Country Jam 2009

COUNTRY

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LINE UP .................................................................. 6 SHOW US YOUR COUNTRY ..................................... 7 BUCKY COVINGTON................................................ 8 JASON ALDEAN ................................................... 10 RANDY OWEN ..................................................... 11 BLAKE SHELTON.................................................. 12

22

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ALEXIE CATALANO

CLAY WALKER ............................................... 20

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HEIDI NEWFIELD ................................................. 22 SAWYER BROWN ................................................ 24 CROSS CANADIAN RAGWEED .............................. 26 LOCASH COWBOYS .............................................. 27

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6 COUNTRY JAM OFFICIAL PREVIEW PROGRAM

6:30-7:30PM BLAKE SHELTON 8:30-10:00PM MONTGOMERY GENTRY

SHOW US YOUR COUNTRY

SHOW US YOUR

s

o w h a t ’s t h e cow pokes at the Gr a nd Ju nc t ion Free Press up to at the Country Jam Ranch this year? Plenty, pardner! Come see us. We’ll be hangin’ round the Ranch in the Free Press Parlor. Belly-up for a cold glass of water, sit in our air conditioning and shoot the breeze. No bull. Those of us that aren’t sitting in the parlor will be out roving around in our cowboy carts, snappin’ shots of all the happy folks that are willing to “Show Us Your Country” at Country Jam.

COUNTRY Some of those pictures might just end up on the big-old Jumbotron. “Show Us You Country” at Country Jam and your photo might not only end up on the big screen but you might fi nd your rascally old mug in print in the Free Press Extra brought to you by Western Slope Auto! The fi rst edition

comes out on Saturday and we’ll distribute it on the grounds of Country Jam. On Sunday, we’ll take a good look at all the photos we’ve snapped and the one we decide is the best will win two four-day VIP passes to the 2010 Country Jam and the photo will be

shown on the Jumbotron! We’ll also choose some runner ups to win General Admissions Tickets for 2010. Come by and see us at Country Jam. we’ll be sittin’ in the parlor or riding the range. So giddy-up! Show US Your Country!

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BUCKY COVINGTON

PLUCKY BUCKY BRINGS HIS BLONDE LOCKS & SWEET SOUNDS TO MACK

WHO BUCKY COVINGTON

WHEN SAT JUNE 27TH @ 3PM WHERE 2009 GRAND VALLEY

HYUNDAI COUNTRY JAM

b

uck y Covington adds a new t w ist to the notion that winning is everything. The eighthplace finalist on the fifth season of t he h it T V sho w A me r ic a n Id o l , Covington has now parlayed that into a burgeoning country music singing career. And that was exactly wh at he se t out to ac c ompl i sh. “The main reason I wanted to get on the show was to get enough recognition to start a career,” explains the 31-yearold native of Rockingham, N.C. He had sung with local bands for the last decade and wanted to get a Nashville record deal, but he wasn’t quite sure how to actualize his dream. “I kept wondering: how do people do that? It was kind of like saying I wanted to be a fi re truck, almost impossible.” He’s a genuine good ole Southern boy with oodles of down-home charm that grew up in the heart of NASCAR country racing dirt bikes and fourwheelers and loving country music. “Like everyone else, I’ve always sung in the shower and the car,” he says. After he graduated from high school, Covington bought his first guitar and taught himself how to play (he also plays bass and drums). He was inspired to do so after hearing

8 COUNTRY JAM OFFICIAL PREVIEW PROGRAM

an album by the Jeff Healey Band, who he’d seen in the movie “Roadhouse.” “I remember playing that album and picturing myself on stage with a pa ir of sunglasses on, play ing guitar and singing, and thinking, that would be cool,” Covington says. Soon he was singing country and Souther n roc k ever y weekend throughout the Carolinas. By day, he worked in the family auto body shop. “A l l I f i g u r e d w a s : m y d a d ow ns a body shop a nd t hat was where I was going to work, a nd t he n I’d o w n it ,” he e x p l a i n s. But Covington wanted something more. “I was watching TV one night a nd saw t h is A r my c om merc ia l that said, ‘If someone were to write a book on your life, would anyone

can’t wake up when I’m 40-some years old wondering “what if?” You’ve heard me. What do you think my shot is?’ He said, ‘well, you’ve got as good a shot as anyone.’ Okay, then I gotta go.” Just the trip to the West Coast was like watching his dreams begin to unfold. “It was my first time on a commercial airliner,” recalls Covington. “I had always wanted to get out and see the world, and Los Angeles was one of the places I wanted to go. But I didn’t want to go as a body shop mechanic; I wanted to go as a singer. And who would have thought that my first time going, that I would go as a singer.” Competing on the show in front o f m i l l i o n s o f v i e w e r s w a s “a rea l ly big lea r n i ng ex per ience,” Cov i ng ton ex pla i ns. “A nd I was

“ ” I kept wondering: how do people do that? It was kind of like saying I wanted to be a fire truck, almost impossible.

want to read it?’ That made a lot of sense and really inspired me.” He wa s t h i n k i ng of mov i ng to Nashville to make his bid to get heard by the music business when the wife of his identical twin brother Rocky, who is also a musician, suggested that they both try out for American Idol. At the show’s auditions in nearby Greensboro, Bucky made it through the initial three rounds and was chosen to go on to Los Angeles and compete further for a slot on the show. “There’s a thin line between confidence a nd coc k i ness,” says Cov i ng ton, “but I really had a feeling that I would make the show. Not win the show, but make the show the top 24. “I had a talk with my dad when I went to try out for American Idol. I wanted to take some time off from work and we’re not big on that. So I told him: ‘I

thrilled to reach number eight. I thought that it was one of the best moves t hat I cou ld have made.” The very next day, calls from people in the music business started pouring in. But it was the first call that he received from Ron Harris, of O-Seven Artist Management who manage Sawyer Brown, that really made things click for Covington. Ron put Bucky in touch with Mark Miller, who ended up producing his self-titled debut album which was released April 2007. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, and produced three hit singles on the Hot Country Songs charts: “A Different World” at #6, “It’s Good to Be Us” at #11, and “I’ll Walk” at #10, according to Wikipedia. A new album is in the works with a tentative release date of September 2009.

