Issue date: 9/19/08 Section: ARTS & LIFE

Media Credit: Roberto Rodriguez (from left) Members of The Eli Young Band James Young, Chris Thompson, Jon Jones and Mike Eli pose for a photo in their tour bus before their CD release party at Rockin Rodeo September 15, 2008.

Step by step, the Eli Young Band brings it full circle and back to its roots, which were planted in Denton.

What started out eight years ago as two NT roommates, Mike Eli and James Young, playing acoustic sets at RBar on Bernard Street has evolved into four dedicated friends performing cross-country tours in sold-out venues.

"We've always felt like something bigger was around the corner," bassist Jon Jones and drummer Chris Thompson said. "Whether it was getting a new van or playing a show in Austin or, you know, making a record. It was just go out and play and make one fan at a time."

It seems no matter what, the band comes first - over jobs, girlfriends, even trucks. Eli traded in his truck for the band's first van.

For the past eight years, all the band has known how to do is play shows, hit markets and work hard. Luckily for the members, the guys have had chances to perfect their sound since their first album.

"Playing that much helped us make records that really, truly represent us and our vision for music," Eli said.

It isn't necessarily life in the slow lane for Eli Young Band. The route it has traveled is the way the members want it done, "as opposed to right out of the shoot, get a record deal, make it overnight," Jones said. "You can fizzle out really quickly that way." The Eli Young Band's mission is to establish loyal fans and the ones it has "have been incredibly great to us," Young said.

"We've just worked really hard and developed a kind of grassroots thing and have been very fortunate for the fans we've had come out," he said.

The band's latest album, "Jet Black and Jealous," was released in front of a full house of college students and a few of their parents at Rockin Rodeo on Monday night.

It takes a little bit of Denton and a whole lot of brash enthusiasm only a true Texan could muster to bring foot-tapping, head bobbing music to these loyal fans.

"I just want our fans to love this record as much as we do," Eli said. "This record is more 'us' than anything we've done so far."

Continued...

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