Country rocker and songwriter Anthony Orio has always had a passion for country music.

As an artist, Orio has performed twice at The Grand Ole Opry, and recently performed at the Ryman Auditorium alongside Kris Kristofferson, Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson, and many others. The Bluebird Café’s regular rotation of featured singer/songwriters includes Orio. ASCAP has also featured him at their “Hot On the Row Series,” designed to showcase Nashville’s top up and coming artists, and Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) showcased Orio in a round during 2010’s and 2011’s Tin Pan South songwriters festival.

For Orio, the main draw to music has always been connecting with a crowd through live performances. Currently, he tours with his band, performing his high energy rock-infused version of country music throughout the US and Canada. Orio spends a great deal of time on stage, averaging over 200 shows per year. His concerts have taken him everywhere from casino show rooms in Tunica and Biloxi, Mississippi to 2,000 capacity clubs in Georgia and Alabama to venues in Ottawa and Toronto Canada, with many shows in between. In addition to his tour schedule, Orio performs in Nashville at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge. “For me, there is no place I would rather be than on stage, sharing music with an audience. The energy that comes from a live show is the ultimate high,” says Orio.