Drew and Ellie Holcomb BY MARK DOLEJS Drew and Ellie Holcomb brought their Never Gonna Let You Go tour to the Carolina Theatre on Thursda...
Drew and Ellie Holcomb brought their Never Gonna Let You Go tour to the Carolina Theatre on Thursday night. This was the ninth stop on their 30-city road trip.
The first set was just Drew and Ellie on stage, opening with “High Seas,” off their 2025 release and tour namesake, Never Gonna Let You Go. For the next six tunes, Ellie and Drew traded off singing each other’s songs.
This acoustic set was great and featured the variety of this power couple’s songwriting. “Mississippi River Bluebird,” “What Would I Do Without You” and “Sing,” were so very strong. “Sing” is from Ellie’s album that accompanied her first children’s book Who Sang the First Song?, inspired by one of their children who asked that very question.
For their second set, the Holcombs were joined on stage by The Neighbors. Before her solo career took off, Ellie was originally part of Drew’s band, known as Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors. With the additional band members on stage, the energy was taken up a notch.
“Find Your People” was fantastic with the whole room on their feet, dancing and singing along. In this screwed-up world that we live in, these lyrics really hit home:
In a world of strangers, you don’t know who to trust
All you see is danger, trying to find what you lost
You can’t go it alone, everybody needs help
You got to find your people, then you’ll find yourself
The Neighbors got the opportunity to share two of their own songs, “Learning How to Live” and “Ghost to You,” which should be released in the next week or so.
Drew and Ellie are a couple that loves to share their music. They just exude talent and the love that they share for each other is evident on their faces, especially as Ellie dances around the stage, often around her husband as she gazes into his eyes. Their voices stand easily as individuals, but even more so when singing together.
My favorite time of the night was towards the end, when it was just the two of them on stage with a condenser mic, improvising from song to song after asking the audience what they wanted to hear.
They started with “Another Man’s Shoes” and “But I’ll Never Forget The Way You Make Me Feel.” This part of the set lasted for seven additional songs, including “Live Forever,” “I Will Carry You” and “Gratitude,” a song that Drew dedicated to one of his cousins that was at the show.
Towards the end of the show Ellie announced, “Now is a great time to get on your feet,” as they broke into “Shut Up And Dance,” followed by “Never Gonna Let You Go.” The crowd sang from the top of their lungs and the smiles were abundant as many danced arm in arm with their loved ones by their sides.
This was a much needed night, not just for me, but by many of those in attendance. Music is good for the soul, and the Holcombs took us to that magical place.
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- MARK DOLEJS
Photography is an avenue that
Mark Dolejs uses to learn about the people and places that cross his path. After more than 30 years as a photojournalist, Mark enjoys concert, macro, and roadside photography. Follow Mark on Instagram at @solidrockpix.
Read Mark's posts here.
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