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JASON ALDEAN

GET READYfor some

AGGRESSIVE

‘COUNTRY’ that show on things turned a corner. You get that kind of feedback and it hits you that you may end up having a career.” A year after that show, the whole career thing looked better than ever. At a time when new artists in country have struggled to be heard, Aldean broke through a crowded field, capturing the Academy of Country Music Award for Top New Male Vocalist and earning a gold album just 12 weeks after his debut’s release. Aldean followed up “Hicktown” with “Why,” a fist-to-theheart ballad that rang the bell at No. 1 on radio and CMT. Why has Aldean been able to connect

WHO JASON ALDEAN WHEN FRI JUNE 26TH @ 7:15PM WHERE 2009 GRAND VALLEY ives and careers have tipping points, days when investments pay off and when a bunch of scattered puzzle pieces suddenly fit together. Jason Aldean doesn’t have to t h i n k long when asked to call up his top game changing moment of 2006. “We were playing a show in Portland, Ore. It was a little club, just an acoustic show,” says the Macon, Georgia native. “Hicktown’ (Aldean’s first single) had been doing OK. It was probably 25 on

l

HYUNDAI COUNTRY JAM

the chart or something. The club was basically sold out. And we went into “Hicktown,’ and the place just went crazy.” “Hicktown,” propelled by a spanking beat and a girls-gone-hillbilly-wild video, would go Top 10 before long, but that’s the night it found its place in the full-roar, sing-along party that is Jason Aldean’s groove. “We couldn’t even hear ourselves for people singing to us,” he recalls. “And that was the first time when I got the feeling that we had a hit. We had had pretty decent crowds at our shows, but it seems like from

10 COUNTRY JAM OFFICIAL PREVIEW PROGRAM

with so many people so fast? His fans would probably say relatable songs, a powerful, dynamic voice, and total dedication to giving himself up for an audience. He’s done it for years at a stretch across the Southeast, in bars and taverns and some places you’d best not even go. He’s thrown down for 15 people in halls that could have held hundreds. And he’s spent the last year proving he can connect from the biggest stages, the ones that they haul around in multiple semi-trailers. “I was playing clubs when I was in high school,” says Aldean. “But it was one of those things where I don’t know if people knew how serious I was. I don’t even know if I knew how serious I was about it at the time.” After high school, he put a band together and went out on the road. “I actually had a chance to go to college and play baseball or go after a music career,” he says. “But I was in bars every night, having fun, playing music. At that point I threw everything I had into it.”

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h e for m er si nger of A s f ront ma n of A l aba ma , h i s the country music super career was indeed amazing: 21 gold, group Alabama, Randy platinum, and multi-platinum albums; Owen, will be reprising 42 number one singles; 8 country oldies, and playing some music Entertainer of the Year honors; newbies, Saturday night 2 Grammys; 2 People’s Choice Awards; of Country Jam. and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Owen started touring Fame before their break up in 2003. solo in 2008. He released This year marks Owen’s first solo “One On One,” produced by John performance at Country Jam USA. Rich of Big & Rich fame. Singles from his 2008 solo WHO release include “Braid My Hair,” “Like I Never Broke Her Heart,” and “Holding WHEN Everything.”

RANDY OWEN

SAT JUNE 27TH @ 9:30PM

WHERE 2009 GRAND VALLEY

HYUNDAI COUNTRY JAM

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BLAKE SHELTON

BLAKE SHELTON IS

‘ w

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STARTIN’ FIRES WITH LATEST RELEASE

ith the success of his 2008 chart-topper “Home,” Blake Shelton took a long career step forward. With the release of “Startin’ Fires,” he leaps to a whole new level. “Home” took Shelton into new musical territory, stretching him vocally and stylistically, helping him expand his audience to include those who might have missed the more traditional approach he’d taken to that point. “Startin’ Fires,” his fifth album, completes that journey, establishing him in the process as one of country music’s most talented and versatile song stylists. “This is something I’ve been wanting to do,” he says, “exploring richer melodies and challenging myself as a singer.” Long-time fans will find that Shelton honors his roots. Long known for the way he wraps his rich baritone around both emotion-laden ballads like “Austin” and “The Baby” and lighthearted party anthems like “Some Beach” and “The More I Drink,” he tackles songs about country life and attitudes with more joyful assurance than ever, bringing his personality to bear on the record as never before. “I think this album is probably more autobiographical than anything I’ve ever done,” he says. That autobiographical tone kicks off the album in the rollicking Craig Wiseman/George Teren barnburner “Green.” “That’s what I do,” he says of the song’s rural images. “I sit with my

guitar, plant corn and watch the deer and hawks. When I left the house this morning, there was camouflage hanging on the clothesline--as redneck as it gets. And it’s funny, the lifestyle I’ve lived for years and years has become the new green movement. It’s my favorite song on the album because I can sing that with a big smile on my face, confident that people are getting a hundred percent who I am as a person.” The album has plenty of all the elements t hat ma ke Shelton t he multidimensional artist he is today-soaring melodies, passionate lyrics, a bit of romance, and songs that celebrate the country life. “I think this album takes things a step above where they have been,” he says. “It shows me as the artist I’ve always wanted to be, which is somebody with a fresh sound that when you hear it, you think, ‘That’s got Blake Shelton’s stamp on it.’” Taken as a whole, “Startin’ Fires” is a richly nuanced look at one of this generation’s most engaging singers and certainly one of its most interesting characters. Last year’s star turn on the NBC miniseries “Clash of the Choirs” and Blake’s appearance as a judge on Nashville Star have helped raise his profile across the board, introducing his irreverently skewed personality to millions of new fans.

It’s a long way from Ada, Oklahoma, where he dreamed early on of a career in music. Blake cut his teeth on the Oklahoma City club circuit while still in high school. He was part of the entertainment for an event in Ada honoring Mae Axton, writer of the Elvis classic “Heartbreak Hotel.” She saw him perform and told Blake she thought he could get a record deal if he

WHO BLAKE SHELTON WHEN SUN JUNE 28TH @ 6:30PM WHERE 2009 GRAND VALLEY

HYUNDAI COUNTRY JAM

12 COUNTRY JAM OFFICIAL PREVIEW PROGRAM

moved to Nashville and that she was willing to help. That convinced him to move just two weeks after graduation. He worked with Hoyt Axton, Bobby Braddock and Earl Thomas Conley, among others, en route to his record deal, and his debut single, “Austin,” shot him straight to the top of the charts.

THE LOST TRAILERS

THE LOST TRAILERS

r

TRANSFER LESSONS FROM ROAD TO ALBUM

yder lee and stokes Nielson met in a church band as teenagers, and they’ve been making records together ever since. Their high school friendship begat a country band of five called The Lost Trailers, who have blazed their way through hundreds of honkytonks, joints, roadhouses and

concert halls building a fiercely loyal high school, where they convinced fan base. another student, drummer Jeff Potter, “Anyone who has ever seen us live to join them in a band named Ryder is going to hear the first seconds of Stokes. Soon, Stokes’ younger brother ‘Holler Back’ and ‘There’s the Lost Andrew came on as their bassist, a Trailers. Those are the guys I saw open for Chesney or open WHO for Sugarland,’” said Stokes. Ryder a nd Stokes both WHEN gravitated towards music in

THE LOST TRAILERS

THUR JUNE 25TH @ 5PM

WHERE 2009 GRAND VALLEY

HYUNDAI COUNTRY JAM

position now held by the fifth and last member to join the band, Manny Med i na (A nd rew moved over to keyboards). The new band caught a break early when one of their demos found its way to Willie Nelson, who invited them to perform at a Fourth of July picnic. They were a hit, Willie was impressed and he invited the band, by then called The Lost Trailers, on tour with him. “ W h at w e le a r ne d f r o m t h at experience was that putting on a great show will build a fan base,” Stokes said. “If you do it night after night, your fan base will grow. If you earn fans early on, they’ll stay fans for life.”

