Always on the go, country star Chris Young comes to Rupp planning his next move

Chris Young/Eli Young Band/Matt Stell

7:30 p.m. Nov. 23 at Rupp Arena, 430 W. Vine. $20.-$59.75. 859-233-3535, 800-745-3000. rupparena.com, ticketmaster.com, chrisyoungcountry.com.

These days, Chris Young is used to being on the move. Less than two weeks after the country music artist — whose radio-friendly hits include “The Man I Want to Be,” “I’m Comin’ Over” and the duet single with Cassadee Pope “Think of You” — wrapped up a summer tour that played to over 300,000 fans, he was back on the road for a 19 city fall run that returns him to Rupp Arena this weekend.

“Let’s see,” the singer and songwriter said as he retraced the many steps his travels have taken him in recent days. “I was in Memphis on Monday, New York on Tuesday, then back to Nashville. Left about an hour-and-a-half after that on the bus. I was in Missouri last night and I’m in Wisconsin this morning.”

Not that Young is complaining, mind you. The Tennessee-born singer was fashioning a career for himself even before winning the fourth season of the USA Network’s country talent show “Nashville Star” in 2006. But to some fans, TV exposure and a subsequent record contract translate into in an instant, effortless career. Young wastes no time in debunking such fantasy.

“I was trying to explain this to somebody the other day. He was like, ‘Man, you got a record deal and just took off.’ I said, ‘Um, no.’ The first three-and-a-half years there were no radio hits. There was like a 37, a 52 and a 37 (references to chart positions for his singles). Even after that with the hits, it’s been one of those things that has just been constant, gradual growth.

“I’m sure there have been some points where if you asked me if I was happy with all that was happening, I would have said, ‘Yeah.’ But sitting where I’m at right now and just knowing the career path that I’ve traveled with so many people staying with me for so many years and being able to have so many hits on the radio… man, I wouldn’t trade anything for that.”

That path has led to two important recording projects. One is currently on the radio, the other will be unveiled in full next year.

First up is his current single, “Drowning,” a song that is half requiem and half eulogy for a departed friend but with an intent to approach broader views of loss and grief as inevitable, though difficult, life chapters. Young co-wrote the song with Josh Hoge and longtime friend and co-producer Corey Crowder. The singer also directed the accompanying video for “Drowning.”

“Corey, Josh and I have written a lot of songs together, but not one quite like this,” Young said. “We all sat down and talked, reminiscing about people we have lost. Specifically, this is a song about a buddy of mine, Adam, who passed away when I was in my 20s. He unexpectedly died in a car accident. This was one of my first times of going, ‘Okay, that was out of nowhere.’ There was no rhyme or reason as to why all of a sudden this person was in my life and then they were gone. I’ve never been able to write a song that really encompassed that until we wrote ‘Drowning.’“

The other project is Young’s eighth studio album, “Raised on Country.” Word on the record began spreading almost a year ago when its title tune was released as a single. Young is looking to possibly record two more songs before year’s end and issue the full album in early 2020.

“We had already decided to wait and drop the album until after “Drowning” does what it’s going to do, so the release is kind of twofold,” Young said. “It works for everybody at the label and allows me to get a couple of more songs on there I’ve written recently that I really like.

“I think if you listen to ‘Drowning’ and ‘Raised on Country’ and imagine them as the left and right of the record emotionally, what we’re doing with the rest of the album is kind of that and everything between — the authentic country-ness of ‘Raised on Country’ and then some of the guitar and piano sounds and emotion of ‘Drowning.’”

Just last week Young teased fans online with a short audio clip of a new song on his Instagram saying “All I need is you ‘In It’ Just sharing something else with you guys cheers”

Of course, recording duties have to be worked around what has been a seemingly unending touring schedule that brought Young to Rupp as a show opener for Alan Jackson (in 2010), Rascal Flatts (in 2011, where the other support act was a then-modestly known Luke Bryan) and Miranda Lambert (in 2012). Young played a headlining set at the arena last year as part of the Red, White and Boom festival.

There have also been tours overseas that offered performance perspectives similar to those Young experienced early in his career when concerts in unfamiliar cities raised a persistent question: Will anyone in this locale like our music?

“Dude, they love country music over there,” Young said “The first time I went over to Europe, I was like, ‘I don’t know if anyone’s going to like what I do or not. I don’t know how this is going to go.’ But there is just an incredible embrace over there for country music. Same for Australia, and it’s very cool to see.

“It’s like when I first started out and I was super, super green. I had played Texas, Tennessee and Florida and that was pretty much it. I remember going to Boston the first time thinking, ‘Are they going to like anything I’m doing here?’ But there are country fans and country people everywhere.”

Monder music at the Origins Jazz Series

Next up in the Origins Jazz Series is a Nov. 22 solo performance by New York guitarist Ben Monder at the Lexington Friends Meeting House (Quakers), 649 Price Ave.

A distinctive and versatile sound architect, Monder often forgoes the familiar lyrical swing of a jazz guitar performance in favor of textured instrumental soundscapes that blend melody, ambience and tonal color. His career stretches over three decades, culminating in the 2019 release of a double-disc album called “Day After Day,” a record split evenly between solo and trio sessions.

Rock enthusiasts, however, will recognize Monder as the guitarist featured on “Blackstar,” the final studio album by David Bowie (7:30 p.m., $20). For tickets, go to originsjazz.org.

Concert 4 Coats at The Burl

A celebrated Lexington hip-hop artist who doubles as a tireless community activist, Devine Carama is in the home stretch of his sixth annual “A Coat to Keep the Cold Away” drive. As the title implies, the project seeks to raise money to purchase 2,500 new coats for children in Central and Eastern Kentucky.

On Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving Eve), Carama puts his mouth where the money hopefully will be. He will lead a diversely designed “Concert 4 Coats” program at The Burl, 375 Thompson Rd. to add to the coat drive’s funds. Along with Carama, the bill includes the rock troupe IvyRye, comedian Larry Starks, the neo-soul driven RaeCamp Band, vocalist Marcus Wilkerson and DJ JK-47.

Tickets for the 9 p.m. performance are $15 in advance and $20 day of show, but there will also be donation bucket onstage to help provide deeper pockets to “A Coat to Keep the Cold Away.” For tickets, go to theburlky.com.

This story was originally published November 20, 2019 at 9:22 AM.