Highs And Lows From The Road: Underwood; Eli Young Band

Onstage at the Houston Rodeo. Photo L-R: James Young (guitar) and Mike Eli (lead singer). Photo credit: Isaac Deitz.

While one rising band experienced a touring pinnacle over the weekend, a superstar’s tour is grieving an unexpected loss.

Republic Nashville / Universal Republic’s Eli Young Band made its headlining debut at the Houston Rodeo on Friday night (3/19) in front of 57,208 fans, one of the highest attendance counts so far this year.

It was a career milestone for the band and a lifelong dream fulfilled for lead singer Mike Eli. He said from the stage, “When I was a kid, we used to go to the Houston Rodeo. I dreamed about this day my whole life. And here we are living it!”

The performance was a follow-up to the band’s recent sold-out performance at the San Antonio Rodeo, and the sold out Gary Allan tour. Starting in May, EYB will join Montgomery Gentry, Jamey Johnson, Jack Ingram, Little Big Town, Eric Church and others on the Country Throwdown Tour. The band’s new single “Guinevere” goes for ads this week.

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A truck driver on Carrie Underwood’s Play On Tour lost his life on Saturday (3/20) when his rig wrecked in Connecticut.

“This accident has brought much sadness to everyone on the road,” shared tour manager Geoff Donkin, on behalf of Underwood, the band, and crew. “We’ve lost one of us and we are all truly thinking of his family. No one ever expects anything like this to happen on tour.”

Underwood performed as scheduled Saturday night at the Foxwoods Casino MGM Grand in Connecticut, where she dedicated “Temporary Home” to the driver and his family. His name has not been released.