Entertainment Journalism Magazine

ST. EDWARD'S UNIVERSITY

FALL

Entertainment Journalism

2015 ISSUE

AUSTIN, TEXAS

AUTHOR'S STATEMENT

Entertainment Journalism is a one-issue Fall 2015 semester-long magazine. It has been created in an effort to compile all written pieces in a cohesive manner. Pieces readers will find in Entertainment Journalism include a review, an interview profile, a personal essay, a desert island playlist, a scene, a query letter, and a feature.

Jasmine Rodriguez

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Josh Abbott Band's Front Row Seat Review

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"The Last of the True Texas Dance Halls"

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"Hell Yeah, I Like Beer... and Texas Country"

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"5 Most Meaningful Female Artist's Country Songs of 2015"

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"Who Makes up Texas Country Music?"

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Query: Josh Abbott Band Feature

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"Just Another Country Cliche"

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Author's Biography

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ALBUM REVIEW A review of Texas Country's Josh Abbott Band's newly released album Front Row Seat Written by Jasmine Rodriguez

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FRONT ROW SEAT REVIEW Texas country music is forever evolving and is on its way to becoming as huge in Central Texas as it is in West Texas and Josh Abbott Band’s soon-to-be-released new album Front Row Seat helps listeners prove just that.

The Josh Abbott Band (JAB) originated in Josh Abbott’s college years among a few of his fraternity brothers at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas in 2006 and has been contributing to the Texas country music scene ever since.

The band has released classical party songs as well as combining love songs in the mix.

The new music they’ve created in this forthcoming album is unique in a way that it tells a story of a romantic relationship from beginning to end (most of whom believe is Josh Abbott’s own love story and personal experiences).

Front Row Seat contains fifteen songs arranged in five dramatic acts: the Exposition act introduces the characters of this story, the Incitation act is aimed toward grabbing the listener’s attention, and the Intimacy act shows how the characters fall in love. Next is the Dissolution act which shows the tearing apart of the characters, and lastly, the Denouement provides the listeners with an idea of the characters moving on, away from one another.

Each act is completed with three songs.

On August 21, the JAB released a new and first single “Amnesia” from Front Row Seat, which is the first song in the Denouement act. This song in particular is different from any other music this group has produced in that it is a song about heartbreak and brutally honest divorce. This is JAB’s first released break-up song of their time and it, along with the story-telling of their new album, shows just how far the band has matured since their college years.

Leaving behind the collegethemed party songs, the JAB focuses upon progression and maturity when tackling songs that hurt and bring emotion to listeners and fans, and ultimately seem to stem from a true situation.

Through the band’s maturity where they able to complete and compose such a wonderfully made album in a unique way, in which I feel listeners will appreciate. The band’s hard-work in the making of this album does not go over-looked and is easily detected among any of the new fifteen songs.

Whatever the scenario or story may be in music, Texas country music seems to be creating quite the excitement between both old and new listeners. Josh Abbott Band’s new released single furthermore proves such excitement and gives fans a small glimpse of what’s to come in Front Row Seat, which is to be released on Nov. 6.

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ARTIST PROFILE & INTERVIEW A profile on Austin's own Broken Spoke, "the Last of the True Texas Dance Halls."

Written by Jasmine Rodriguez

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"THE LAST OF THE TRUE TEXAS DANCE HALLS" Located on S. Lamar in Austin, Texas, Broken Spoke has been named “The Last of the True Texas Dance Halls” and remains not only in an effort to continue the celebration of the best of honky-tonk music in Texas, but also provides customers with good Texas cooking too, with the “best chicken fried steak in Texas” and of course, some good ‘ol country BBQ. Broken Spoke was built more than 40 years ago by owner James White.

