Rosen: 'If it looks like we're having fun, it's because we are'

MONTREAL - Prospect Jake Evans isn't the biggest concertgoer around, but the chance to see Old Dominion at LASSO Montreal in August is just too good to pass up.

The 23-year-old forward's favorite band is one of several big names taking part in the inaugural country music festival at Parc Jean Drapeau in August.
Brad Paisley, Luke Bryan and Morgan Wallen will also be headlining the star-studded lineup, making it a must-see event later this year.
Evans first got hooked on country music south of the border while attending the University of Notre Dame. Roommates Cal Petersen, Jordan Gross and Anders Bjork made the introduction.
"There was one song in college we always listened to every morning, and it was "Nowhere Fast" by Old Dominion," revealed Evans, who sported the colors of the Fighting Irish between 2014 and 2018. "I just started listening to them after that and loving their music."

They've since become his "go-to band" whenever he puts on his headphones to enjoy some well-deserved downtime.
As for his favorite tracks by the two-time reigning Academy of Country Music Awards' (ACM) Group of the Year…
"I like "No Such Thing as a Broken Heart" and "Make It Sweet" a lot, so I've been dying to see one of their shows," confirmed Evans. "Those are my two jams."
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It just so happens that one of the members in Old Dominion is a massive hockey fan. And he played the game at a fairly high level, too.
Guitarist and keyboardist Trevor Rosen suited up for the USHL's Des Moines Buccaneers during the 1994-95 campaign.
It was Rosen who scored the Gold Cup winning goal in overtime that season, giving the Buccaneers the Junior A National Championship.
While the 45-year-old Woodhaven, MI native is a self-described "PredWing" for his support of both the Nashville Predators and the Detroit Red Wings, playing in a hockey-crazed market like Montreal has him pumped up.
"I can't wait. I love touring Canada, even right now when it's freezing cold outside," said Rosen with a laugh, while the band was in Calgary earlier this month. "I bring my gear with me, and I love to get out on the ice when we're on the road. I love to see the different cities that I've grown up watching on Hockey Night in Canada. Getting up to Montreal, with such a deep hockey history, it's an Original Six town and it's going to be fun to be there."

Rosen has traveled to the province before, though, having participated in the annual Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament as a youngster.
Three decades later, he still has fond memories of his experience with the Michigan Nationals at the renowned Colisée.
"We actually played Russia in the late 80's. The Colisée was pretty packed for that game. We lost 2-1, but it was a cool experience," recalled Rosen. "It was the first time we'd ever skated in front of a crowd that wasn't made up of just our families. The roar when we hit the ice was something I'd never experienced before."

These days, Rosen and his bandmates are used to hitting the stage to the crazy applause and screams of adoring fans across the globe.
And they plan on delivering the goods outdoors at LASSO in six months' time.
"We have a great time playing. If it looks like we're having fun, it's because we are. It's what we love to do. When you see an Old Dominion show, it's high-energy and it's interactive with the fans. The more fun they have, the more fun we have. We feed off each other," mentioned Rosen. "We're going to play all the hits and try to hit people calling out requests. We also started as songwriters first and we've written for other people, so there's a little section where we tell the story there as well. It's just a lot of fun."
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It shouldn't take Rosen long to endear himself to the crowd.
He took four years of French classes in high school, and he plans on honing his language skills between now and show day.
"It's been a long time, but I try as hard as I can to brush up on it. Sometimes I'll download a French movie and see if I can figure out what they're saying," explained Rosen. "I always dream of doing a little immersion, going somewhere in Quebec or France to see if I can really lock it down. I should translate a whole song… I'm going to come in with a Canadiens T-shirt and lock down some lyrics in French."
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