Brothers Osborne Welcomed Home at Nashville Headlining Show
The set was filled with rocking guitar solos and impeccable harmonies as a pawnshop ensemble served as their backdrop, representative of their debut album Pawn Shop.
The last time Brothers Osborne played a headlining show in Nashville they were without: A record deal, a No. 1 single, a debut album or a CMA Duo of the Year Award. In fact, the last time they headlined in Music City, they were offered their record deal shortly after leaving the stage.
In the last four years since that performance, a lot has changed and their homecoming show Wednesday Night at Marathon Music Works was a well received welcome back.
“This crowd is quite a bit larger than the last one we played for in Nashville,” TJ Osborne addressed to a sold-out crowd. John Osborne continued, “A lot of sh** has changed y’all, thanks for your support.”
From the second Brothers Osborne stepped on stage, they oozed with electricity. The set was filled with rocking guitar solos and impeccable harmonies as a pawnshop ensemble served as their backdrop, representative of their debut album Pawn Shop. They appeared as if they were most comfortable right up there on stage as TJ took the lead on vocals while John took the lead on guitar, resulting in an hour-and-a-half long set filled with entertainment.
Throughout the set the pair played through their repertoire including songs from their freshman EP and their most recent album, while mixing things up with spontaneous covers and a dip into more traditional sounds.
The title track kicked the show off followed closely by their summer anthem, “Rum” and previous single “21 Summer,” both of which initiated thunderous reactions from adoring fans. The way TJ and John moved together and apart on stage in such synchronized motion, their brotherhood and chemistry couldn’t go without notice.
A highlight of the performance was when Brothers Osborne played their own rendition of the Dixie Chicks’ hit song “Goodbye Earl.” They added masculine flare and guitar solos, making it both memorable and uniquely their own.
“We were a little worried coming up here tonight…sometimes people are just soaking it all in and we’re like damn, they don’t like it,” TJ said to the audience. “That’s not the case here tonight, y’all are wild.”
Just as the crowd was getting pumped up, the duo decided to slow it down. They pulled out “Love the Lonely Out of You,” the hauntingly heartbreaking song that seemed to put a trance on the mesmerized crowd as they focused on TJ’s low voice.
Prior to the show, both brothers were presented with plaques commemorating the hit single “Stay a Little Longer” being RIAA certified platinum. Upon accepting the award they reflected on the many years they spent in Nashville before their dreams came true. Intertwined in their set, they had a similar reminiscing moment.
“I moved down here at 18, right out of high school. I thought for sure I was gonna be the next Garth,” TJ said. “And that did not happen. I almost went home.”
He then went on to tell a story how he was asked to play a bluegrass show with John, and from there on out their lives were changed for the better. The boys and their band looped into a bluegrass circle with John on the dobro and TJ on the harmonica where they performed iconic song, “Country Roads Take Me Home.”
To wind down the show, they played the single that launched them into the limelight, “Stay a Little Longer,” with a crowd that sang back every word. John showed off his guitar prowess with a wicked guitar solo at the end which seamlessly worked its way into their current single “It Ain’t My Fault.”
