By: Michael Bragg (Photo Gallery & Review) of MJBragg Photography
Greenville, SC (July 21st, 2019) – Porter Union may not be a name you’re familiar with but it should be. The group recently gained national attention with an appearance on the show “Real Country” as a guest of Travis Tritt. However, the husband and wife duo if Cole and Kendra have been touring for nearly a decade making a name for themselves. With the recent release of their newest single “Lie With Me” the two brought their show to The Radio Room in Greenville, SC this evening for an up close and personal night with an acoustic performance presented by Linda Parks of 3 Suns.
Mark Webb Jr.
Opening the show was Greenville native Mark Webb Jr. with his folk/Americana sound blended with a little 90’s country vibe. Having just released his album “Smoke, Wine, Banter” in April Mark performed a mix of songs from its track listing. “Then You Find Love” and “Lucy” were stand out songs of set. Throwing in a cover of “Check Yes or No” by George Strait, Webb had the crowd singing along with him. With great lyrical content and a strong vocal performance Mark held the rooms attention as he shared a few moments between songs for some jokes and backstories. Closing out the set with “The Dancer” Mark spoke of the songs meaning and how the chorus lends itself to providing the albums namesake.
Porter Union
With a short set break Porter Union took to the stage joined by Tyler Giles on pedal steel. Coles rugged and raspy voice blending with Kendra’s soft soulfulness provided a commanding presence from the duo as they played an array of songs spanning their years of writing together. The couple featured songs like “Out of Spite” and the fan requested “Walked Away” from their 2017 self titled “Porter Union” album. Throughout the set Cole and Kendra mixed in stories of how they came to be providing songs like “Steal Your Name” with Kendra taking lead vocal followed by Cole singing “Chapters”. One of the funnier moments was of the group telling about how they wrote their first song together, “The Trailer Song,” with Cole staying “it’s the silliest song we have that we will play live.” There was also some good laughs provided about how the song “Don’t You Know” got Kendra out of a speeding ticket while on tour after leaving a festival where the group had played.
The duo also added in a cover of the hit song “Help Me Make It Through The Night” by the legendary Kris Kristoferson providing a duet version of the popular song. Something that grabbed my attention being a Kristoferson fan myself.
As Porter Union went on to play other songs, such as the 2018 single “Rockin’ Years,” a Dolly Parton song, it was easy to see the enjoyment the entertainers have as they provide songs of truth with a traditional country sound. Songs filled with voices of conviction that match the purity of lyric content connecting fans to the duos musical stories.
As the night ended the artists could be found by their merchandise booths speaking with fans and taking photos. The group currently has dates booked through the end August. If you’re tired of the same overplayed mainstream mess then I highly recommend you get out and support this real country talent.
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Copyright – Michael Bragg/MJBragg Photography
Porter Union
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Mark Webb Jr.
• Website • Facebook • Instagram • ITunes • Spotify • YouTube • Twitter •