“Broken Spoke first opened in 1964 and artists like Bob Wills even played here,” White discussed. Later, Dolly Parton, George Strait, Roy Acuff, and Willie Nelson, who became a regular, performed at Broken Spoke, and the famous dance hall even saw sight of Davy Crockett. “Yeah, ol’ Davy came through here on his way to fight at the Alamo and he liked what he saw. He said ‘James, don’t change a thing ‘til I get back,’” White said excitingly. He continued to say that Broken Spoke even attracts Western swing revival acts and now, the latest country bands emerging from Austin’s music scene.

Broken Spoke is not limited in offering true country music dancing and true Texas home-cooking, but history is also easily seen through the Broken Spoke’s walls, dance floor, and famous country memorabilia.

Initially belonging to a Texas Swing band The Texas Top Hands, a tour bus is kept as a permanent detail in the parking lot just outside the bar, White explains. In a back trap room of the bar, a museum is housed, where displays of famous country memorabilia lives.

"We gotta be doin' somethin' right here."

-James White

A beer can once owned by Bob Wills and a large collection of used Stetson Cowboy Hats, one of which was worn by the bar’s regular, Willie Nelson, were among these noteworthy items. Broken Spoke contains an authentic wooden dance floor that keep the guests two-steppin’ and a large bar that keeps the beer-drinkin’ regulars happy too. “Ya know, seeing a group of the same people most weekends really does put a big smile on my face because it hints that we gotta be doin' somethin’ right here [at the Broken Spoke],” White suggested.

In the 1920s and 30s, Texas homed about 1,000 dance halls, but today, there are only about a few hundred; most of which are wildering away in rural areas. Patrick Sparks, president of the Texas Dance Hall Preservation, is continuously concerned with the decreasing numbers of dance halls.

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“We are very alarmed at the loss of this Texas history,” Sparks said.

“With dance halls, it is tragic when we lose one because we think they all have to be saved.” Luckily, Texas remains to home Broken Spoke and continues to provide customers with true honky-tonk music dancing in an environment made strictly for this genre.

Though he does have a sense of remorse for the other halls that have been easily overtaken, owner White remains hopeful in Broken Spoke and continues to have a positive outlook on his dance hall.

“It’s a sad thing to have seen so many dance halls come ‘n’ go,” White explains. “They each have their own reasons; I sure am just so happy that we’ve been able to stick around.”

“We haven’t changed and we’re not gonna change [the Broken Spoke],” White explained. And maybe his mentality is reason enough as to why Broken Spoke has remained a successfully true Texas dance hall.

If you’re ever in the mood to check out a true, inspiring, historical country dance hall, Broken Spoke is the perfect fit. And as James White says, “We ain’t fancy, but we’re damn sure country.

Y’all come!”

Austin's famous dance hall, Broken Spoke.

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PERSONAL ESSAY An essay on how I was introduced and came to love Texas Country music Written by Jasmine Rodriguez

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HELL YEAH, I LIKE BEER...

AND TEXAS COUNTRY I was surrounded by and gossiping to a group of friends as soon as the last school bell rang at 3:35 p.m. on one Thursday afternoon. As I was walking out of class, I looked down the hall to see my best friend running toward me, yelling “Jasmine!” frantically. Never slowing to a stop, she ran beside me, grabbed my arm, and pulled, forcing me to join in on her sprint through our high school’s long, narrow, stinky hallway. We both ran through the hall, through the double door entrance, and through the parking lot, praying that any driving car would be so cautious of us.

When we got to her car, she urged me to get in. She started driving and said ever so calmly, “We’re going.”

WHAT?! Going where? Why did you make me run to your car? Are you insane?! are thoughts that filled my head instantly.

What in the world, Madelynn?!

“I have to be back at the track before 4:15, I have practice,” I said.

“You’re gonna have to miss it today,” she insisted. “We have got to go right now. It takes 2 hours to get there, we have to stop and buy an outfit, and the show starts at seven.”

“No, no, no, no, no. I cannot miss practice.

Coach’ll kill me. Next week is the Regional meet; I have to be prepared. We’ll go to whatever show next time.”