For five years, the band toured hard. “We were basically living in America,” Ryder said. Eventually they started opening for acts like Sugarland, Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley and Kenny Chesney. “What we learned from Kenny was put out great songs, put out songs you believe in, and that your fans believe in,” Stokes said. It was time to put it on a record. The band found Brett Beavers, who came into the picture with the same goal: capture the energy and excitement of The Lost Trailers’ live show and put it on a record. He produced several tracks including “Holler Back” and “How ‘Bout You Don’t.” Ryder and Stokes not only share songwriting credits on several tunes, but also took the production reins in the studio on a couple of cuts. “We took six months off to make this record,” Ryder said. “We haven’t taken that much time off the road in six years. We poured all of that energy that would have gone into performing live, and put it on this record. Everything we have done for the last seven years has led to this record.”

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PAT GREEN

up TAKE IT GREEN READY TO

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ANOTHER LEVEL

at green comm a nds a position in the music world uniquely his own. He sells out stadiums like the Houston Astrodome and Dallas’ Smirnoff Center as a headliner, yet he also gets the opportunity to tour with major artists like Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban and the Dave Matthews Band. That dichotomy underscores one point: As hugely popular as Pat Green is, as rabid as his loyal fan base is, there’s still an enormous audience getting their first exposure to his oneof-a-kind music and performances. With his first album since signing with BNA Records, the three-time Grammy nominee looks to take his music to the masses. Cannonball, his explosive new album, captures Green’s joyous, provocative songwriting style with new sharpness and swagger. Working for the first time with a powerhouse Nashville label, Green and his supporters expect Cannonball to transform him from massive cult star to emerging country superstar. “I feel like this album is a home run,” Green says with characteristic awshucks honesty. “I wanted to take our brand of independent music and give it a fresh shot at making a bigger impact. That’s exactly what I think we’ve accomplished when I hear these songs.” Indeed, Green has always lived on the border of both worlds. His unique lyrics present a distinct vision of the world that reaches outsiders and fans of

off-the-beaten-path music. At the same time, the carefree, slice-of-the-goodlife, sing-along-with-me nature of his work has built-in mass appeal. He’s already proven he can build an enthusiastic, youthful following through the time-tested virtues of hard work, live performance and word-ofmouth buzz. Now it’s time to add fuel to the fire with the kind of exposure radio and a committed, well-oiled record label can provide. “It’s really the core market of music fans that I still need to tap into,” Green surmises. “I’ve always figured it was just a matter of timing, and now I think our timing is perfect. I think this is the best album I could make, and I think I have the best team behind me.” As his attitude and words prove, Green has no problem believing that Cannonball is a career album for him. “I have to believe in what I’m doing— that’s what has gotten me over every hill,” he says. “I’ve got a big heart, and I’ve got a strong desire to climb to the top cliff and jump off. If you’re going to do that, you have to think you deserve it. We’ve been doing this a while now, and it just keeps getting better. I’m as ready as I can be for what comes next.”

SHOW US YOUR COUNTRY PHOTO CONTEST

WHO PAT GREEN WHEN THUR JUNE 25TH @7:15PM WHERE 2009 GRAND VALLEY

HYUNDAI COUNTRY JAM

14 COUNTRY JAM OFFICIAL PREVIEW PROGRAM

HONORABLE MENTION

COLTON’S TRACTOR

BY JESSICA AHLBERG

FEATURING: < Jamie O’Neal (Saturday Concert) ~ Jamie’s lifelong zest for performing, her love of country music and her “Ferrari of a voice,” as one critic called it, have since made her one of the genre’s most respected artists. Airnastics (Every Day) ~ A fair just isn’t a fair without amusement rides! This year we are thrilled to offer great fun for all ages. < Joey & Rory (Saturday Concert) ~ This husband and wife duo will bring beautiful harmonies and top-notch song writing - plus their natural joyfulness, authenticity, and romance - to a traditional country music performance. Comedy Hypnosis Show (Saturday) ~ You’ll be rocking with laughter as Aaron Black puts volunteers from the audience into a light hypnotic trance where they respond to comical suggestions. < Amy Scruggs (Thursday-Saturday in the Beer Garden) ~ Amy is back, resuming the career a medical issue nearly stole away, and taking her place again as one of the genre’s most promising singers. Car Show (Saturday) ~ This 2nd annual event features three classes: car, truck and motorcycle. To enter contact Levy Burris at [email protected] or by phone at 970-876-0653; application available online at www.garfieldcountyfair.com. Don’t miss it! < Kid Fiddlers (Before the Rodeo) ~ Since 2001, The Kid Fiddlers have been combining mastery of over a Dozen Instruments, Impeccable Vocal Harmonies, Fantastic Clogging and Charming Humor in a family friendly show. Demolition Derby (Friday Night) ~ Bring your car and participate! For more information contact Roger at 970-379-4460; application and rules available on the fair web site. No car? Just come and hear the thunder of the engines, and the smashing of metal.

D

GARFIEL

This year, the Garfield County Fair will be the best ever. Yes! All your old favorites are back. And all of your new favorites from last year. But hold on to your hat, because what’s new at the 2009 fair will blow it away!

N TY U CO

2009

Where town and country meet. Wednesday, August 5th 4-H/FFA Junior Livestock Show ~ Open Class Events ~ Kids Corral ~ Amusement Rides by Airnastics ~ Kid Fiddlers ~ Children’s Rodeo/Mutton Busting ~ Community Movie Night in the Grandstand at dusk (free) Thursday, August 6th 4-H/FFA Junior Livestock Show ~ Open Class Events ~ Kids Corral ~ Amusement Rides by Airnastics ~ Wine Tasting from 6:00-8:00pm in the South Hall ~ Colorado Animal Adoption program from 3:30-6:30pm ~ Kid Fiddlers~ CPRA Rodeo ~ Beer Garden with Live Entertainment by Amy Scruggs Friday, August 7th 4-H/FFA Junior Livestock Show ~ Kids Corral ~ Senior/Pee Wee Classic ~ Amusement Rides by Airnastics ~ Beer Garden with Live Entertainment by Amy Scruggs ~ Demolition Derby Saturday, August 8th Re-2 School Supply Drive Day ~ 4-H/FFA Round Robin ~ Silent Auction ~ Parade ~ 4-H/FFA Junior Livestock Sale ~ Car Show ~ Strolling Magician ~ Kids Corral ~ Amusement Rides by Airnastics ~ Beer Garden with Live Entertainment by Amy Scruggs ~ Comedy Hypnosis Shows ~ Concert with Jamie O'Neal and Joey & Rory

