Bomshel, one of country music’s hottest up-and-coming duos, rocked a California crowd with an intimate show at the Chowchilla-Madera County Fair on May 14. What a way to start off the weekend!

These girls rock, and they know it; that’s a good thing. There wasn’t a single moment in the show where they came across arrogant or cocky. The duo, made up of Kristy Osmonson (harmonies, violin, guitar, anything with strings..!) and Kelley Shepard (lead vocals), is one of Nashville’s recent great discoveries. Those of you that follow Bomshel’s career know that the road to stardom hasn’t been any easy one. In fact, it’s been anything but easy. I think that’s part of what made this show so special.

Due to the fact that this show got no publicity whatsoever, the crowd was sparse; however, they performed like they were playing to a sold-out arena crowd. These ladies are a class act. Not once did they let the small crowd damper the vibe of their live show. As I watched them perform, I couldn’t help but be disappointed knowing that so many people were missing out on an incredible evening simply because they didn’t know about it. I’m so thankful to have stumbled across the tour date online because I never once heard about it on the radio, in the newspaper, or anywhere else. All I have to say about that after witnessing this show is this: shame on you, Central Valley! You have no idea what you missed out on.

Kristy and Kelley seamlessly rocked their way through a 13-song set, including a few numbers they did acoustically – just Kelley’s voice and Kristy’s harmonies and guitar. They proved that they are the real deal with their acoustic take on Love Me For Me, a song from their debut album Fight Like a Girl. Other highlights included Kelley’s monster vocals on the album’s title track, Fight Like a Girl, and the I’m-better-off-without-you anthem, Thank You. Then there was Kristy’s insane fiddle solo on a track called (you guessed it) Fiddle – “unbelievable” is the only word that comes to mind when trying to describe it.

It may have been a small show, but it was far and away one of the best shows I’ve been to for a while. For me, it’s not always about the elaborate stage setup and the sold out crowds; it’s about the energy, the passion, and, of course, the music. That’s the kind of show this was and I am so thankful to be have been a part of it. It was honor to meet the girls after the show. They are so real, grateful, and level-headed about their careers. I could tell how much they love what they do. It’s obvious that they don’t take this for granted and they know how important the fans are in all of this.

Kristy and Kelley, if you should happen to read this, thank you for a wonderful night. From one Kristi O. to another Kristy O. and to a fellow pink-lover (that was for you, Kel!), it was a pleasure to finally meet you. The album has been on constant rotation for months in my truck and, I’ll tell you what, it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

You can check out the rest of Kristi’s pictures by clicking here.