Yellowstone’s Luke Grimes Gets Music Career Off the Ground with Illinois Show

Ever have a day so busy and jampacked with fun that it felt like you lived two days in the span of 24 hours? That's how Friday, December 1st played out for me and my girlfriend. After I got off work, we trekked from Dubuque to Rosemont, IL (a three-hour ride) to see an up-and-coming name in country music.

Luke Grimes already has a name for himself in Hollywood. Upon appearing in all three of Fifty Shades films as Christian Grey's brother, Grimes is a mainstay on the popular Paramount show Yellowstone. He stars as Kayce Dutton, and has been one of the main characters since the series began in 2018. Beyond being a noteworthy presence on the show, he's also a damn good country singer.

Grimes performed at Joe's Live in Rosemont, IL, a popular spot for rising names located about 30 miles outside of Chicago. Joe's Live is a standing room only venue, but it's spacious enough to accommodate several hundred. And there had to be about 400 people in attendance on a chilly winter evening to see Luke Grimes take to the stage.

Before Grimes, Carter Faith, a self-described "cowgirl hippie" with a lovely voice and her own arsenal of original music. Faith performed for about 25 minutes alongside her longtime guitarist Tofer Brown, and effectively set the mood for a night of pure, authentic country music.

Shortly before 9pm, Grimes took the stage and performed all of his songs from his new EP, Pain Pills Or Pews. Grimes doesn't have many original songs out at this time, but the few he do leave an impact. His most popular is probably "Hold On," a classic country-sounding anthem that demands you sing along. "Ghost Of Who We Were" is a somber melody about a man lying in bed, reflecting on his relationship with a now-ex-girlfriend.

Then there's "Ain't Dead Yet," which I think has the potential to be a sizable hit if it catches fire at the right time. It's the classic Brooks & Dunn/Jon Pardi-esque rocker about a man who vows to love his woman till he dies (but "he ain't dead yet").

When Grimes and his (terrific) band played that song towards the end of the show, you could tell he already has hundreds who know the words to his music, despite it (and him, for that matter) being so new.

The only thing more impressive than Grimes' young music career are his acting credits. He's acted in some big productions, including American Sniper, The Magnificent Seven (2016), and even Taken 2.

If you haven't been to Rosemont, as a native to Illinois, let me tell you it should be fairly high on your places to travel to this holiday season (or really any time of the year). Rosemont is renowned for its delicious restaurants, sports, (the Chicago Wolves of the AHL are in the midst of their season right now), concerts, and more. The Christmas displays and decorations all over the city are absolutely beautiful too.

For more information about Luke Grimes, visit his website, or take a listen to "Ain't Dead Yet" below!