At this year’s Country Music Association Awards, the Brothers Osborne (actual brothers John and T.J. Osborne) took home the award for Vocal Duo of the Year, an honor that for the previous three years had gone to pop-oriented, party-friendly duo Florida Georgia Line. As popular and accessible as Florida Georgia Line’s music may be, it’s also pretty far from traditional country, and the Osbornes’ win was a victory for the grittier, more down-to-earth style of country music. That’s not to say that the brothers are old-fashioned, necessarily, but their music stands alongside current artists like Chris Stapleton and Eric Church, with influences from outlaw country, Southern rock and blues.
In the past, the Brothers have opened for country stars Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert and Jon Pardi, but they’re now on their first headlining tour, thanks to the success of singles “Stay a Little Longer” and “21 Summer.” With only one album (January’s Pawn Shop) to their name, the Brothers augment their shows with covers ranging from the Dixie Chicks and John Denver to Bruce Springsteen. They may not quite be outlaws, but they’re bringing a little outlaw flavor to mainstream country, and doing their part to take back the genre in the process.
House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, 7 p.m. Dec. 17, starting at $19.25 plus tax and fee. 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster
