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TMCNet: Thompson Square: Husband-wife duo back for another sellout

[February 14, 2013]

Thompson Square: Husband-wife duo back for another sellout

Feb 14, 2013 (The Pantagraph - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- By Dan Craft dcraft@pantagraph.com Technically speaking, they're No. 2 on the bill at this weekend's Luke Bryan show in the U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

But in one big regard, Thompson Square is No. 1, and counting.

The husband-wife country duo becomes the first act in the venue's history to chalk up separate sold-out dates, all within a single year.

Around 12 months ago, they were part of Lady Antebellum's sold-out show on Jan. 29; this weekend, they're part of Sunday similarly sold-out Bryan show (a second concert on Monday, added in the wake of the first show's disappearing act, still has available seats).

"They're all different," notes Kiefer Thompson from the masculine side of the Square.

Tossing in the couple's first Central Illinois date -- a 2010 U of I Assembly Show headed up Jason Aldean, with Thompson and TS the openers -- those differences are striking.

"With Jason, he's a completely different kind of star, where you look out in the parking lot and see a lot of 4-wheel-drives and beer cans," he offers.

Next up: "Lady Antebellum are a lot more subdued, and they have a massive following," he avers, vividly recalling the massively sold-out Coliseum show of a year ago.

As for good buddy Bryan -- who, just 2.5 years ago was an opener like they were, too "Luke is more along the lines of Jason, at least in terms of the crowd," Thompson continues. "He's just a nut, and likes to laugh and have fun. But, as artists, they're completely different." Where does that leave Thompson Square, sandwiched betwixt as they are often are "We don't conform to anybody or cater to the headliner's fan base," he says. "We're just somewhere in between. We can rock out and raise a little hell, and then there's the sensitive side to us as a married couple." He describes their lives as "so intertwined with the business and the persona -- it's a very cloudy area, with no black-and-white parts. But it gives us the ability to take a crowd to different emotional levels than if it was just either one of us alone on stage." The payoff for the union on stage: "We can feel the tension in the crowd as they go on a little journey they normally wouldn't get to go on. And that's the cool thing about Luke -- he lets us do that." Throw in the concerts' second opening act, Florida Georgia Line, and you've got a trio of acts whose musical approaches widely differ.

The best part about moving on up is the breathing room allotted, from around 20 minutes as a first opening act ("there isn't even time to work up a sweat") to the 45-minute set for "in-betweeners." Make no mistake, these "in-betweeners" have ended up on top in countless ways since their 2010 breakthrough with "Thompson Square," which produced the No. 1 smash, "Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not ," earned them Billboard's No. 1 New Country Artist of the Year and snared a pair of Grammy nominations As Academy of Country Music's reining Vocal Duo of the Year (2012), they've moved in on the country-nuptials turf dominated in recent years by Sugarland, and are adding fuel to the fire with their sophomore album, "Just Feels Good," due for release March 26.

"We never thought we'd have the kind of success we've had in two short years," Thompson says. "Everyone strives to be the headliner, and that's where we're going, building a body of work along the way." At a glance What: Luke Bryan, Thompson Square and Florida Georgia Line When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday (sold out) and Monday Where: U.S. Cellular Coliseum, 101 S. Madison St., Bloomington Tickets: $25 to $53 Box office: 800-745-3000 ___ (c)2013 The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Ill.) Visit The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Ill.) at www.pantagraph.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

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