AUGUST 5-8, 2009 Garfield County Fairgrounds, Rifle, CO (970) 625-5922 ~ www.garfieldcountyfair.com BUY CONCERT TICKETS ONLINE ON THE FAIR WEBSITE AFTER JULY 6th THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS (see a complete sponsor list on our web site): Bighorn Toyota, Glenwood Springs, CO; EnCana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc., Denver, CO; Silt, Sand & Gravel LLC & Western Slope Aggregate Silt & Carbondale, CO; Casey Concrete, Rifle, CO; Aspen Valley Land Trust, Carbondale, CO; US Bank, Glenwood Springs, CO; Redi Services, Meeker, CO; Swallow Oil, Eagle/Rifle/Parachute, CO

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15

BIG & RICH

&

BY BEN FONG-TORRES

Big Rich

w

hen it comes to Big & Rich, there’s no need for a t y pic a l bio. You can get a telling of their early career — separate and together — from the folks at Warner Bros. Nashville, or by Googling the dynamic duo. Their back story hasn’t changed, so why retell it? I’m more interested in the biography of the choices they’ve made as Big & Rich. In their mixing of traditional country sounds with hip-hop, rock, and the occasional Native American yell. Their employment, in their Muzik Mafia troupe, of a painter who works on a canvas during B&R shows, and of a former Foot Locker salesman, called Cowboy Troy, who’s become the most prominent black country performer since Charley Pride—with one major difference. Troy raps. In Spanish, sometimes. As does Big Kenny, doing a little “hick-hop.” And then there’re their social messages, including “Love Everybody,” flashing on big screens behind them, and emblazoned on the back of Big Kenny’s guitar. I’m curious, too, about the whole Muzik Mafia thing. That was the informal jam session they set up in Nashville, a town notoriously not interested in looseness — at least not when it comes to the music industry. Kenny Alphin and John Rich grew it into a scene and, ultimately, into a stable of talent, with several of the participants joining them in the leap onto the radio, the charts, and concert stages. Gretchen Wilson, anybody? And so, one recent morning in Beverly Hills, in a hotel suite that could only be described as big and rich,

BETWEEN RAISING HELL AND AMAZING GRACE

and with two video cameras rolling, I asked the guys about their place in life and music. That place just happens to be the title of their third CD: Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace. John looked natty in black and blue— black hat and sport jacket; blue shirt and jeans. Kenny was all over the place, with patchy, fashionably tattered jacket and pants, along with his trademark top hat. This one was smaller than the usual, however. “It’s medium,” he said, “but it should be extra large, because my cranium is constantly pulsing with imagination and creativity welling up in it. It’s about to explode.”

came from a conversation he had with a friend, “and the realization that between raising hell and ‘Amazing Grace’ is that fine line that we’re walking on all the time, trying to live life to its fullest and at the same time knowing that every day of our lives is a blessing. And I feel like, to those given much, much is expected. We’ve gotta reach out there and help those that need our help right now.” Spoken like the son of a preacher man. Well, actually, it was John, who comes out of Texas and Tennessee, whose father was a preacher — a guitar-playing preacher, at that. But

“ ” I feel like, to those given much, much is expected. We’ve gotta reach out there and help those that need our help right now.

As John moved, ever so slightly, away from Kenny, I asked why the call sheet for the session requested: “Please Not Sloppy.” Rich cast an eye at the publicist from Warner Bros. Nashville. “She might’ve meant ‘sloppy drunk,’” he said. “I think the beauty of the real us shines through,” said Kenny, “no matter what our bodies are clothed in.” Lest you think that Big & Rich live only to jest, the new album will set you straight. Sure, there’s some of the “I throw Benjis out the window all day” bravado of their first two disks, but there’s far more grace — in words and music — than hell-raising. The album’s theme, Kenny said,

16 COUNTRY JAM OFFICIAL PREVIEW PROGRAM

Kenny’s mother was the pianist at their church in Virginia. Both Big & Rich had spiritual grounding; both did a lot of Sunday singing. And both credit their fathers for their love-everybody, help-thy-fellowartist values. “Everything that’s happened in my life has guided me to be the person I try to be now,” says Kenny. “My father’s one of the most incredible people I’ve ever met. He’s a saint by all means, always trying to help his neighbor, anybody that he could.” Flash back to Nashville, circa 1998. Suffice to say, both John and Kenny are struggling. Join the club. John’s

been fired from the soft-country band, Lonestar, and is pitching songs left and right. Kenny, who’s anything but soft, is playing clubs all over town, drawing female admirers. One of them was dating John Rich. “She wanted to go see him; her girlfriends were all going to see him, they were all in love with this guy Big Kenny, and I went OK, I’ll go check him out. He’s up there in all his bigness, doing country, rock and roll, and…Queen. It was very odd music, but it was good stuff.” After the show, a mutual friend introduced them. “She said the two of you should get together and write a song. There’s no telling what you all will end up writin’ because you’re so different.” Rich agreed to give it a shot. “It might be a complete fiasco,” he thought, “but I hadn’t seen anybody else do the kind of music he was doing; it interested me enough on a writing level to go, ‘OK, let’s see.’” R ic h d id n’t k now it t hen, but His Bigness was relatively new to professional music. He was building homes in Virginia when, one beersoaked night, he agreed to go on stage at a pub and sing a song — the only song whose lyrics he knew: “Peaceful Easy Feeling” by the Eagles. Soon after, he bought a guitar, taught himself to play, and moved to Nashv ille. “I was listening to a lot of country music; it was the dominant music on construction sites and in farm shops. But a lot of those same people love rock and roll. I grew up as a real appreciator of all shapes and forms.” So there you go. Kenny’s “bigness” referred to his range of musica l interests. John Rich appreciated that range, and, after they began writing, and in 2001, while they were going

nowhere slow with their respective careers, hit on the idea of an informal jam session on Tuesday nights, dubbed, for no good reason, “Muzik Mafia.” “We realized that there was this whole bunch of us that were making all different kinds of music in different joints in town,” said Kenny. “We were all writing songs together, no matter what kind of music we were predominantly making, and we wanted to play them more often. So we decided, why don’t we get together one night a week and find us some little place where we can make music and not have to clean up afterwards?” They got a club — The Pub o’ Love, capacity maybe 75 — and never promoted the jams to the general public. But they caught on quick. “Within a few months they had to bust out the back wall. Other artists would show up. It was acoustic driven; we’d have percussionists come and play boxes or shakers. It was like sitting in a living room, learning from each other.” Among the students was a bartender, Gretchen Wilson, who’d take a night off to be there for the party, and “Cowboy Troy,” who’d drive down as often as he could from his shoe sales job in Dallas. The Muzik Mafia has grown into a mini-empire. “The thing is, we still do Mafia jams in Nashville on Tuesday nights when we’re there,” said Rich. “There’s still no cover; we still don’t advertise it, but we’ll pull the tour bus out in front. It gets a little wilder. We’ve had everyone from Bon Jovi, Jewel, and Stone Temple Pilots, to hardcore country acts drop by. We’re still together. When you’re selling millions of records, when you’ve got a Tuesday night off, why aren’t you home? We still like to jam.”

