Fusing a young man’s take on heartland rock with the tougher side of Texas country music, The Eli Young Band have become a potent draw. The Eli Young Band’s story began when Mike Eli and James Young both enrolled at the University of North Texas and shared a dorm room. Under the name Eli & Young, they began playing acoustic shows. In time, they expanded the band into a full electric quartet with the addition of Jon Jones and Chris Thompson, thus giving rise to The Eli Young Band. The group became a local draw. In 2003, they opened a show for rising star Miranda Lambert. Their debut album, Level, appeared in 2005, and the songs “That’s the Way” and “When It Rains” began scoring airplay. The Eli Young Band’s live show helped them draw a loyal audience in the Southwest, where they were able to fill 2,000-seats as a headliner. In 2006, the group’s live show was captured on the concert recording Live at the Jolly Fox in Huntsville, Texas. The band then landed a deal with Republic Records. The group’s first album for Republic, Jet Black & Jealous, was released in September 2008, with “When It Rains” and two other songs becoming Top 40 hits. 2011’s follow-up, Life at Best, delivered another hit, “Crazy Girl.” 10,000 Towns followed in 2014 and Fingerprints arrived in 2017. The Eli Young Band continues to put on awesome shows for enthusiastic, adoring audiences.
