Jamey Johnson was a bit ahead of the country-music curve when he released his breakout album That Lonesome Song in 2008. At the time, he was a Nashville misfit, putting out an album independently after losing his record deal. Song became a slow-burn success, thanks to hit singles “In Color” and “High Cost of Living,” along with a flood of critical acclaim for the album’s gritty, no-frills sound and soul-baring lyrics. Since then, Johnson’s career has remained eccentric; his most recent studio album was 2012’s Living for a Song, a collection of Hank Cochran covers.

A decade after Johnson recorded That Lonesome Song, though, his brand of outlaw country has started to reach mainstream audiences, thanks to artists like Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell and recent Johnson tourmate Margo Price. Johnson has kept up his lucrative side career as a songwriter for hire, working with Nashville hitmakers including George Strait, Joe Nichols and Jessie James Decker. Live, he’s just as likely to break out a string of covers, ranging from rock to traditional folk, as he is to play his own hits. As he’s been doing from the start, Johnson forges his own unique path.

Golden Nugget, 10 p.m. Dec. 15, starting at $53.41 plus tax and fee. 866.946.5336