Brantley Gilbert Doesn’t Have Fans, He Has Friends

I’m not going to lie – I’m excited. Brantley Gilbert is coming to town next month! He’s an enormous talent, and I won’t lie that I’m surprised that he’s playing a smaller venue like Denim and Diamonds. You’d think that he would be playing in a stadium, but that’s part of the appeal of D&D – they bring in some fantastic acts.

Gilbert has done well so far with his career. In addition to being #1 in Myspace plays in both Country and Southern Rock, his music has been racing up the charts with each song released. He’s a bona fide star, and with his momentum he’s sure to be sticking around for a while.

When I was a kid, I remember being in love with certain bands and thinking they lived the good life of wealth and power. While that may be true for many successful artists, as an adult I’ve come to realize just how hard those individuals work to meet their goals. In addition to the actual work they do, they miss family, friends, birthdays, reunions, graduations, surgeries, first steps… the list goes on and on.

Of those bands that I’ve met, I remember those who are approachable. Brantley Gilbert seems like the type who would be just that. He was raised in a small town in Georgia, so he undoubtedly understands the excitement that the rest of us feel when a great band comes to town.

On my quest to find out just who this Brantley guy is, I started with his Facebook page. What kind of interaction does he have? Does it appear that he has a moderator posting everything for him, or is he actually the guy behind the words? Is he excited about what he’s doing?

I was pleased by what I found. In his bio, he states:

We don’t have fans, we have friends. I like to think that those people in the crowd are just like me. They listen to the songs, they get the meaning and get the purpose and they get something out of it.

His page is also evidence that he really enjoys his fans and playing music. He's not only writing about how the concert last night was great, but he's asking his followers how their day is and what they're up to. Does he read every post? Probably not. But it's still a great effort.

I can see why this guy is making such a splash in country music. He's bringing an awesome product to the table to start with, and he's connecting with people as well. He’s one of those approachable artists I mentioned earlier. It would seem that he hasn’t forgotten his roots, and that’s always impressive to me. It’s also the reason I’ll be one of the first people walking through the door on December 9^th when Brantley Gilbert is here in Wichita Falls headlining the Taste of Country Christmas Tour at Denim & Diamonds - It’s why you, too, should be walking through the door that night.

So what are you waiting for? Get your tickets now!