Bryce Leatherwood Turns Local Chicago Pub Into Lively Honky Tonk On Neon Does Tour

Bryce Leatherwood kicked of the last weekend of his first-ever headlining tour with an intimate show at Chicago, IL’s popular country bar and venue, Carol’s Pub, on Thursday May 9. 

Local rising star Mackenzie O’Brien opened the evening with a mix of rowdy breakup anthems and classic sing-alongs spanning the genres of rock, country and R&B. By the time NBC’s The Voice Season 22 winner and his band took the stage at approximately 9 PM, the room full of country music lovers was ready to get a dose of his award-winning talent. 

Carol’s Pub is a space that welcomes a true celebration of the southern way of life. Neon lights surround the bar, red solo cups can be found at every table and images of country legends like Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson are proudly displayed around the room, making it the perfect setting for Leatherwood to tell his stories through his charming baritone vocals. 

“I’m just so happy to be here thanks for coming out to Carol’s Pub,” the Georgia native said at the top of his nearly 20-song setlist.  

Covered Country Classics That Paved The Way For His Rising Stardom

Throughout the 90-minute show, Leatherwood took fans on a journey through various generations of country music as he paid tribute to some of the artists and songs that made him fall in love with the authenticity of the genre. 

He turned the pub into a true honky tonk with Toby Keith’s “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” and Garth Brooks’ “Friends In Low Places.” He also celebrated classics like “Don’t Close Your Eyes” by Keith Whitley and “Goodbye Time” by Conway Twitty, both of which hold a special place in his heart as they are tied to memories from his time on The Voice. 

Bryce Leatherwood Puts His Original Tunes On Display

In between the wide array of traditional country covers, Leatherwood introduced the crowd to several unreleased tracks from his forthcoming debut album including “In Lieu of Flowers,” “Cheap Cologne,” “Backroad Baptist,” “God Made,” and more. 

“We’ve got more than half the album in our set right now,” Leatherwood told Country Now. “That’s the most fun is to play songs that people never heard. I think you get genuine first reactions and the best way to test songs is not on TikTok, it’s on a stage. There’s some authenticity in that. So that’s what we’ve been doing and we love it.”

The excitement around the room grew especially strong when he delivered his growing collection of fan-favorites – “The Finger,” “The One My Daddy Found” and the song that inspired the name of the tour, “Neon Does.” By the end of the night, it’s safe to say the local Chicago hotspot turned into a true Bryce Leatherwood fan club. 

This show comes at the end of Leatherwood’s Neon Does tour, which officially wrapped up on Saturday, May 11 in Louisville, KY. 

Taking A Moment To Reflect On His Current Stage Of Life

The country singer caught up with Country Now backstage before the show to talk about his current run. During the conversation, he took a moment to reflect on the fact that all his dreams are slowly becoming a reality right before his eyes.

“It’s everything and more getting to be on the road doing what I’ve wanted to do since watching ‘Almost Famous’ when I was like 12 years old. This is a dream that I’ve always wanted to fulfill. Thank the good Lord I get to do it every day,” he shared. 

Just hours before stepping up to the mic in Chicago, fans were treated to Leatherwood’s first-ever music video for his newest release, “The One My Daddy Found.” The video was filmed in the beautiful setting of Country Rebel Ranch in Ashland City, Tennessee and effortlessly captures the evolution of a true country love story in honor of the song’s romance-filled narrative.

“That’s a dream come true right there,” Leatherwood said. “It was a great day. It was a beautiful day out in Ashland city, Tennessee…the horses were out there and they had a bada** 1979 truck that I wanted to buy and the actors and the whole crew and directors were incredible. I’m just so so grateful that they came out and did that for me. It was really, really cool.”

“Big Things Coming”

Leatherwood has yet to share a release date for his new project, but what we do know is it will be “pure, down the line country” and it will feature a mix of originals and outside cuts that cater to his motto, “best song wins.”

“The great part about it is, it’s my debut album and it’s going to have sounds of R&B, southern rock and roll. I mean, there’s sounds even I’ve never heard on it,” he explained honestly.

In addition to building out this collection of songs, Leatherwood says he has some “big things coming” this summer that he’s looking forward to sharing real soon. 

To see where Bryce Leatherwood will be performing next, visit bryceleatherwood.com/tour