“Next time is in a year. We’re going this time.”

The 2-hour drive consisted of me texting my mom to warn her I was staying with a friend that night, and the rest of the weekend, and would meet up with her Sunday. I also called my track coach and told him some lie about me catching the stomach bug (if I can remember correctly) and me not being able to make practice that afternoon. I was so tired but couldn’t snooze even for a minute due to Madelynn’s painfullyloud country music blaring--it wasn’t ordinary country music, though. This music had a different vibe, a different feel.

“Casey Donahew Band,” Madelynn shouted. “They’re Texas Country.”

Her fingers stretched for the volume knob and turned to the left, the music volume decreasing.

“We’re going to something called Crude Fest,” she said. “Tons of Texas country music bands like this, tons of people, tons of food, and apparently tons of beer.”

I was 16. What did I know about beer?

Nothing at all, except that I didn’t like the taste after trying a sip of my dad’s leftover Bud Light one time when I was 13. And tons of people? That means crowds… huge crowds. And we’re right in the middle of April. This hot weather with all of those people? Honestly, already not my idea of a good time.

“Uh, sounds…. fun,” I said.

Like always, she had lured me into her persuasive trap… we were going… to a show… this time, apparently.

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She answered my sarcasm so directly it shocked me: “Jas, let’s have some fun this weekend. You’ve been so focused on school and track, I’ve been hesitating to hang out with you. But, you’re my best friend and I kind of have to. It’s not going to kill you to miss one day of school and one day of track practice.”

My friend and I were dressed in appropriate-length shorts, light tanktops, and tennis shoes (quite the lucky type of shoe as the ground was very little grass and very much dirt and rock). The sun beat down on our heads because we weren’t smart enough to cover them and our outfits lacked in wearing anything alcohol.

I gave her a stern look.

But that soon changed.

After spending entirely too much time picking out an outfit that I was never in love with to begin with, we find ourselves arriving at the gates on this dirty, rocky county road outside of Midland, TX. We walk up to the gates and the admission man tells us our tickets are going to be $55.

UMMM, WHAAAT?! NO WAY. I am not paying that much for something I didn’t want to go to in the first place.

After forcing me to pay, Madelynn and I entered, slowly. Cautiously we walk to what we think is the main stage and I glance around at thousands and thousands of drunks stumbling all over the place and spilling disgusting beer.

Most girls wore tiny, cut-off blue jean shorts with tight tops, and bandanas or hats covering their braided, pig-tailed heads. Guys wore shorts, no shorter than normal, paired with cowboy boots (interestingly stupid, I know) and cut-off shirts and cowboy hats. Everyone wore at least two beers at all times, not including those attendees casually walking around with an ice chest tied to their backs.

What in the fuck did you get me into, Madelynn?

We were cautiously approaching the main stage, when all the sudden I heard people yelling “Keeeevvviiiinn Foooowwwleeerr!” I turn, in shock, and found myself being tackled--yes, completely thrown down on the dirty, rocky, wet-from-spilled-beer ground-from this stampede of stalky, ugly, sweaty wanna-be cowboys running and elbowing their way to the front of the stage. Upon my descent (of which those “cowboys” left me), I soon realized I, along with the dirt, was covered in sticky, stinky alcohol.

Are you fucking kidding me?

“I’m ready to go. This is fucking ridiculous,” I said in anger to Madelynn as she was helping me up from the ground.

“C’mon. We’ve only been here less than half an hour, we didn’t pay that much money for thirty minutes. Let’s try to enjoy our night.”

Enjoy my night? Covered in beer? Wearing now wet, dirty, and soon-to-be stained clothes? For something I didn’t want to come to in the first place? Yes, OK. Let’s enjoy my freakin’ night.

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We walked to the nearest food booth and asked for a couple BBQ sandwiches and some waters. The girls in line behind us must have realized how out us place we were (and must have looked at that time) and offered to buy our food and drinks.

