Sparks/Reno, Nev. – Singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile has captured the ears of eclectic music fans who often reserve praise for musicians twice her age. Hear Carlile sing “The Story,” among others, one night only, Thursday, June 26, in the Celebrity Showroom at John Ascuaga’s Nugget.

A gifted performer whose rich voice and literate storytelling belie her youth (she was only 23 when she released her major-label debut), Carlile was born in the small town of Ravensdale, WA, an isolated community 50 miles away from Seattle. With few neighbors or friends nearby, Carlile grew up learning to make her own entertainment, camping and hiking in the nearby woods and teaching herself to sing. She grew up listening to her parent’s favorite classic country music (Patsy Cline remains Carlile's favorite singer), and she made her stage debut at the age of eight after she was taken to a local country radio show by her mother.

At 17, Carlile picked up the guitar, having developed a taste for rock & roll through Elton John's classic albums of the 1970s and she began hitting the Seattle bar scene, playing anywhere she could get a gig. While playing clubs, she encountered a band called the Fighting Machinists, featuring twin brothers Tim and Phil Hanseroth. Impressed by their instrumental skills and spot-on harmonies, Carlile became an instant fan, and when the group broke up, she persuaded the twins to
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form a group with her. While they started out as an aggressive rock & roll band, Carlile's emotionally powerful songwriting and acoustic guitar work soon became the dominant component of the group's sound, and they began touring regularly, headlining small venues and opening shows for Dave Matthews, Shawn Colvin, and India.Arie. In 2000, Carlile recorded the first of several self-released recordings that sold briskly at shows, and in 2005 Carlile was signed to Columbia Records, releasing a self-titled album later that same year. The album earned enthusiastic reviews, and Carlile was named one of 2005's "Artists to Watch" by Rolling Stone. In 2006, Carlile and her band began work on her second Columbia album, with T-Bone Burnett producing. Titled The Story, it was released in spring 2007.

Carlile was exposed to a wider audience when ABC's Grey's Anatomy showcased three of her songs: "Tragedy," "What Can I Say," and "Throw It All Away". In April 2007, Grey's Anatomy debuted a version of the video for the single “The Story” interspersed with footage from the show. On May 3, 2007, a special two-hour episode of Grey's Anatomy featured Carlile's song "Turpentine" during footage of the Grey's Anatomy spin-off, Private Practice.

Brandi Carlile plays one night only, Thursday, June 26 at 8 p.m. in the Celebrity Showroom. Tickets are just $45, and are available by calling (800) 648-1177 or (775) 356-3300 or by visiting janugget.com. Dinner and show packages are available. “Do the Nugget Tonight!”