Bosko appears ready for take off

Annie Bosko mentioned at one point how she'd been in Nashville for 17 years before she got her big record contract. And yet, she's still a new name for many. Not for long, though, based on this show anyway. She sang in the recent Rose Parade and will have music coming out soon with Vince Gill and Dwight Yoakam as singing partners. She's also a strong singer, songwriter and an enthusiastic performer. 'Overnight success' may be one of the biggest music business misnomers, but in Bosko's case, her hoped for success is better late than never.

Bosko came on dressed in a purple outfit (including her cowboy hat) and white cowboy boots, and played a strong set filled with her original songs and some wisely chosen covers. In addition to the single "Neon Baby," Bosko sang a song dedicated to the incarcerated (or anyone who may feel trapped) called "Caged Bird," the Bakersfield sound-inspired "Heart Burn" (her upcoming duet with Yoakam) and the dust-kicker "Boots On." She sang the latter especially for a cute little schoolgirl up front that brought along a picture she'd drawn that was inspired by the song.

Bosko also quieted her concert down for an acoustic portion midway through. It included a cover of Kris Kristofferson's "Help Me Make It Through The Night," which was highlighted by some fine playing by her steel guitarist. She also sang the Elton John/Bernie Taupin hit, "Your Song," after mentioning how Taupin was in the house this night.

This show felt like watching a bird that was just about to take flight. Bosko is receiving a strong publicity push right now and proved that she certainly deserves it. Nashville is embracing real country more and more these days, and Bosko appears to be in the right place, at the right time. As her song puts it, true cowgirls do everything with their boots on and Bosko looks and sounds fully ready to travel to the top. Let's hope she does.