Robby Holley and Graham Colton shook Trees Saturday

Trees, located in Deep Ellum, was packed Saturday as the Robby Holley band won the crowd over, followed by an amazing performance by Graham Colton.

The Robby Holley Band, one of three opening bands, began with an instrumental jam leading into five Robby Holley originals: “Away,” “Out of Sight (Hometown Girl),” “Soothe My Soul,” “Fruit of Life” and “Downtown.”

SMU sophomore Robby Holley, a singer/songwriter and rhythm guitarist, was accompanied by senior J.W. Marshall on bass guitar and first-year Ted Lauck on lead guitar.

Screaming fans in the crowd show there is evidence of a forming Robby Holley fan base. This band appears to have a promising future with such talent.

It looks like we’ll be seeing a lot more of them in the near future. They’ve had offers to play in Austin, Oklahoma City and Norman, Okla. They are also looking at playing with Oddibee, an opening act at this past Saturday’s concert.

“Our next step is to get away for a weekend and write as many originals as we can,” Holley said. “We want to build our original set list to be able to play longer and more often.” To get on the band’s list serve send an email to [email protected].

Graham Colton, a former SMU student, is diligently pursuing his musical career. Colton moved out to Los Angeles in the hopes of making it big. Based on his talent and the connections he’s making in the industry, it appears that he may be on his way to stardom.

His band has played with John Mayer, O.A.R., Sister Hazel, Pat McGee Band, Hootie & the Blowfish, Better than Ezra and Dave Matthews Band.

Colton had an outstanding performance Saturday, playing on his home turf at Trees, where he’s played numerous times. He told the crowd that he was “glad to be back in his hometown and see all the familiar faces.”

Only a year ago Colton was the opening band at Trees, but now takes the headlining spot. It is obvious that he has matured as an artist.

Colton and his band will begin their next tour on Oct. 1. They will be touring throughout the East Coast with the Counting Crows. To get more info on the band, go to www.grahamcolton.com.