The group is celebrating its recent win in a major country music talent competition. The theater was over capacity for tonight's concert. It's the first public celebration since the group took first prize in the Texaco Country Showdown in Nashville Tennessee.
Locally inspired Americana country music Strums from inside the Hanford fox theater where Poor Mans Poison played to a crowd of 1,100 fans. The band, Hanford natives are definitely not cowboys, however.
But they are this year's winners of the Texaco Country Showdown where they beating out thousands of other performers around the U.S.
Mike Jacobs of Poor Mans Poison said, "It's a lot to take in. It's been kind of a stressful week. You know, we want everything to be perfect, especially in your hometown."
Jacobs and his band-mates Tommy, Dustin and Ryan have been playing together for years. Their shows and their songs seem to strike a chord with just about everybody, including Olivia Latraille who first heard their music when the guys played at her high school.
Latraille said, "It's different. It's a different twist for me, too. I like it, it's a new genre."
After the big win in Nashville the Poor Mans Poison hometown concert crowds have grown.
Tommy Mccarthy of Poor Mans Poison said, "We've played in Fresno a couple of times recently, and it seems like the crowds we've pulled over there have increased by half or 75 percent more people at the shows. And it's just been awesome."
Along with their country showdown title and these big-time hometown shows, Poor Mans Poison took home $100,000 from the competition. The guys though, didn't think they would win but their manager pushed them to compete.
Doug Archer, Band Manager said, "It was overwhelming. It was real. They really accepted this band for what they are and for their music. For me, as their business guy, it shows we have a real future."
Each member of the group still holds down a regular job to pay the bills but they hope that will soon change and they'll keep seeing their name in lights.
The Texaco Country Showdown Competition will air March 16 here on ABC30.
