Chris O'Leary bringing blues to Court Street Grill in Pomeroy

POMEROY — Chris O’Leary and his band are back in Pomeroy to celebrate the release of their new album, “The Hard Line,” an Alligator Records debut.

The band will perform at 9 p.m. Thursday at Court Street Grill, 112 Court St., Pomeroy. Tickets are $20. Ticket information is available at https://court-grill.ticketleap.com/chrisoblues/ .

O’Leary, the legendary traveling blues man whose soulful vocals and harmonica have captivated people around the world, is not a new face at the Court Street Grill. He has played there for over 10 years.

O’Leary said, “I love the place, and the people are fantastic”.

The Court Street Grill is just one of the many stops on the band’s six-week tour.

O’Leary’s newest and fifth studio album, “The Hard Line,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Blues Chart and remained there for two straight weeks — an accomplishment that few artists can claim.

“It caught me by surprise, I don’t know if I’ve ever been on a chart before,” O’Leary said in an interview with the Athens News. “I’m trying to take advantage of these new accolades and accomplishments to really advance my career.”

“The Hard Line” also marks O’Leary’s Alligator Records debut, a newfound relationship that should push O’Leary’s career to new heights. Alligator Records is a Chicago-based record label founded by Bruce Iglauer that serves as the pinnacle of labels in the Blues genre. Legends such as Hound Dog Taylor, KoKo Taylor, James Cotton, Lonnie Brooks and Tommy Castro have all made a name for themselves under the Alligator Records label. “I’ve wanted to get on this record label my entire career,” O’Leary said.

O’Leary said “The Hard Line” is by far his best album, which he credits to his relationship with Iglauer, who helped him through the album-making process.

“He’s made me a more distinct and to-the-point songwriter,” O’Leary said. “Bruce has been an integral part of the creation of the album. He helped create it, and he helped produce, mix, and master it.”

O’Leary’s career in music has not been easy. Getting to the point where he is now has taken years of devotion to the craft. O’Leary spent seven years with Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall-of-Famer Levon Helm as the lead singer in Helm’s group, The BarnBurners. Unfortunately, after years of strain on his voice, O’Leary developed vocal nodules, and doctors told him he would need to take a break from singing.

From there, O’Leary began working as a federal police officer. O’Leary’s passion for music stayed, though, and before long, he began gigging as much as he could, working around the clock to maintain both the life of a police officer and a musician.

“Eventually, I had to make a decision,” and in 2018, O’Leary left the federal police to return to music full-time.

“I haven’t looked back since,” O’Leary says.

O’Leary truly has something unique about him. His music is a soulful expression of his life. It’s something that needs to be heard and seen.