Drinks of alcohol, not water, that is.

“You guys look young, is this your first time here?”

From the stage, some dude named Kevin Fowler announced something about him singing some of his old and new songs and then shouted to the crowd, “You guys have enough beer?! Don’t y’all just love it?!”

No, it’s actually quite disgusting.

“Yes,” we said in unison.

The crowd yelled back different varieties of “YEAHs” and “WHOOs” and in deciding I should just loosen up, I joined in too.

She handed us each a Coors Light, freezing to the touch but the can was dirty as was the rest of the girls’ outfit.

Madelynn was shocked; I was shocked even more, but I played it off making it seem like I knew what I was doing.

Drink it. Have some fun. If you want more, come find us. We’ll be…..” she said as she was walking off.

By that time, the guys next to us offered us some beer and pointed to the 120 qt. size, brown but once-white ice chest sitting next to one of their friends’, who was struggling to keep himself awake, his head pointed downward bobbing from left to right.

Some guy named David handed us each a Coors Light. I looked away, trying to make it seem like I was looking at the main stage and whoever this Kevin Fowler dude was, but really, I was building myself up the courage to drink the beer.

I didn’t want to drink the beer because I knew how it tasted when I was younger, but I kept thinking: You’ve had a pretty rough day, drinking this isn’t going to make it THAT much worse. Have some fun, right?

I drank it and yes, it was gross but still tolerable. We approached the back of the crowd that surrounded the main stage and heard a band running sound check.

Madelynn wanted to make our way into the crowd, so of course, I bit my tongue and we did just that.

We ended up by standing next to a group of guys (who seemed to be around 18 or so), who were indeed dressed in this “cowboy” apparel (go figure, right?), but they didn’t act like complete jackasses as the first group of guys did.

You can do this. You just had one. You know what it tastes like, so it won’t be so bad.

I turned back around, popped the top, and took a large gulp. The guys, and of course Madelynn, insisted that I chugged the beer… so I did, trying to “fit in.” And really, it wasn’t so bad.

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Of course, I knew nothing about beer before this day other than that it was so gross. I didn’t know how many it was going to take me to feel weird or be “drunk” as these other people were. But after that beer, I was definitely feeling weird. Was I buzzing? Was I drunk? I don’t know or remember, quite frankly.

“Ready for Round 2?!” Madelynn asked excitingly.

From the stage, and the crowd around me, I heard “Hell yeah, I like beer! It gets me grinnin’ from ear to ear.” And even though I didn’t know the song at the time, I found myself singing-loudly--along with the chorus.

That weekend was a long one. The whole drive home we blared Texas country music and sang along, this time I learned the words for future reference and became familiar with the bands and who sang what kind of songs, etc, etc. I swore to Madelynn on that car ride back home that I would never drink again and that she needed to stop peer-pressuring me into doing things I didn’t want to do in the first place.

Long story short, we got super wasted (yes, it was obviously my first time) all the while enjoying good company and great country music. Madelynn and I, along with our new friends (and what seemed to be everyone else in the crowd) fell asleep right where we were ‘partying.’ Gross, right? I know that now, but that night I didn’t care obviously. Madelynn had done her job and I apparently had “enjoyed my night.” I think. I awoke the next morning to Roger Creager playing on the main stage, and I was hurting. Big time. My whole body ached with soreness and nausea ran through my little 5’4 body as much and as fast as it could. I wanted to cry.

“Here, take this,” one of the guys said as he approached me, handing me a bottle of water and a packet of Aleve.

I stood up, took the Aleve, and drank the oh-so-wonderful water. Everyone was now awake and singing along to Roger Creager: “It’s about beer and whiskey and drinkin’.”

Round 2? No. I can’t. There is NO fuckin’ way.

“Hand me a beer and let’s go get somethin’ to eat,” I replied, shockingly.

