance at the Rockwood Music Hall in NYC on April 21st. An intimate showcase the night before his new album New Lane Road dropped. Including the story of Charles Kelley totaling Francis, their truck, that inspired the song Georgia Clay. The pop hit of 2003 Amazing that started it all. The cover of Mandolin Rain in 2014 that put him back on top of the charts. The autobiographical story of a fight with him and his wife, Katherine Heigl, that inspired the song and music video for It’s Your Move off the new album. Last but not least topping it off with discussing the music video with the director herself Katherine Heigl! Continue on the new lane road for more!
Josh Kelley is currently on the road with younger brother Charles Kelley on The Driver Tour. I saw him for the first time two weeks ago at the House of Blues in Boston. He announced a solo show in the city, so of course I bought a ticket. I knew the Kelley family was extremely talented, but what I did not know was how funny Josh Kelley is. His set is a two for one deal; amazing songs with a great voice, plus a stand up comedy act in between songs. Never laughed so much at a concert before!
If you ever get the chance to go, Rockwood Music Hall is the place to see a show. Three different stages for acts.Talk about up close and personal with the artists! Just scoping out the venue, minding my own business, and who walks in? Casually, Josh Kelley with his guitar, his tour manager, and his wife Katherine Heigl! Yes, I am in a corner room only big enough for the 14’ X 10’ stage and the side bar and then Josh says hi and we casually start talking about the traffic (completely unreal, but just wait it gets better).
The show was equally as satisfying as the venue. Kelley brothers never disappoint. He started with a new one off the album One Foot in the Grave. Followed by It’s Your Move inspired by a fight with his wife Katherine Heigl. Beautiful lyrics about not wanting to lose someone “if you want this as bad as I do it’s your move, we built something beautiful here and God I still want it” Gritty, vulnerable, emotional, and true: ingredients for a great song and an even more dramatic music video. With Katherine Heigl’s direction and Josh Kelley’s idea for the elegant dancers, even his insecurity in front of the camera (he claims) couldn’t ruin it.
He continued the theme of family with a song he wrote for his wife Two Cups of Coffee about missing the one he loves-“having too much of me not enough of you”. Followed by Cowboy Love Song for his little girl Adalaide. After the show I told him I really wanted to hear Naleigh Moon, a song he wrote for his other daughter Naleigh Moon. My favorite line “halfway around my little world you had no idea you were my girl” Watch the music video for it, definitely cried the first time I watched it. Of course he couldn’t leave out his brother Charles. Josh introduced the song Georgia Clay he wrote with Charles after he got T-boned at an intersection in their truck when someone honked at him at a red light. Josh set the record straight, he didn’t need the fake ID because he rocked his beard since 7th grade-“good old days don’t wash away just like that Georgia clay”. Throughout the entire show watching Katherine Heigl watch Josh on stage was the cutest. She’s such a proud wife; you can just see her love for him by the way she watched him.
He closed the show with his version of Mandolin Rain by Bruce Hornsby. The only difference is Josh put an actual mandolin in the song, which surprisingly the original didn’t have. The final song was the song that started it all for him Amazing, with a Snoop Dogg freestyle (specially added for his wife). Such a great set ended with pictures and hanging out with the awesome husband and wife power couple backstage! Such nice and down to earth people! Wrapping up with 'the dad' in Josh Kelley making sure my friends and I got home safely, the night was perfect. Get the album, get a ticket, it’s an experience you don’t want to miss!
