NEWPORT — If you get goose bumps during one of their shows, the guys from Florida Georgia Line feel like they’ve done their jobs.
That’s because Brian Kelly – half of superstar country duo Florida Georgia Line – said he and band-mate Tyler Hubbard set out to make each performance a show to remember.
“We try to step up our game and have ‘moments.’ We call it taking them to a place called ‘chill bump city,’” Kelley said. “As a fan, I don’t want to go to a live show and just hear what’s going on. I want to experience it with my eyes and feel it. It’s all about the moments and trying to create a show where people can talk about it for a long time. I love it when I go to a show and get those chills, so we try to make those moments happen.”
Kelley and Hubbard return to Fort Loramie July 9 when they’ll headline the opening night lineup of Country Concert ’15 at Hickory Hill Lakes. It’s the duo’s third appearance at Fort Loramie, but first as a headliner.
“Everything we heard about that venue was true. It’s amazing,” Kelley said during a recent phone interview. “The first time we played there we were down in the tent, and last year we were on the big stage. To be headlining a year later … it’s a blessing. We’re going to come back and throw the biggest party and enjoy the night. We are so excited.”
Since breaking through in 2012, the duo has put its stamp on country music with its distinctive live show and signature sound. Their debut album (“Here’s To The Good Times”) was certified double-platinum for sales in excess of 2 million units, while FGL has sold 21 million individual tracks – including an industry record 9 million copies of the single “Cruise.”
The historical achievement is one of many for Kelley and Hubbard, who grew up in neighboring states Florida and Georgia.
“Stay,” “Get Your Shine On,” “Round Here” and “Cruise,” gave Kelley and Hubbard four chart-toppers from their debut album, while their 2014 release “Anything Goes” features a pair of No. 1s – “Dirt” and “Sun Daze,” a Top-5 hit “Sippin’ on Fire” and their most recent single – “Anything Goes,” which is quickly climbing the charts this summer.
Toss in a truckload of industry awards – 14 in 2014 alone, including a second consecutive Vocal Duo of the Year award from the Academy of Country Music – and it’s easy to see why FGL has become one of country music’s heavy hitters.
“It’s the best feeling in the world to have our fans embrace what we do. We feel like we’ve let them in on our lives and they’ve been really good to us,” he said. “The fans have been really loyal, and it’s really cool to see everybody digging what we’re doing. The fans have the power and we’re thankful for country radio for sharing our music.”
Speaking of sharing, Kelley said he’s grateful for the opportunity to create music and share the journey with Hubbard, who he met while attending Belmont University.
“Florida Georgia Line – Tyler and I – it’s not something that was just thrown together by a manager or by a label. We met in college randomly. It’s a God thing. We both grew up different, but the same. We ‘get’ each other,” Kelley explained. “There’s a respect there at a high level, and it’s cool to have somebody there by your side every night. We go through this roller-coaster ride together, and there’s not a better person than Tyler Hubbard to do that with. I’m blessed to get to do this with him.”
For more information about Florida Georgia Line or check out their upcoming tour schedule, visit the duo’s website at www.floridageorgialine.com.
To learn more about Country Concert, go to www.countryconcert.com.
