Kelleigh Bannen @ the Bing Lounge-7-12-12

Other than knowing the obvious, she's a country singer, (which is why KUPL was hosting the performance), I'd never heard of Kelleigh Bannen. In addition, I'd had a crazy week or so going on, and hadn't had time to do any research before Bannen performed in the Bing Lounge Thursday, July 12, 2012.  In reality, this worked to my advantage, because I went in to the concert with no preconceived ideas.

Unlike most country singer/songwriters, Kelleigh Bannen didn't have to move to Nashville to start her career; she's grown up there.  Because of this, she was able to stay close to family while following her dream of becoming a country star. 

The crowd in the Bing Lounge that evening was small; though, like any true artist, Bannen played as though the room was packed.  She told stories of growing up, the current radio tour she's on, and a lot about herself, in between songs; and of course told about the songs and how they came to be.

Brannen was excited to let everyone know that her single, "Sorry on the Rocks", will be hitting radio stations Monday, July 16, 2012.  Bannen also explained that, while singles are released to radio, what matters is if a station "commits" to playing the song.  In Bannen's case, KUPL is the first station in the entire United States to commit to playing "Sorry on the Rocks".

After her performance in the Bing Lounge, Kelleigh met with those in the audience, to sign autographs and have photos taken.

While most artists meet people, ask their name, how they liked the show, etc., Bannen took the experience one step further.  She took the time to ask people questions about things *she* wanted to know.  For instance, Kelleigh asked me what my current favorite songs on the radio were.  I told her that was funny, because I'd just posted a couple blog posts about my current top ten favorites. I told her some of them from that list, and let her know I'd be writing a post about her Bing Lounge show as well.  It was like talking to someone I'd known forever, rather than someone I knew nothing about before that evening.

I felt bad that not more people were there to hear this talented young woman; those who missed the concert may well have missed an opportunity to see a future country music star.