Eli Young Band
Spotlight: Have you ever been up to Fargo or played here?
Mike Eli: No, we’ve been in the area, but we’ve never played there. It will be nice to get up to the Dakotas again.
Spotlight: So what’s your favorite fair food?
Mike Eli: I’m a sucker for the funnel cake, but the problem with the funnel cake is that I heard it’s not all that good for you. It’s hard to steer away from, that’s for sure! Not too long ago we were playing the state fair in Texas, and they had fried beer. It seems intriguing, you wanna like it, you really do, you wanna taste this fried beer, and say, ‘man what a great idea’…horrible idea! One of the worst things I’ve ever had (laughs).
Spotlight: So how are you guys handling your recent success?
Mike Eli: We’re feeling pretty good these days. We’ve always felt really lucky. These days with our success it’s been really nice to feel like we’re getting to that next level…the last year and a half have been pretty big steps. Having a number one record really changes everything.
Spotlight: What’s your favorite song to perform?
Mike Eli: Well I think right now “Even if it Breaks Your Heart,” is a huge highlight of the show. Getting up on stage and starting that song and then feeling the energy in the crowd, when we start singing that first note, it is incredibly satisfying. I would have to say that song right now is my favorite song to play.
Spotlight: So what do you guys have planned in the near future?
Mike Eli: Well we just started the Rascall Flatts tour. We’re doing that for the next four months with some of our own shows kind of sprinkled in, and then we’re gonna start a new record come January. We’ll keep releasing singles off of our current record, but you’ve gotta kind of think ahead. We start recording that next record in January. Hopefully the middle of next year sometime that record will come out.
Spotlight: What’s your favorite concert story?
Mike Eli: There’s been so many. You know, playing the Grand Ole Opry was a huge moment. I remember being a kid and watching the Grand Ole Opry with my grandparents and thinking to myself ‘man I really want to play that stage someday.’ Many years later we got to play it, and we’ve played it a few times.