“Annnnnd, she’s back,” Madelynn teased.

And I was… for the week. But the next weekend, after my Regional track meet (even though my 4x200 meter relay missed qualifying for the State Meet by two tenths of a second), I was the one dragging Madelynn out to a dirt-road party.

And we drank, listened to Texas country music, and over and over again, we sang loudly (and ever-sobadly) “Hell Yeah, I like beer!”

I think the outdoor, dirty and loud scene created my love for Texas country. I never liked any of these things, but after becoming exposed to all of them all at one time, I fell in love.

Pretty weird, now that I think about it.

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DESERT ISLAND PLAYLIST A list on 2015's most meaningful songs written by female artists Written by Jasmine Rodriguez

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5 MOST MEANINGFUL FEMALE ARTIST'S COUNTRY SONGS OF 2015

#5. Carrie Underwood Carrie Underwood’s single brings to listeners a story of a hardworking man and woman, needing, wanting a well-deserved break. Underwood, through well-written lyrics and voice tone is able to establish what most people often take for granted. The music and vibe makes this song worth listening to.

#4. Maddie & Tae This duet shows a promising story and is easily able to describe how easy it is to quit all the while showing to listeners the importance of striving for success.

Maddie & Tae, a new duo to country music, is able to tell such a meaningful message through strong lyrics and slower-paced song.

#3. Jana Kramer Kramer is able to describe a meaningful story about her once-boyfriend’s new marriage. In doing so, she creates a sense of happiness for the newlyweds all the while mentioning their once-important relationship.

She is able to describe a sense of change in both her and her (ex) boyfriend over time and what that means for them both. This song has many acoustic-style behind much of the lyrics, adding to it’s meaning.

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#2. Carrie Underwood Underwood is able to make the list twice, in this compelling, well-told story about an abusive relationship. This upbeat song and descriptive lyrics add to the storytelling of this song, but Carrie’s voice (especially in the chorus) intrigues listeners and engages them to such a meaningful song

#1. Cam Cam’s single tells a story about a positive result from an unhappy event--an on-again, off-again relationship. This song (based on a dream Cam once had) is able to define to listeners a very meaningful message about this breakup and gives listeners an all too-familiar story. The lyrics and slow-paced song make “Burning House” worth listening to… on repeat.

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SCENE An explanation on the different characters within the Texas Country music genre Written by Jasmine Rodriguez

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WHO MAKES UP TEXAS COUNTRY MUSIC?

Types of Fans

Down Texas way, good things musically are happening and have been happening for nearly two decades. Little by little, Texas country sound is spreading across the land and in this genre, fans unite as a family who share a bond and common love for some great music. But, like every family who has their crazy aunts and uncles and grandmas, the Texas country family too has some interesting characters. These types of fans are well known, whether you fall perfectly into one category or master traits from many.

The Newbie

Down Texas way, good things musically are happening and have been happening for nearly two decades. Little by little, Texas country sound is spreading across the land and in this genre, The fans unite as a family who share a bond and Extremist common love for some great music. But, like every family who has their crazy aunts and uncles and grandmas, the Texas country family Listens to: too has some interesting characters. These types Roger Creager, The Extremist of fansloves are well Texas known, country whether music, you fall perfectly beer, and intoTexas. one category They usually or master drivetraits from many. Casey Donahew Band, Kevin Fowler jacked-up trucks, they party hard, and are usually wearing something Texas flag-y.

The Superfan

The Dancer

The Dancer will dance to literally anything, whether they're really good at it or they really suck at it, whether fast or slow beat.

Listens to: Anything with a beat, really

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Listens to: Josh Abbott Band, Casey Donahew Band Randy Rogers Band

Which fan are you?

The Newbie tags along with friends to the bigger venues, listens well enough to the songs to be able to sing the chorus the last time around, and stands at the back of crowds, holding can-after-can of booze to minimize the risk of being asked to dance (which they have yet to master).

