Burns and Poe

Country duo perform next month at Argosy

Burns and Poe have hit with "I Need A Job"

February 23, 2012 4:53 PM

The Telegraph
ALTON — The country duo that recently sent lawmakers a message with their latest single, "I Need A Job," will appear on stage at Argosy Casino next month.

Burns and Poe will appear for two shows at 8 p.m. Friday, March 9, and 7 p.m. Saturday, March 10, in the Argosy Music Hall. The duo, which consists of Keith Burns and Michelle Poe, was named Music Row Magazine’s Independent Artist of the Year in 2010.

They made their debut in 2009 with "It’s Always a Woman," which landed at No. 21 on the Music Row chart. The duo soon followed with "Don’t Get No Better Than That" and "How Long is Long Enough?"

Country music fans always can be counted on for echoing the plight of the working man and woman, and with the high unemployment rate, the duo’s newest single, "I Need a Job," on Blue Steel Records, echoes the sentiments of many Americans.

Burns, who recently took time out from his busy schedule in Nashville, Tenn., to talk to The Telegraph, said people went crazy for the song as soon as it came out. He said the song seems to hit home for a lot of people in the United States right now.

"The song just kind of wrote itself," Burns said.

He said when he and his co-writer, John Ritter, started writing the tune, they knew they were creating a song to voice the frustration, hopelessness and need that many feel.

"A job means more than just paying the bills," Burns said. "It’s about self-respect, self-worth and pride. Working is part of the American way. People don’t want a handout, they want a job."

Burns is a founding member of the Grammy-nominated, gold recording trio Trick Pony, which also won both an American Music Award and Country Music Award. He also wrote songs recorded by Joe Diffie, Hootie and The Blowfish, Sammy Kershaw and Trick Pony.

Poe has worked extensively as a bass player for such popular artists as Dierks Bentley and Hank Williams Jr., and she also had a brief stint as a solo artist on the Dreamworks label.

It was a long and winding road that led to the partnership. Burns met Poe in 2007, when she auditioned for the position of leading lady of Trick Pony after its former lead singer left the band. The 10-year-old trio disbanded soon after and opened the door for Burns and Poe.

Their songs offer fans real-life stories about love, divorce, alcohol and unemployment.

Burns describes the duo’s musical style as traditional country with a new sound. He said their influences include singers and songwriters from country music’s past.

The duo stays solidly in the tradition of many old blue-collar duos such as Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton and Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn. They perform side-by-side, bantering back and forth with playful jibes, sharing vocal talents and splitting their performances right down the middle.

"We actually do some of those old songs in our live performances," Burns said. "It’s music we both love and grew up on."

Burns said he enjoys creating music, and both he and Poe work to put on a good show. He said that people word hard, and when they come to watch him and his partner perform, the performers want to deliver something.

"We love to create music and work hard to put on a great show," Burns said.

On stage, the duo are described as the Sonny and Cher of country.

"We have a lot of fun with each other when we are on stage," he said. "We take our music very seriously, but we don’t take ourselves very seriously. We have a good time, we poke fun at each other, and we enjoy it."

The duo also has fully embraced the world of social networking, sending out Tweets and Facebook updates on everything from the progress of a new song to cheering on their love of football.

Burns said the Internet is a way for them to stay closely connected to fans and move the duo forward.

"We try to stay active on Facebook every day, talking with fans," he said. "People feel like we’re listening to them, and we are."

Tickets cost $10 and can be purchased by calling (800) 711-4263 or by stopping by guest services at the casino, 1 Piasa St.