WHO BIG & RICH WHEN FRI JUNE 26TH @ 9:30PM WHERE 2009 GRAND VALLEY

HYUNDAI COUNTRY JAM

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17

LUKE BRYAN

SON OF A PEANUT FARMER, LUKE BRYAN BRINGS HIS

‘CHARM’ down-home

to the Jam

f

ans dr awn in by luke Br yan’s boy ish, dow nhome charm soon discover w h a t ’s b e h i n d i t : a n intelligent wit, an offthe-wall sense of humor and a unique take on life shaped by experiences both joyful and tragic. They also soon discern that this boy next door is a talented triple threat vocalist, songwriter and musician. Even before his first Capitol Records Nashville single, “All My Friends Say,” had been sent to country radio, Bryan, 32, was already earning significant med ia attention, includ ing being named one of Billboard magazine’s new faces to watch in 2007. He was the only country music performer selected for the honor. Bryan was also included in Country Weekly’s “Who’s Hot in 2007” feature and the single was chosen as an iTunes “Discovery Download” of the week. At the same time, Bryan’s second major cut as a song writer—Billy Currington’s “Good Directions”—was quickly climbing the country airplay charts and eventually hit the top spot on the country singles charts in May 2007 giving the Georgia native his first #1 song (three straight weeks) … as a songwriter. Bryan’s first major cut was the title track to Travis Tritt’s “Honky Tonk History.” Countrified is something that comes naturally to Bryan. He grew up helping his farmer father harvest peanuts, corn

and cotton in Leesburg, Ga., a tiny town that just got its first traffic light two years ago. But Bryan seemed destined for a different career. Even as a small child he recalls being drawn to music. “I had one of those little suitcase record players that I called my ‘rec-rec’ and I would listen to Ronnie Milsap and Alabama on it all day, and I mean ALL DAY,” he remembers. Bryan had his first guitar by age 14, and was playing in a local bar at 15. By age WHO 16, he was regularly writing songs and leading his own WHEN band. It was during this time he also got involved WHERE in playing with his church youth group. “It’s kind of funny,” he recalls. “Wednesday nights I’d be through. It’s the most life-altering playing for church groups and then event.” But at the same time, such a Friday and Saturday I’d be playing Alan harrowing occurrence brings with it Jackson, George Strait and Clint Black “a whole new appreciation for life. You at some little old dives in Georgia.” take each day as a special day. I don’t H is i ntent ion was to move to take anything for granted anymore.” Nashville and pursue a music career A f ter the acc ident, Br yan soon after his high school graduation, immediately scrapped his career plans, a goal his family enthusiastically choosing instead to stay with his supported. Sadly, fate had other plans. family during their painful ordeal. Bryan had lined up a Nashville He continued to write and play music, apartment and a roommate, but on the and eventually enrolled at Georgia very day he was scheduled to move, his Southern University, not far from older brother and biggest supporter, home. It was there that Bryan’s talents Chris, was killed in what Bryan calls a really blossomed as he performed with “freak car accident.” his band nearly every weekend. The experience, Bryan says, is “the Even a f ter col lege g raduat ion, worst thing anybody could ever go Bryan refused to reconsider moving

18 COUNTRY JAM OFFICIAL PREVIEW PROGRAM

LUKE BRYAN

SUN JUNE 28TH @ 4:30PM

2009 GRAND VALLEY HYUNDAI COUNTRY JAM

to Nashville and went to work for his father’s businesses, a peanut mill and fertilizer plant. But he was unhappy and remembers feeling “something wasn’t right.” His father sensed it too, and one day took his son for a drive and told him, “Music is what you were meant to do. You either quit this job and move to Nashville, or I’m going to fire you.” “The day I moved to Nashville and every day since then has been the best day of my life,” Bryan says of fi nally making his long-delayed move in September 2001. “I don’t consider one thing I’ve done since I’ve been in Nashville work. Spreading fertilizer and hauling peanut wagons, that’s work! Doing interviews and playing for fun crowds, I’ll never consider that a job.”

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“BIRTH” DAY BY MARY ANN WALSH 20 COUNTRY JAM OFFICIAL PREVIEW PROGRAM

JAM

CLAY WALKER BACK TO

C

ertain artists just seem to have a n innate sense of what it t a ke s to plea se a n aud ience. Clay Walker is one of those artists. Whether on stage or in the recording studio, Country Jam fans can attest, Walker never gives less than 100 percent, and it’s that kind of dedicated work ethic combined with God-given talent that have made him one of the most successful country acts of the past decade. He first topped the Billboard country

IN MACK

Walker says. “I’ve always been a fan, but for whatever reason just have not had the opportunity to work with him. He’s one of the few producers that really allow the lyric of the song to carry the song more than trying to put huge production around it. He gives the lyric room to breathe in a song and I think that’s real important.” Walker’s project, among them Rivers Rutherford, Doug Johnson, Brett James and Kim Williams. Walker also contributes two cuts himself. “I wrote one in San Diego called ‘I Hate Nights Like This,’” he recalls. “It describes

He gives the lyric room to breathe in a song and I think that’s real important.

“ ” singles chart in 1993 with “What’s It to You” and followed with his second consecutive No. 1 hit, “Live Until I Die.” Since then he’s placed 31 titles on Billboard’s singles chart including such additional chart toppers as “Dreaming with my Eyes Open,” “If I Could Make Living,” “This Woman and This Man,” and “Rumor Has It.” (The latter two songs each spent two weeks at the summit.) He’s scored four platinumselling albums, signifying sales of a million units, and two gold albums, discs that sold over 500,000 units. However, that doesn’t mean Walker has any intention of resting on his laurels. The talented Texan has teamed with acclaimed producer Keith Stegall to record his first album for Curb Records. “He’s a great producer,”

a beautiful starry night by the ocean and it’s really a true story. The lyrics are ‘I hate nights like this, it makes me want to be in love.’ I think it’s really soulful and heartfelt.” Walker also penned a tune titled “She Likes It In The Morning.” “It’s a song that’s playful and at the same time says that a woman needs to know that she’s the most important thing in your life. A woman wants to be treated like a queen. She wants to know that she is absolutely everything to you. That’s what th is song is basically saying. It’s a ballad and it really reminds me of some of the stuff that I grew up listening to and loved-some of the early George Strait stuff and even a touch of some Conway Twitty in there and Earl Thomas

