Country singer Easton Corbin performs Thursday

Easton Corbin

Spotlight Show • Country singer Easton Corbin will tour this summer with Blake Shelton in support of Corbin's latest release, "All Over the Road." But before he and "The Voice" judge hit the road, Corbin is traveling solo. He headlines his own show Thursday at In The Venue, a place not generally known for hosting country artists. The 30-year-old crooner grew up in north central Florida, about 100 miles from the Florida-Georgia state line. It is a fertile ground for aspiring country musicians who get a hefty helping of Southern rock influences, he said in a recent telephone interview. A case in point is the up-and-coming country duo called, appropriately enough, Florida Georgia Line. Corbin released his self-titled debut album in 2010, which featured two appealing No. 1 country hits "A Little More Country Than That" and "Roll With It." It also contained the top-15 hit "I Can't Love You Back." Corbin had wanted to go to Nashville after high school, but his parents insisted he get a college education. He earned an agribusiness degree at the University of Florida's College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and then moved to Nashville, working days at an Ace Hardware store and performing at open-mic nights. "One of my heroes was Keith Whitley," Corbin said of the late country singer who found fame with the timeless chart-topper "When You Say Nothing at All." "He loved traditional country music. He lived what he sang about. You try to learn from those things."

When • Thursday, April 25, at 8 p.m.

Where • In The Venue, 579 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City

Tickets • $25 in advance, $30 day of, at SmithsTix

David Burger