Country music superstars Big & Rich will perform on the outdoor summer concert stage at Tioga Downs on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 8 p.m. The final show of the outdoor concert season, country music artist, Cowboy Troy, will join the duo. Tickets for the Big & Rich concert, which start at $35, are on sale at the Tioga Downs gift shop and all Ticketmaster outlets. For more information, visit tiogadowns.com. (Photo provided by Webster P.R.)
Country music superstars Big & Rich will perform on the outdoor summer concert stage at Tioga Downs on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 8 p.m. The final show of the outdoor summer concert season, country music artist, Cowboy Troy, will join the duo.
Big & Rich, comprised of Kenny Alphin, a.k.a. “Big Kenny,” and John Rich, were considered country music game-changers in 2004 when their first studio album, “Horse of a Different Color” was released, producing four Top 40 hits. Featuring the mega-hit, “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy,” the country rock/country rap song exploded on radio and music television, and remains one of the most popular country music songs of the last decade.
In fact, so much so, that during a recent phone interview, John Rich shared, “At one of our shows, sitting in the front row, was a daughter, mother and grandmother, all wearing ‘Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy’ tee shirts.” The Big & Rich fan base often includes multiple generations of families attending together.
Big & Rich, both prolific songwriters and talented musicians, are also skilled producers, which has resulted in numerous classic country pieces, for themselves and other artists as well.
From their public relations website; “Big & Rich are breaking the boundaries of music and earning the title of all-around entertainers from peers and loyal fans.”
Since 2004, Big & Rich have released a total of five albums and scored multiple hits, including their number-one single, “Lost in This Moment.”
The duo’s energetic, foot-stomping hit, “Comin’ to Your City” has been used as a theme song for ten years on ESPN College Game Day. The more serious chart toppers which show the softer side of the duo are “Holy Water” and “That’s Why I Pray,” among others.
When asked during the phone interview what Tioga Downs’ fans can expect at the Big & Rich show, John Rich replied, “It’s definitely an interactive show.”
From a fun “super-hero” making a guest appearance, and at past shows Spiderman has surprised fans, to asking guests to join them on stage at the end of the show, a much more serious moment is during the performance of their poignant and patriotic tune, “8th of November,” when selected military personnel join Big & Rich on stage during the song.
John Rich also shared during the phone interview that the duo has heard a number of extraordinary love stories about their song “Lost in This Moment,” and even had a fan join them on stage to propose to his girlfriend in front of the audience.
Prior to their success as a duo, Kenny and Rich were both successful songwriters, writing songs for Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Gretchen Wilson and Jason Aldean, among others. Kenny and Rich are also co-founders of the group MuzikMafia (Musically Artistic Friends in Alliance), which in its prime was a collection of singers, musicians and songwriters that jammed together at Nashville’s “Pub of Love,” and included Cowboy Troy.
Cowboy Troy, best known for his popular song, “I Play Chicken with the Train,” will perform with Big & Rich on the Tioga Downs summer concert stage.
Big & Rich released their fifth studio album, “Gravity,” in 2014. “Gravity” is an example of the duo’s ongoing “creative gravitational pull,” and has produced two top country hits including “Look at You,” and their newest release, “Run Away with You,” which is currently running strong on the charts.
Kenny and Rich are also notable philanthropists and good-will ambassadors, dedicating their time, energy and resources to charitable causes around the world. John’s win on “The Celebrity Apprentice” television show brought in well over a million dollars to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Kenny’s work fighting poverty and supporting education through various agencies like the United Nations Foundation and the Red Cross from North America to Africa, are just a few examples of their ongoing generosity.
Kenny’s newest venture is “Big Kenny and Family” on the TLC television network. Premiering Sept. 2, the show features Kenny, his wife and four sons as they navigate their unordinary home life when Kenny gets a break from the Big & Rich concert tour.
Tickets for the Big & Rich concert, which start at $35, are on sale at the Tioga Downs gift shop and all Ticketmaster outlets. For more information, visit tiogadowns.com.
For more information about Big & Rich, visit their website, bigandrich.com, or follow them on Facebook or Twitter.
