Drew Baldridge to bring country act to M-Shop

Rising country artist Drew Baldridge will perform Friday at the Maintenance Shop.

Courtesy of SUB

Rising country artist Drew Baldridge will perform Friday at the Maintenance Shop.

Parker Reed

Rising country musician Drew Baldridge will perform at 9 p.m. Friday in the Maintenance Shop.

Tickets are $8 with a student ID and $10 for the public, with a $2 increase the day of the show. Tickets can be purchased at the M-Shop box office or online via Midwestix.

Baldridge grew up playing basketball and baseball in his hometown of Patoka, Illinois, and would often perform the national anthem at games because of the school’s lack of a band.

“I’ve loved performing from a very early age. I performed to ‘Thriller’ and ‘Men in Black’ at my elementary school talent show,” Baldridge said.

As a teenager, Baldridge joined a vocal quartet at his church and later began playing acoustic sets at a local bar on Saturday nights.

“It made perfect sense to become a country artist. I like to tell stories and singing about where I come from,” Baldridge said.

Baldridge signed with THiS Music in Nashville in 2013 and later went on to release his debut EP, “All Good,” with the singles “BYOB” and ”She’s Taken.”

Baldridge’s newest project, “Crossing Country Lines,” was released in three installments throughout 2015 and features the single “Dance With Ya.”

“I want to build my career the way Eric Church built his. He has an incredible fan base that he gained out on the road, which is similar to what we are doing,” Baldridge said.

For more information, visit the M-Shop website and SUB website.