Listens to: every Texas country band ever known The Superfan attends every Texas country music concert. These fans have special drawers filled with band's T-shirts, hats, and koozies. These fans are at the first of the line for the meet and greet at the end of the show.

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QUERY A piece on the different characters within the Texas Country music genre Written by Jasmine Rodriguez

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QUERY LETTER TO: T.J. Greaney, Editor SUBJECT: Query: Feature, Josh Abbott Band’s Front Row Seat and its relation to a band member Dear Editor,

After the country-cliche of drink-too-much-alcohol and cheat-on-your-wife experience, Josh Abbott Band’s frontman Josh Abbott isn't Josh Abbott anymore. And Josh Abbott Band isn’t Josh Abbott Band anymore. The once party-prioritized fraternity-made band has recently released a more musically mature album, Front Row Seat, which honestly and very vividly parallels the personal story of Abbott and his country-cliche, which ultimately led to a devastating divorce, leaving listeners with a front row seat to his personal love life.

I am going to write this piece based on the history of Josh Abbott Band’s songs and albums and I will compare his previous pieces with this new piece. In doing so, I will focus on the change and maturity in which Josh Abbott and his band has made over the course of his career. This feature will benefit in describing it to those who have no known affiliation with Josh Abbott Band and will also benefit the band’s current fans.

Since Josh Abbott Band’s Front Row Seat album has just been released, I feel that this feature for Country Line Magazine would benefit its audience in that it provides information regarding the band, its newest album, and the change of music through which they’ve travelled. By explaining the way this album is written and how this album is directly related to Josh Abbott’s life, it can help in contributing to their fans infatuation for the band and will engage new listeners.

I am currently a Senior student at St. Edward’s University studying English Writing and Rhetoric. I have taken courses that involve analysis, technical and business writing, rhetoric theories, and media writing and reporting. Up until now I only have a couple of published pieces in school newspapers: Hilltop Views, St. Edward’s University’s and The Rattler, St. Mary’s University’s. However, I am interested in trying to get more pieces published. I have attached my published pieces and look forward to hearing any feedback.

Thank you,

Jasmine Rodriguez

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FEATURE A piece on Josh Abbott Band's album Front Row Seat and its relation to the band's frontman's real life relationship experience Written by Jasmine Rodriguez

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JUST ANOTHER COUNTRY CLICHE Josh Abbott Band fans are so in love with JAB that their iPod's probably hate them for repeating their music. Most fans start by listening to this band's upbeat partyand love-themed songs in high school: "Well it's Friday night and we're getting our of town. We don't care when the sun goes down, making memories with my friends..." Because this band is so different from the rest of country music but has still been able to produce songs that their fans love, it pretty much gets their fans to the point of idolizing JAB. The band made songs that reflected their frontman Josh Abbott’s happy relationship and even wrote a song specifically about former wife-- “She’s Like Texas.” The same year her song was released, 2010, she and Abbott married.

To fans, his relationship was perfect. They seemed so happy, so in love, and were so disgustingly cute. Fans respected him for staying true upon his road to becoming a celebrity. He was proving everyone wrong about being just another country cliche. Fans admired him. At least until February 2014.

At the beginning of the 2014 year, Abbott proved his fans wrong… again.

Surprisingly and quite honestly, Abbott made a shocking confession to his fans on Twitter through a set of nearly a dozen tweets, which has since then led for fans to disrespect him and the band.

Abbott confessed: “I have destroyed my marriage through multiple problems, including:

problems w/ alcohol abuse, infidelity, and language... What hasn’t been real is the perception that my marriage is perfect & I’m an incredible husband. I’m not.”

Talk about a major shocker. Many of his fans were crushed. Josh Abbott seemed so much different than “every other country cliche,” where cheating on your wife and excessive alcohol-intake is expected. Sure, he was getting more and more attention, but to do this was completely unacceptable--at least for his fans... and obviously is wife--ex-wife.

