Little Big Town built to last, day by day

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Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

It’s late at night, and Jimi Westbrook of the country music group Little Big Town can’t sleep. So he decides to check out NBC’s “The Voice,” the latest in the seemingly countless string of reality shows promising someone an instant career as the next big music star.

“I can’t help but watch these shows,” laughs Westbrook. “‘The Voice’ has a pretty unique concept, though, and the judges are cool, especially Blake [Shelton].”

Westbrook pauses and takes a deep breath.

“I guess I’ve always had mixed emotions about those types of reality shows,” he says from a recent tour stop in support of Little Big Town’s fourth studio album, “The Reason Why.”

“I certainly don’t begrudge anyone who does those shows and finds success. But for a band like us, it’s really always been about the journey. It’s taken perseverance and hard work to get where we are.”

In fact, it is indeed the journey that now seems to enrich Little Big Town’s much-deserved success, not only on the charts but in their personal lives, as well. The country quartet made up of Westbrook, fellow bandmate and Westbrook’s wife of five years, Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet and Kimberly Schlapman this year are celebrating 13 years together as a band.

Currently on tour with Sugarland as part of the “Incredible Machine Tour,” Little Big Town’s unmistakable harmonies continue to delight audiences. Indeed, they seem to have a unique ability to rev up the crowd with hand-clapping hits such as “Little White Church” and “Boondocks” as easily as they can tear their hearts out in ballads such as “Kiss Goodbye” and “Shut Up Train.”

“Quieting down a screaming crowd of 20,000 is no easy task, and believe me, there are nights when it doesn’t work and the first 25 rows won’t stop talking,” chuckles Westbrook, who also will be on hand when the band presents the monies raised during the recent “Country Financial Road Trips and Guitar Picks” campaign to the Chicago chapter of Little Kids Rock.

“We see the ballads as a point in our live show when the crowd can drown themselves in the moment,” Westbrook says.

In recent years, Little Big Town has toured with the likes of Martina McBride, John Mellencamp and a certain Australian country megastar who made quite the impression on the band.

“We have always tried to act as students when we go on tour with these other artists,” says Westbrook. “I remember how Keith Urban really took a chance with us at the beginning, and we would all be standing there right offstage in awe. It was amazing to watch him connect with an arena crowd.”

These connections will be in full affect when the band plays Allstate Arena on May 6.

“Performing in Chicago is always a treat for us,” Westbrook says. “Karen and Kimberly especially love it. Let’s just say my wife plans to boost the local economy while we are in town.”

Tricia Despres is a local free-lance writer.