Season 2 "X Factor" winner Tate Stevens looks like a guy more comfortable at a Waffle House than a fancy restaurant, but last week, we ended up at Empire State South, Hugh Acheson's popular Midtown eatery.

But he knows he has a job to do: promote himself and try to be the first breakthrough artist from "The X Factor." (He even has beat season one winner Melanie Amaro to the punch in terms of releasing an album.)

Stevens has been spending the past few weeks promoting his eponymous new album, which came out yesterday. The single "Power of a Love Song," which was delivered to radio last month, isn't gaining much traction outside his home base of Kansas City. He did an acoustic set at 94.9/The Bull earlier that day but that station has yet to add his song.

"It's a challenge," he said. "Luke Bryan drops a single. He gets all the adds that week. Us bottom feeders, we pick up what we can."

Surrounded by flashier pop and R&B artists, Stevens on "The X Factor" connected with his down-home regular guy persona and emotive country vocal style.

All the promotion though is wearying. He had trouble remembering which cities he's been to. When he mentioned he does a medley of country music classics in concert, he struggled to remember what songs he plays.

His name, by the way, is a concoction of an A&R guy from Warner Brothers back in the 1990s, when he had his first shot at the big time as part of the Dixie Cadillacs. Real name: Stephen Eatinger.  But his nickname has been Tater.  "All my friends call me Tater," he said.

So what happened in the mid-1990s? "It just wasn't the right time," he said. He felt they had a great single but it didn't stick. "For whatever reason, it didn't work."

Not that this didn't disappoint him at the time. "Like any other artist, you dream of doing this. It sucked." But he had a song and later, a daughter. He came off the road in 1999 and spent years at home in Missouri repairing roads and raising his kids.lights

By 2005, he decided to get back into playing gigs on weekends while holding onto his full-time job. "It was a hobby," he said. He'd play festivals and clubs around Kansas City.

"X Factor" was not something the 38 year old dad would have done but his wife Ashlie and kids signed him up without him even knowing. "I didn't want to stand in line with all those crazy people," he said. "I just never saw myself doing a reality TV show." His wife accompanied him. He did a Randy Houser song and was on his way.

He credits his unassuming ways to drawing votes. "Country fans are awesome," he said. "They're the best. They're the reason I won. They get behind the music and the artist. That's why I'm here."

And amazingly, he shined working with a mentor L.A. Reid, who readily admitted he knew zip about country.  "But he knows great music so each week, we picked the best songs we could," he said. "He's a great great dude. I can call him a friend. He doesn't B.S."

Reid made sure the production on any song by Stevens wasn't packed with back-up dancers. "Just give him great lights and make it real. So that's what they did."

Was it bizarre to be judged by.. Britney Spears? "It was weird but she's awesome. Really really nice -- and hotter than doughnut grease!"

He loves playing classics, including songs by George Jones, Merle Haggard and Ronnie Milsap. One of his favorite 1990s artists? Joe Diffie.

This Friday, he opens for another idol of his, Alan Jackson, at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. In the past, he has opened for Diffie, Brooks & Dunn and Jason Aldean, to name a few.

The show you'll see will include a fiddler, a keyboardist, guitarist, bassist and a drummer. "It's going to be fun and high energy," he said.

His album, he said, "stays true to me. I'm goofy. I love having fun. We have goofy tunes like 'El Camino.' "

He is looking forward to touring the next few months. "I've done some really great things. I've been to Canada and Germany. And I'm really excited about tomorrow. What do I have to be to be the best me I could be tomorrow." At age 38, "I think now I'm ready."

His single, he said, "is real. It's true. It's not made up. It's simple. It talks about the power of the love song. How it makes you laugh or makes you cry."

In concert

Alan Jackson, with Tate Stevens opening

7:30 p.m. Friday, April 26.

$52.50-$94.40

Chastain Park Amphitheatre 

Buy tickets here