“The temptations that we as artists and celebrities face are unreal to many of you,” Abbott admitted. “Being a celebrity doesn’t give us the right to treat our marriages with disrespect. At some point someone has to say it’s not okay!” Uhh, you got that right, bud. All of the sudden, you can’t call her baby… all of the sudden everything’s changed.

Sound familiar, Josh?

What hasn't been real is the perception that my marriage is perfect.

-Josh Abbott

The rest of the 2014 year was pretty dry for Josh Abbott and his band, only releasing 5 songs, two of which were much expected party-songs that the band typically is able to produce--these got the most fame.

In the latter half of 2015, JAB once again surprised their fans when releasing

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Front Row Seat on Nov. 6. These Texas Country traditionalists have always approached each album with a theme.

Their newest album wasn’t any different, approaching fans with their most honest project, AKA the break-up album.

This album is beautifully composed in five acts--just like a dramatic play--each containing three songs. But why the name Front Row Seat? This album lets JAB’s fans catch a front row seat of the storytelling of Abbott’s personal relationship with now ex-wife, beginning to country-cliche end.

Abbott’s story is one that many are able to relate to: meet a girl in college, fall in love, get married, fall apart, divorce, and deal with the aftermath. Act one is called “Exposition” which introduces the story’s main character. “Incitation” is the second act where the two characters are shown to be falling in love. The third act, “Intimacy,” is where the climax of happiness is reached. The “Dissolution” act shows the breaking of a special bond between the main characters and the last act, the “Denouement” shows the characters picking up the pieces of their lives.

This album touched the heart of their fans, including old fans who have fallen off the JAB bandwagon. It was as personal, honest, and real as an album can get. The song's details don’t directly coincide with Abbott and former wife’s relationship, for example, Abbott and his ex-wife didn’t really skinny-dip in the Texas Tech fountain like it reveals in “Live It While You Got It.” But each song is able to tell the story about this specific relationship in just

the right ways. The bigger picture is what matters most.

Abbott created a story that focuses on his relationship with ex-wife, and does so by reliving and revealing to his fans his struggle on keeping his alcohol intake in check and on keeping his hands to himself on the road. Instead of being able to listen to different upbeat, catchy songs, like in the band’s previous albums, Front Row Seat is able to give to listeners a story, where all songs correlate with each other. The band provides honesty in their first ever cohesive, storytelling album. And it is just perfection.

As most people would think, this album isn’t wholly sad. The first three acts have upbeat, swing and stomp, songs that Josh Abbott Band-faithfuls have come to love.

The rest of the album slows down a bit as it is a reflection of the hardships Abbott has once suffered through. Maybe this is also able to reflect the band’s music career: at the beginning, the college, party, frat-boy band once created rowdy, party songs, but as the band grew together over the next five years, they’ve been able to create a completely different sound--a meaningful, more mature sound. Over the next five years, members of the band, specifically Abbott, endured hardships that has maybe been a reflection of the maturity his music contains now.

Upon deeply listening to Front Row Seat, fans are able to accept that Josh is really not some “country-cliche.” By owning up to his mistakes and maturing through the course of his music, fans may be able to respect him. Abbott didn’t have to release a personal album paralleling reallife hardships of his, but he did. He matured, at least musically, during that devastation and in a way, is able to help fans maturing in realizing this.

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ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALISM EDITOR'S NOTE

Jasmine Rodriguez WRITER

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Jasmine Rodriguez is a senior St. Edward's University student who majors in the English Writing and Rhetoric program. Her published pieces are works within St. Edward's University's school newspaper, Hilltop Views, as well as St. Mary's University's newspaper, The Rattler. Jasmine primarily enjoys writing editorials, but also likes to write news features.

When Jasmine is not spending time completing school work, she enjoys playing with her one-year-old, writing journals, reading dystopian fiction, and cooking.

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