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Conley. It just has that late 80’s feel to it and I love that.” WHEN The album also includes Walker’s first duet, a cover of WHERE the country classic “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” that he recorded with Freddy Fender, the country veteran who had a hard, then maybe I could get my break monster hit with the tune in the 1970s. too.” “I’ve always been a big fan of Freddy’s,” After more than a decade in the says Walker.” nat iona l spot l ig ht, Clay Wa l ker Like Mark Chesnutt and Tracy Byrd, believes the best is yet to come. “I trust Walker made a name for himself on my gut more than ever now,” he says. the competitive Texas honky tonk “I definitely don’t feel like a rookie, but circuit before graduating to success on at the same time, I think the best years a national level. “After I saw Mark and of my recording career are ahead of Tracy do it, that gave me even more me. I believe if the good Lord wants it, desire because I knew both of them,” who’s going to stop it?” Walker recalls. “Watching them do it led me to believe that if I kept trying

SAT JUNE 27TH @ 7:15PM

2009 GRAND VALLEY HYUNDAI COUNTRY JAM

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HEIDI NEWFIELD

WHO HEIDI NEWFIELD WHEN SUN JUNE 28TH @ 2:30PM WHERE 2009 GRAND VALLEY

HYUNDAI COUNTRY JAM

22 COUNTRY JAM OFFICIAL PREVIEW PROGRAM

Former Trick Pony singer Newfield

OWN

STRIKES HER

o “

n the threshold of that open door, Heidi Newfield and Trick Pony bandmates Keith Bu r n s a nd I r a Dean poured out what she calls “My ode to the group” in what would be the threesome’s fi nal songwriting session together. Days before announcing her departure from the platinum-selling band that had earned four top 20 singles, an ACM Best New Artist award, and an army of fans for their rabble-rousing honky-

She alighted—as fate would have it—in the capable hands of famed producer Tony Brown. “He wouldn’t have time for me,” she remembers thinking, “between George Strait and Reba and Brooks & Dunn.” Yet Brown was intrigued by the project, and after giving Heidi three hours of his undivided attention, he was in. “Right away we just clicked. Right away I think he got my song sensibility, and was right on track with it.” Brown and Newfield’s great alliance is never more evident than in the album’s crowing jewel and lead single,

CHORDS

agent husband, whom she married in June 2004. “It takes a special man to watch their spouse get on a bus and go up & down the road,” says Heidi. “This job takes a lot out of you and it is very time consuming, and even when I’m home, I’m not ‘really’ home sometimes. My wheels are always turning, always thinking about a song, what I need to do better, what I should do more. Thankfully, he understands, as he is very passionate about his job too.” Growing up on a horse farm in Healdsburg, Calif., in the heart of Sonoma County wine country, Heidi’s

was blessed not only with enormous vocal talent, but the conviction that she was meant to be a singer. “I never really veered off that path,” she explains. “And my parents, fortunately, were very supportive.” She remembers her f irst tr ip to Nashville at age 13 to record a demo: “We didn’t know what we were doing, and we certainly didn’t have the money to be running me all over back and forth between Nashville, but they did their very best to try to support me.” Between the loss of a parent and her new marriage, Heidi Newfield is in a

From the moment that we started in on it, we all

three just sort of looked at each other and went ‘OK wait a minute— this is really a special song’

tonk brand of country music, Heidi had a lot on her mind. “I love the road— but when I stopped wanting to pack my bag and get on the bus, that was a telltale sign it was time for a change,” she recalls. The diminutive blond who became fa mous for her ex plosive voic e, r a mbu nc t iou s st a ge a nt ic s, a nd trademark unruly curls points out, “That was still me. But I felt that I had been painted into a corner, and I wanted to be able to branch out.” So with a heavy heart, a deep respect for where she came from, and an artist’s hunger to evolve, Heidi Newfield flew the Trick Pony coop.

“Johnny & June.” Written by Newfield, Stephony Smith and Deanna Bryant, the song wasn’t even born until the album, “What Am I Waiting For,” was 60 percent finished. “From the moment that we started in on it, we all three just sort of looked at each other and went ‘OK wait a minute—this is really a special song,’” Heidi recounts. Using country’s legendary First Couple as a muse, “Johnny & June” yearns for a love that is “powerful and big, and crazy and wild. Everybody wants to find that kind of a big love in their life,” Heidi, 38, says with a smile. She’s thinking, obviously, of her NFL

talent was lovingly nurtured by her mother and father. Every trail ride, every horse show and rodeo was set to a soundtrack of Ernest Tubb, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline and all the great traditionalists. Later—to her mother’s dismay— Heidi’s two older sisters turned her on to the great rock bands of the 60s and 70s: The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, and AC\DC. Heidi also fell in love with traditional blues, and began playing the harmonica at an early age, attracted by what she calls “the most lonesome sound on the planet.” From the first time she ever picked up a microphone at the age of 5 or 6, Heidi

”

very different place now than when hard-partying, good-timing Trick Pony hit the scene in 2001, and her new album reflects that. “There are parts of this record that are not just about a man and a woman for me,” she explains. “They’re about my experiences all the way around, like leaving the group, and my feelings about that, the pain and the hurt, or the joy of being independent and standing on my own two feet. Everybody who listens to this record can take these songs, and place them in their lives, and relate to them.”

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23

SAWYER BROWN

‘

If you can’t have fun at a SAWYER BROWN SHOW, you can’t have fun

t

he world of sawyer brown is filled w ith d irt roads, small towns, little thrills, tiny moments and intimate connections... but mostly, it’s about recog n it ion of how major those things really can be: every day people seeing themselves in each other, the five men onstage and their songs. For the Apopka, Fla.-bred band, these are songs of the common man delivered without mercy, only a relentless commitment to the freedom and fun that only a night out among

good friends can allow. “We came out of the notion we were there to entertain people, to make sure everybody had a good time,” concedes creative catalyst Miller, known as much for his hyperkinetic performances as for writing “Some Girls Do,” “The Dirt Road,” “Hard To Say,” “Step That Step,” “This Time,” “The Boys & Me,” “Thank God For You” and “The Walk.” “You’re looking at a bunch of blue collar people here, who were raised to put the work in, to make sure the people are satisfied and

who really love being on that stage and seeing the people letting it all go. Somebody once told me `If you can’t have fun at a Sawyer Brown show, you can’t have fun...’ I don’t know, but it would sure be nice if it was true.” After 23 years, and more than 3,500 shows, gold and platinum albums, a smattering of awards and more long odds than any act you can think of, Sawyer Brown remains a band you can count on. Never ones to get above their

