Xtreme Muzik Tour Kicks Off In Springfield, MO
Xtreme Muzik Tour’s artists & crew members
Amid tornado warnings and whipping winds, fans packed the hillside for the kickoff of “Xtreme Muzik The Tour” starring Big & Rich and Gretchen Wilson Saturday night at the Show Me Music and Arts Festival in Springfield, Missouri. Sharing one band on a custom stage that includes a guitar bar as the centerpiece, the unique 90-minute show rarely saw the co-headliners leave the stage. The music never stopped, as Big & Rich and Gretchen performed hit after hit and often joined in on each other’s songs.
Big & Rich wasted no time getting the crowd on their feet with their new single “Fake ID,” which also features Gretchen on vocals. She kept the momentum going with her smash hit “Here For The Party,” before turning it back over to Big & Rich for “Comin’ to Your City,” “Wild West Show” and more. The frenzy continued, as the acts performed such crowd-pleasers as “Home Wrecker,” “Work Hard, Play Harder,” “All Jacked Up,” “Lost In This Moment,” “Holy Water” and more.
“When we took the stage it was like someone lit the crowd on fire,” said John. “And it just got louder and louder from there! It’s so great to be back on the road singing for the greatest fans in the world! X-TREME!”
Midway through the concert, an American flag was hoisted high above the stage, and a Vietnam Veteran was invited to sit at the bar on the stage during the playing of the National Anthem – Jimi Hendrix-style. Big & Rich followed with their haunting hit “8th of November” commemorating a savage firefight during the Vietnam War.
The crowd cheered when Gretchen, who lived in Springfield and played local clubs for a couple of years, asked if the pool hall on South Street was still there. She then launched into the title cut of her current album, I Got Your Country Right Here.
“The atmosphere had the feel of a sold-out 60,000-seat (Kenny) Chesney show,” said Gretchen. “It was so good to be up there sharing the stage with John and Kenny again, and it was great to see the fans’ reaction to all of this music.”
John Rich then introduced “the 6’5″ black rappin’ cowboy” fellow MuzikMafia member Cowboy Troy, who performed his hit “I Play Chicken With The Train.” Big & Rich concluded with their signature hit “Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)”, and Gretchen ended the night with her multi-week smash “Redneck Woman.”
“Wow, what a blast it was to get on stage and perform for all of those screaming fans, hot, hot, hot, on fire and off the hook, FUN,” said Big Kenny. “So great to be on that stage with my pals John and Gretchen and CBT (Cowboy Troy) and the band. This brings back great memories and so fantastic to be with such XTREME singers and entertainers. When I hear Gretchen sing, sometimes I think I’ve gone back in time and ended up on stage with Janis Joplin. And let me not forget to tell you that CBT has got some new dance moves that get the whole place doing the wave! What a grand hoot this Xtreme Muzik Tour is! Point me to the stage, I can’t wait to play again. We are blessed.”
The six buses and three trucks fired up and headed down the road, and thankfully, the only tornado that touched down that night was on the main stage.
Xtreme Muzik The Tour heads to North Dakota and Minnesota this weekend, before hitting the West and upper Midwest through the month of July.
[rmore type=”more”]Click the ‘more’ button below to see dates announced so far for “Xtreme Muzik The Tour.” More dates are being added daily.[/rmore]
JUNE
24 New Town, ND Four Bears Casino & Lodge
25 Walker, MN Moondance Jam Fairgrounds
JULY
1 Kearney, NE Viaero Event Center
2 Denver, CO Wells Fargo Theatre
8 Deadwood, SD Deadwood Mountain Grand Hotel
9 Deadwood, SD Deadwood Mountain Grand Hotel
13 Calgary, AB Fort Calgary
14 Lethbridge, AB Exhibition Park – South Pavilion
15 Fort McMurray, AB The Casman Centre
16 Craven, SK Craven Country Jamboree
21 Toronto, ON Rexall Centre
22 Pittsburgh, PA Trib Total Media Amphitheatre
23 Mears, MI Val Du Lakes
29 Prior Lake, MN Mystic Lake Casino
30 Riverside, IA Riverside Casino & Golf Resort
AUGUST
5 Fredericksburg, VA Celebrate Virginia
6 Salamanaca, NY Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel
10 Sikeston, MO Jaycee’s Bootheel Rodeo Ground
12 Biloxi, MS IP Casino Resort & Spa
20 Caribou, ME Spud Speedway
SEPTEMBER
2 Nashville, TN The Woods Amphitheater At Fontanel
4 Naperville, IL Naperville’s Last Fling
8 Saint Tite, QC Festival Western De St-Tite
9 Laughlin, NV Riverside Hotel and Casino
10 Tucson, AZ Kino Sports Complex
11 Pomona, CA Los Angeles County Fairgrounds
16 Lincoln, CA Thunder Valley Resort Casino
17 Molalla, OR Molalla Buckeroo Rodeo Grounds
19 Puyallup, WA Western Washington Fair
22 Abbotsford, BC Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre
23 Kamloops, BC Interior Savings Centre
24 Dawson Creek, BC EnCana Event Centre
25 Prince George, BC CN Centre
