The Great Jones County Fair

Thursday, July 22nd @ 8:00 PM

Lady Antebellum
with Special Guest Phil Vassar

Track Seating - $32
Ampitheater Seating - $22
Bleacher Seating - $15

NEED YOU NOW is the title of Lady Antebellum's second album, lifted from its leadoff track, which explores the desperate longings that make separated lovers yearn to reconnect in the wee small hours of the morning. But that "need you now" mantra isn't just a refrain that exes leave on each other's answering machines in the middle of the night. That message could just as easily serve as an SOS sent out to the group from fans and the music industry. The band's first album, from 2007, was the very rare freshman effort to debut at No. 1 and/or go Platinum these days, and the emotional connection that was forged with audiences over the short course of several hit singles and high-profile tours clearly left 'em wanting-no, needing-more.

Thankfully, unlike in the song, we won't even have to do any drunk-dialing to get what we've craved. Less than two years after the trio's debut first hit stores with a splash, NEED YOU NOW is at hand to satisfy the hunger. There's been no lull in the roll Lady Antebellum is on. They've had back-to-back chart-topping singles, proceeding directly from the previous effort's "I Run to You" hitting the top spot in July to their "Need You Now" single enjoying a multi-week run at No. 1 just prior to the new album's release. Even without any pop radio play, "Need You Now" cracked the top 10 of Billboard's all-genre Hot 100, and the tune went to No. 1 on the iTunes all-genre singles chart.

NEED YOU NOW comes right on the heels of a couple of prominent Grammy nominations and two key wins at November's CMA Awards - Single of the Year ("I Run to You") and Vocal Group of the Year.

The CMAs recognition did bring about a fairly urgent sense of ante-upping. "It puts expectations on us," says Charles Kelley, who shares lead vocal duties with Hillary Scott. "We already felt like there was a lot to prove after winning Best New Artist the year before—like people are invested in us and saying 'All right, go get 'em.' Which is why we're excited to get this album out."

The debut album itself was an immediate smash, debuting at No. 1 on the country albums chart, an example of a rare phenomenon that is referred to in the arcane parlance of the music industry as… love at first sight. But their first real tour was an arena tour, opening for Martina McBride, and they acknowledge that, as a still fairly newly founded combo, there were rough patches in their performances. "It felt a little early, even though the crowds were really gracious and great to us," remembers Charles. "Then we said, 'All right, this is what we need to improve on,' and we went out to these fairs and festivals and made plenty of mistakes in a safer environment where it wasn't quite as big a deal if you were to mess up. We did close to 200 shows our first year. Lost a ton of money, because we were doing smaller shows that cost us twice as much as we were getting paid."

Their live performance chops finally properly in order, they planned to halt their rigorous touring schedule to concentrate on the second album, which they'd planned to put out in 2009. They wrapped up a tour supporting Kenny Chesney and had recorded much of the sophomore effort when the call came in to support Keith Urban on his tour. And faster than you can say "Who Wouldn't Wanna to Be Me?," they took the offer, even while regretting delaying the new album. In hindsight, the postponement no longer felt like a mixed blessing, but a complete one.

Lady Antebellum and Special Guest Phil Vassar
Thursday July 22nd