Eli Young Band Bringing Country Tunes To The Paramount

The members of Eli Young Band, from left, drummer Chris Thompson, guitarist James Young, lead singer Mike Eli and bassist Jon Jones will leave their ‘Fingerprints’ on Huntington on Nov. 7.

By Connor Beach
cbeach@longislandergroup.com

The sounds of Texas will fill The Paramount on Election Day, when the Eli Young Band stops in Huntington to give country music fans a taste of its new album, “Fingerprints.”

While the group may be best known for its three chart-topping singles “Crazy Girl,” “Even If It Breaks Your Heart,” and “Drunk Last Night,” drummer Chris Thompson said the show will feature a little bit of both the new songs and the band’s classics.

“We have been trying to mix in some of the requests from social media and the hit songs as well,” Thompson said.

The 37-year-old Texas native said the band was started in 1999 by lead singer Mike Eli and guitarist James Young; Thompson and bassist Jon Jones joined soon after while the four friends were attending college at the University of North Texas.

The band got its start playing in college bars, and “Fingerprints” channels the personal and honest songs that defined the formative years of the Eli Young Band.

“It’s retrospective; we really wanted to go back and search for the things that defined our songs in the early days,” Thompson said.

The show promises to have a great atmosphere because of the enthusiasm for country music on Long Island, and, according to Thompson, shows in the northeast always draw a surprisingly large and energetic crowd.

“We are always blown away with how big the country scene is up there; it’s great that country is nationwide,” he said.

Thompson added that the quality of the band’s live performances has been elevated during the current tour. “We put a lot of work into the live shows recently,” Thompson said. “We really want to mix things up and get outside of our comfort zone.”

Thompson said he and the other three members of the Eli Young Band would be having a good time on stage at The Paramount, and the fans who come out to see them will feel that energy.

“It’s a guaranteed good time,” he said. “We take that as our responsibility.”

Doors open at 7 p.m. for the 8 p.m. show on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Tickets are $23-$55 and available at the box office or online at Paramountny.com.