WHO SAWYER BROWN WHEN THUR JUNE 25TH @ 9:30PM WHERE 2009 GRAND VALLEY

HYUNDAI COUNTRY JAM

raising, they have a deep appreciation for the heart of small towns, rural realities, lives lived in common places and truths so basic they go unnoticed. But along the way, while all kinds of acts were racing by and then falling by the by, Mark Miller and company were amassing a string of hits that defined the worldview of regular people living between the coasts. Drummer Joe Smyth describes the energy: “The energy onstage is what keeps the fans coming back — and their energy is part of what keeps us rocking so hard... and we only rock harder as the night goes on. For us, it’s like the more we play, the harder they push us and the better it feels. After an hour and a half, we’re slamming harder than when we hit the stage, and it just feels incredible.” The seeds for this unlikely intensity were sown in some equally unlikely places. Ma rk M i l ler was ra ised Pentecostal, where the music in church threw down every bit as hard

24 COUNTRY JAM OFFICIAL PREVIEW PROGRAM

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as what they do onstage - and that combustive sense of musical eruptions fired an intense immersion in all kinds of music. “You have no idea,” says the softspoken frontman. “People look at me offstage, and think it’s an act. But that’s how me and my brother were raised. Be good, do right, but when you get to church, you let it go. People talk about my dancing...well, where we went to church, that’s what people did when the music was pumping. And lemme tell you: that music got goin’ .” When it got its start more than 20 years ago, Sawyer Brown hit every honky tonk, Holiday Inn, roadhouse and Elks Lodge in the southeast. Five sets a night, 6 nights a week. Turned down by every label in Nashville — the only glimmer was Lyn Shults, working at Capitol, who also spotted Garth Brooks, who advised, “You’re different, but you’ve got something. Different is hard, but when it hits, it sticks.” And so it has. With the longest uninterrupted run as a band currently in country music, Sawyer Brown’s songs a re a n i nteg ra l t hread i n the fabric of radio over the past 20 years. They didn’t do it on pomp and circumstances, flash and sizzle — in spite of what the singer might’ve been wearing — but solid music, strong support and remembering to give their fans their best. “We’ve been through a lot together,” Hubbard admits. “And that really brings you together. In 1986, things were terrible - and to the outside world, it probably looked like it was all gonna fall apart. But we were all so hardheaded in our determination to do what we were here to do, we would NOT be stopped. “I learned a lot about loyalty and what friendship was all about... we all did.”

WE LOVE OUR COUNTRY … Beautiful Mesa County, Colorado

REAL ESTATE AND MORTGAGE PAGE

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920 FRONTAGE ROAD, FRUITA

1125 20 Road • Fruita and new vinyl flooring. It is vinyl sided and has a newer roof. 24x30 garage plus a 20x32 shop/garage. Horse/livestock property with “v” wire fencing. 4 shares of GVIC water. Bring your animals, kids and toys!!

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Mandy Rush Broker Associate 970.260.1310 970.241.3939 www.mandyrush.com

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New Management...New Menu...Timeless Beauty

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o pa r a ph r a se don n y a n d Marie Osmond: “They’re a little bit country, and a little bit rock ‘n’ roll. Call it Country Rock. Call it Alt Cou nt r y or A mer ic a n a . C a l l it whatever you like, but Cross Canadian Ragweed is fast becoming one of the hottest crossover bands in this hard-tolabel genre. On its fourth and most recent studio album for Universal South, “Mission California,” the Oklahoma quartet makes a case that its sound is still alive and well — and that there’s still a place in this country for solid Southern rock. The group has a strong following in western Colorado, where it’s played, on average, one to two shows a year for several years at the Mesa Theater and Club in downtown Grand Junction. When the band plays Grand Junction,

it plays a packed house. And for an under-the-radar Southern rock group, one would be surprised at how most people in that packed house seem to be able to sing along word for word to the group’s music. The b a nd h a s a st r on g , loya l following — to say the least. Cross Canadian Ragweed is part country, but don’t expect to see a banjo or a fiddle. Instead, expect guitar licks that would make Lynyrd Skynyrd proud and a little southern twang in your lyrics. CCR’s mixed influences are displayed by the bands they’ve toured with, including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bob Dylan, ZZ Top, Willie Nelson, Gary Allan and Dierks Bentley. Even though it’s Country Jam, these boys from Oklahoma will rock the afternoon crowd in Mack.

Andy’s Liquor Mart

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922 N. 1st Street • 243-1176 26 COUNTRY JAM OFFICIAL PREVIEW PROGRAM

WHO CROSS CANADIAN RAGWEED WHEN FRI JUNE 26TH @ 3PM WHERE 2009 GRAND VALLEY

HYUNDAI COUNTRY JAM

Shop for a cause ...

LOCASH COWBOYS

LOCASH IS BACK TO ROCK COUNTRY JAM

WHO LOWCASH COWBOYS WHEN SAT JUNE 27TH @ 1:30PM or decades, WHERE musicians have been calling their names individually. a job working with him on stage. Dusty Springfield sang While not in name just yet, the LoCash about the “Son of a Preacher Man” in Cowboys had been born. On stage 1968, and since then many an artist at the Wildhorse, Chris and Preston has crooned about American football shared the spotlight with each other, heroes. It took only a chance meeting and their talents with the audience. For in Nashville to bring the two together. four years, they entertained fans at the The result: LoCash Cowboys. Wildhorse, including corporate outings Chris Lucas, a high school football and private parties. As those early shows luminary from Pasadena, Maryland, went on, the tandem swiftly learned grew up accustomed to center stage, their collective value. Chris & Preston playing in front of the masses each had launched their career. “Looking back we realize that we Friday night. When not quarterbacking his team to victory, he sang and danced thought we were just going to work in his home, or performed at local and rock the house every night,” establishments under the guidance of Preston said. “But we were really building the foundation and designing his aunt. Preston Brust quite literally grew up the blueprints of what would become as the son of a preacher man, his father LoCash Cowboys.” an ordained minister in the Church of The new-found brothers signed with Christ.Belting out Gospel tunes at a Buddy Lee Attractions in July 2002 young age in church, Preston prepared as Chris & Preston and then officially himself for his future in front of the launched as LoCash Cowboys in late Sunday–morning crowd – and perhaps 2004. Since then LoCash Cowboys has a higher audience. Preston arrived in indoctrinated the nation to the concept Nashville in June 2002. Two weeks later, and the attitude that defines LoCash. Chris & Preston, the duo, was spawned. “LoCash is a way of life,” Chris said. But just how did Chris & Preston, the “It doesn’t mean you are poor or have duo, become LoCash Cowboys? no money. It just means some of the The two met in Nashville at the best things in life are free – or LoCash. famous Wildhorse Saloon in July 2002, It’s remembering who you are and where Chris was employed. After a where you came from.” brief encounter, Chris offered Preston

