Brantley Gilbert will perform at Purdue with Uncle Kracker, Greg Bates and Brian Davis
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Brantley Gilbert "Hell on Wheels Tour," with special guests Uncle Kracker, Greg Bates and Brian Davis, will perform at Purdue University's Elliott Hall of Music at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27. This performance is presented by the Purdue Convocations and the Purdue Student Concert Committee.
Brantley Gilbert
Brantley Gilbert was born and raised in the small town of Jefferson, Georgia, near Athens. It is that upbringing and small-town influence that Gilbert credits toward allowing him to cultivate his unique sound. Gilbert's taste in music always swayed toward a southern country rock feel, but his true-to-life testimony of heartache, trials, triumph and success found a home in country music.
He began his career playing acoustic sets in hometown venues, but he soon noticed that his audience had more interest in his rock-infused country music. In the past five years on the road, Gilbert has built his brand through his compelling lyrics and a dynamic live show. His fans now call themselves the BG Nation. Their enthusiasm led him to Nashville, where he soon signed with Warner/Chappell Publishing and released his debut album on an independent label, "A Modern Prodigal Son."
On March 16, 2010, his sophomore album, "Halfway to Heaven," peaked at No. 2 on the iTunes Country Album Charts, and at No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Album Chart for all genres. It has remained on the charts for 112 weeks.
"The Best of Me," a song from Gilbert's first album, was recorded by country superstar Jason Aldean and earned a spot on his iTunes release "Wide Open." Then, in August 2010, Brantley's "My Kinda Party," became a No. 1 smash for Aldean, as well as the title tract to Aldean's platinum-selling album. The superstar's latest single, "Dirt Road Anthem," was also written by Gilbert.
In February 2011, Gilbert signed with Big Machine Label Group's The Valory Music Co., and scored a Top 40 country radio hit. His current hit "You Don't Know Her Like I Do" sits at No. 3 after 30 weeks on the charts.
Uncle Kracker
Uncle Kracker had a busy 2011 as part of Kenny Chesney's road tour and also headlining his own shows. The Detroit-based singer-songwriter's 2010 release "Happy Hour - The South River Road Sessions," featured his singles "Smile" and "Good To Be Me" which featured guest vocals by Kid Rock. Initially known for his role as DJ in Kid Rock's legendary Twisted Brown Trucker band, Uncle Kracker made a stunning solo debut with 2001's "Double Wide" album, which went 2 times platinum in sales.
Greg Bates
Born and raised in Nashville, Bates is a true product of Music City, motivated not by the trappings of country-music stardom, but by the reward of a well-written lyric. The 24-year-old singer, guitarist and songwriter, is poised to release his self-titled major-label debut on Republic Nashville. Inspired by traditional 90's artists like Randy Travis, Dwight Yoakam and Alan Jackson, he soon found that some of the songs he heard on the radio were composed by his classmates' moms and dads. He attended Belmont University to study music, but it was always the story of the song that fascinated him. His intense work resulted in his first 10-song album which includes "Go Time," his first single "Did It for the Girl," and the explosive "I'm on It."
Brian Davis
Brian Davis was raised in the Carolinas between the Saturday night honkytonks and the Sunday morning steeples, surrounded by fields, farms and everything in between that makes country, country. You can hear it in his voice and the way he bends the strings on his telecaster. But there is also a side to him that, along with his country roots, has brought the mass appeal and extensive fan base that he now enjoys - his diverse love of music. From Matchbox-Twenty to Waylon to Counting Crows to Hank to Dwight Yoakam to Bob Marley to Garth to AC/DC to Tom Petty, it's all packed into his music. Davis' five studio albums are the fuel for his live shows, encompassing everything from heartbreaks to good times, tailgating to fishing, first times to last times. Find out more about Davis at https://www.briandavislive.com
Ticket information
General public tickets are $33, and tickets for students are $28. Prices include a facilities fee. (Limit of 6 tickets/person.)
Friends of Convocations can order tickets in advance until 5 p.m. July 20. Call 765-494-9712 for more details.
Tickets go on sale to Purdue and Ivy Tech Lafayette students, and Purdue faculty, staff and retirees with a current identification card at 10 a.m. July 27 at the Stewart Center box office or at 765-494-3933. Tickets for the general public go on sale at 10 a.m. July 28 through ticketmaster.com. Group tickets are available to groups of 10 or more. Call 765-496-1977 and ask for group sales manager for more information.
Additional reminders regarding the campus ticket sales:
* Ticket sales are first-come at the ticket window, not at the venue door.
* No lines will be formed inside Stewart Center until the building opens on Friday, July 27, in the morning. Stewart Center opens at 5:15 a.m.
* Blocking ingress or egress to a building, sidewalk or street is not permitted.
* It is not permitted to camp outside a building, including using or bringing chairs, tents, sleeping bags, etc. For additional information, please refer to the facilities use policy at https://www.purdue.edu/policies/pages/facilities_lands/i_4_1.html
Contact: Laura Clavio, Assistant Director, Purdue Convocations, 765-496-2913, lzclavio@purdue.edu
