Possible “American Idol” returns to perform in New Albany -

New Albany, MS-If you’ve attended any festivals in New Albany over the past couple of years, you’ve likely heard the Eisenhauer Band.

The band, which first played New Albany at the 2014 Riverfest has since played a number of festivals and private events in the area and has gained a substantial local fan base.

While the band has wowed audiences with its unique, bluegrassy interpretations of songs from a number musical genres – imagine Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good” with fiddle and banjo accompaniment – what has stood out to many in the audience is the sheer star power of fiddle player and lead singer, Amelia Eisenhauer, who is accompanied in the band by her brother Andy (banjo and stand-up bass) and her mother, Rhonda, on guitar. It turns out that the popular estimation of her talent has not been off the mark as Amelia was invited this past year to be a contestant on the final season of Fox’s American Idol Franchise.

The Golden Ticket

“We were contacted by American Idol’s producers to audition at a Nashville Showcase,” says Rhonda. “They sent us an email and asked if she would consider auditioning for the show. We thought it was a good thing to try since it was the final season. The audition in Nashville was fairly laid back in comparison to the Atlanta audition in front of the celebrity judges. She was nervous, but not as nervous as she was in Atlanta. She just went into the room and sat down with producers. They asked her and myself a lot of questions, there was a lot of interviewing that day. She finally went in with more producers and played for them what we thought were songs that best represented the kind of artist she wants to be. I guess they liked it because she got her first “golden ticket” to the celebrity auditions in Atlanta.

The celebrity auditions in Atlanta was a totally different story. Again, there were many interviews, mostly on camera. There was a short rehearsal with one of the music directors for the show, which was nice. Nothing could really prepare Amelia for being alone in a room with JLo, Keith Urban and Harry Connick, Jr., she was SHAKING! The room was cold, they do that to keep all the lighting cool, that didn’t help. It was also hard for her to keep her violin in tune. I think that was one of the hardest things she’s ever done in her life.”

While Amelia’s status on the show can’t be revealed at this point, she is on the show, which runs Wednesday and Thursday nights on FOX. This season is the final season of the hit show which has run for 16 years.

New Albany Performances with New Albany Native, Sam Mosley

In addition to performing to an international audience of millions on American Idol, Amelia and the Eisenhauer Band will be playing two shows in New Albany on the evening of Friday, January 22. Grammy-winner and New Albany native Sam Mosley will be sitting in with the band during both shows.

The first concert will be at the Historic Cine Theater in downtown New Albany at 7pm. The second show will be in The Basement (under Trails & Treads) at 9:30. Tickets for the 7pm show at the Cine are $10 each and can be purchased online or at the UCDA office. Tickets for the 9:30 show at The Basement will include refreshments and are $25. Tickets for the second show can be obtained by calling Sean Johnson at 662-316-9557. Tickets for both shows are limited. Only 80 tickets will be sold for the Basement show.

Proceeds from the show will be used to promote Amelia in her pursuit of being the final American Idol.

“Amelia will be competing against dozens of very talented musicians from around the country in front of millions of people. Getting the word out about her on social media to compete on this level costs a lot of money, but we promise that if you come to our shows in New Albany you’ll not only be helping a young, talented and deserving girl reach a tremendous milestone, you’ll also get your money’s worth of entertainment,” says Sean Johnson who is helping to promote the show. “Plus, how often do you get to see a superstar before they become one? Imagine seeing Carrie Underwood (another Idol winner) with just a handful of friends in your hometown…it’s going to be a special evening.”