f

2009 GRAND VALLEY HYUNDAI COUNTRY JAM

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MONTGOMERY GENTRY

Montgomery Gentry Headlines

FINAL NIGHT OF COUNTRY JAM

WHO MONTGOMERY GENTRY

WHEN SUN JUNE 28TH @ 8:30PM WHERE 2009 GRAND VALLEY

HYUNDAI COUNTRY JAM

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ince their debut in 1999, eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry have been a cornerstone of the most important movement in country music since the Outlaws. Just as Waylon, Willie and the rest kicked open the genre’s doors in the 1970s, Montgomery Gentry has helped kick-start 21st century country. The elements consist of straightforward lyrics reflecting the realities of modern life, a tour and stage show that are completely inclusive of their audience, and a gritty rock edge that has captured the imaginations of untold millions. Theirs is a world of blue-collar anthems, tales of life, work, love, loss and patriotism balanced by the hardpartying spirit that takes the edge off --”the good, the bad, the ugly, and the party on the weekends,” as Montgomery has long capsulated it. “People recognize the realism in our music,” says Gentry. “We’re not trying to candy coat anything. Who we are is who we are. It’s all about being real, being yourself, and playing real music to the people.” For Montgomery Gentry, the upshot of that connection with their audience-their “friends,” as Montgomer y i nva r iably c a l ls t hem--has been m i lestone a f ter m i lestone i n a n enviable career trajectory.”Some People Change,” the leadoff single & title track from their stellar new collection,

28 COUNTRY JAM OFFICIAL PREVIEW PROGRAM

became the fastest-rising in their already impressive catalog. It followed “She Don’t Tell Me To,” the single from 2005’s greatest hits collection, Something To Be Proud Of: The Best of 1999-2005, a song that hit the Top 5 on the country charts, while the albums’ title track reached #1 on both the Billboard and R&R singles charts. In addition, the pair was CMT’s Most Played Duo of 2005. They have performed for well over a million fans & prior to headlining tours, they were on Kenny Chesney’s “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems” tours in 2002 and 2003, and the Brooks & Dunn Neon Circus & Wild West Show in 2001. They were named the CMA’s Duo of the Year in 2000, and received that year’s American Music Award for Favorite New Artist-Country, the Academy of Country

a nd ac t ive dut y p er s on nel. For Montgomery Gentry, that is something that dates back to the release of their first record. They have done many shows for military personnel through the years, but in 2006 for the first time they were able to travel to visit troops in Kuwait, Iraq and Germany as part of a USO tour. It was a journey that affected both deeply. “It was an eye-opening experience for me,” says Gentry, “seeing what our soldiers are doing to battle terrorism and help the Iraqis and Afghanis gain a better way of life.” “I don’t ever want to hear anybody say, ‘I don’t know if this generation has got what it takes,’” says Eddie. “We’ve got the baddest men and women in the world & knowing that they’ve got our backs reminds me every day why America is the greatest country in the

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Music Award for Top New Vocal Group or Duo,” and the 2000 and 2001 Radio & Records Readers’ Poll award for Top Country Duo. As impressive as their past has been, their future looks even brighter. “It’s just amazing how the crowds keep getting bigger,” says Gentry. “They know all the hits. They’re si ng i ng a long w it h us. It’s just incredible. “There’s no r ush l i ke it,” adds Montgomery, “no drug, no alcohol, that can give you that kind of rush when you see 65,000 people just screaming back a song at you. It’s like, ‘Is this real? If I’m dreaming, don’t wake me up’.” If they share with their audience a love of good music, they also share an appreciation for the nation’s veterans

world and will always be the greatest.” Back on U.S. soil, they continue to take their music and their appreciation for American life to fans in city after city, where differences blur in the face of overwhelming similarities. “It doesn’t matter what kind of accent they’ve got,” says Montgomery, “when the music hits and the lights come on, they’re all the same--rednecking and ready to have a good time.” If there is a secret to it all, it is an open one. These are two men living by the creeds that infuse their music. “Stay true to yourself and hold your ground,” Gentry says simply. “And dare to be different. Through it all, if you can lay your head on your pillow at night and be comfortable with what you’re doing, you’re doing alright.”

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PHIL VASSAR

PRAYER OF A COMMON MAN

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hose who best understand Phil Vassar – good-time, whirling-der v ish-on-thepiano, hardest-working-manin-country-music Phil Vassar – also understand the ongoing evolution of his mostly self-penned music. And “Prayer Of A Common Man,” his fourth studio album and first for Universal Records South, adds several more layers of artistic expression to his deepening repertoire. The Virginia-born singer, songwriter and musician took his seat as country’s leading piano man with the success of songs like “Just Another Day In Paradise” and “Six-Pack Summer,” and his penchant for pure musical escapism continues. Vassar’s heart-swelling embrace of life’s richest blessings is also apparent, especially on lead single “Love Is A Beautiful Thing.” At the same time, his writing has grown more introspective and personal, as “This Is My Life” and the title track can attest Like light through a prism, the hues of Vassar’s muse are both seamless and distinct. And those shades are a direct reflection of the many forces at work in the life of a maturing recording artist. “I can look back on songs I’ve written, kind of smile and remember what I was going through at the time,” Vassar says. “But it’s a different life for me now. Experience changes you and affects what comes out in your writing.” As the cares of the world work on him, Vassar fi nds the pull of home growing stronger, which gave weight to the choice of “Love Is A Beautiful Thing” as his album’s first single. “It reminds me of growing up back home in Virginia,” he says. “It really paints a portrait of Americana. Every time I hear that second verse about giving away your daughter at her wedding it makes me tear up. In a way, the song reminds me of every family reunion or

get-together we had in my family.” Devotion to family is one of the reasons Vassar has become increasingly contemplative and emotional with his music. He considered his place in the world with “American Child,” addressed hard questions of faith in “This Is God” and explored that which truly brings meaning in his most recent smash, last year’s “Last Day Of My Life.” He may be an acclaimed performer and chief executive of a successful business venture, but he’s also the son of a factory worker from a small, Southern, lunch pail town. “I grew up poor,” Vassar says. “Not middle class, we were

30 COUNTRY JAM OFFICIAL PREVIEW PROGRAM

just poor. You don’t really know it or poses for arriving aspirants. “My dad worked at a GE plant, and understand it when you’re a kid. I never had a car. I didn’t have one even college. even though I don’t make minimum I’d have never even gone to college if I wage I still work my ass off,” Vassar says. “Even today, I still have that couldn’t run fast or jump high.” The track scholarship to JMU gave work ethic where you feel like if you Vassar a way out of a town where there don’t work hard you’re not going to were only two career options – both eat. That’s something my dad instilled factories, and it was college where his in me and my sisters. I’m not in that musical passions first took serious hold. desperate place anymore where I’m He moved to Nashville and banged out wondering if I should buy gas or milk, a living playing piano in local clubs but I can definitely relate to that guy.” while writing original music and pursuing an artist deal. WHO His father’s work-a-day ethos propelled him through the WHEN long-odds gauntlet Nashville

PHIL VASSAR

FRI JUNE 26TH @ 5PM

WHERE 2009 GRAND VALLEY

HYUNDAI COUNTRY JAM

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