GREEN RIVER – Flaming Gorge Days Concert Chair Jasmine Weaver and the Flaming Gorge Days committee are pleased to announce the 2015 concert line-up for both the country and rock nights taking place June 26th and 27th at Stratton Myers Park in Green River, WY.
Friday, June 26th the FGD Committee welcomes country artists Love and Theft as the conert headliner with Blackjack Billy to open the show.
“We wanted to show a different side and make a record that sounds like us,” Stephen Barker-Liles says of Love and Theft’s boundary-pushing new album Whiskey On My Breath. “Country music has always been about honest performances and songs that mean something, and that’s the kind of record that we wanted to make.”
Whiskey On My Breath—the duo’s third album—marks a significant creative statement for the two singer-songwriter-guitarists, whose resume already includes a long series of career highlights. Having already established themselves as one of country’s hottest young acts with such memorable hits as the #1 country smash “Angel Eyes” and the Top 10 hit “Runaway,” and their widely acclaimed albums World Wide Open and Love and Theft, the ACM/CMA/CMT-nominated twosome take their music to the next level on Whiskey On My Breath.
Blackjack Billy is a Country Rock band composed of Rob Blackledge (vocals, guitar), Noll Billings (vocals), Jeff Coplan (electric guitar), and Brad Cummings (drums). Based in Nashville, they describe their music as “Redneck Rock.”
Their debut single, The Booze Cruise, was independently released in March 2013 and Sirius XM Satellite Radio’s country channel The Highway began playing it as a ‘Highway Find’. Combined with BjB’s heavy touring schedule The Booze Cruise took off and has sold more than 250K digital downloads, even reaching Platinum status in Canada.
BjB played over 300 shows in 2013 and 2014 between festivals, clubs and fairs to well over 200K fans at some of the Summer’s biggest festivals including WE Fest (MN), Hodag (WI) , Taste Of Country Music Fest (CT), Sturgis Bike Week (SD), Toadlick (AL), Country Concert (OH) and some of the largest Canadian festivals including Cavendish, Calgary Stampede, Havelock Jamboree, and Big Valley Jamboree.
Several country music websites including countrymusicrocks.net,roughstock.com and cmchatlive.com have listed Blackjack Billy as ones to watch.
Saturday, June 27th the FGD Committee welcomes rock artists Black Stone Cherry as the night’s concert headliner with Thousand Foot Krutch to open.
Black Stone Cherry bridges the gap between the blue collar craftsmanship of dirty, bluesy, pedal-to-the-metal Hard Rock steeped in the ancestral lineage of Southern Rock and the warm, broad embrace of the rock radio mainstream. There’s enough boot stomping, soulful meat-and-potatoes in the Kentucky band’s stew to invigorate Middle America, with the melodic chops to conquer the worldwide stage.
The band’s substantial catalog has given birth to a bevy of rock radio staples like “White Trash Millionaire,” “In My Blood” and “Please Come In.” It’s all driven by the vocal charisma and vibrant lead guitar shred of Chris Robertson, the driving dynamic crunch of guitarist Ben Wells, the rhythmic pulse of bassist Jon Lawhon and the always-in-the-pocket groove of drummer John Fred Young, all of whom add their voices to Black Stone Cherry’s soaring melodies and instantly accessible vibe.
Black Stone Cherry’s producer partnerships read like a who’s-who of rock n’ roll hitmakers. They made their second album with Bob Marlette (Ozzy, Seether, Saliva) and the follow-up with Howard Benson (Daughtry, Creed, Three Days Grace). Joe Barresi (Queens of the Stone Age, Tool, Soundgarden) came onboard to help the band craft what will certainly be a watershed moment in their storied career.
The universal appeal and undeniable authenticity of Black Stone Cherry’s rock anthems and down-to-earth attitude has won them an increasingly diverse and international fanbase (as evidenced by the #1 debut of Folklore and Superstition on the UK’s rock charts), converting unbelievers while crossing the globe alongside rock royalty like Nickelback, Bad Company, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Def Leppard, Whitesnake, Chickenfoot (featuring ex-members of Van Halen) and Alter Bridge.
Sometimes the best way to move forward is to go back to the basics, taking all of the raw energy and emotion of the past and channeling it into the present, coupled with all of the progression and knowledge obtained in the intermediary years. And that’s exactly what Thousand Foot Krutch is doing on the aptly titled No. 1 Billboard Hard Rock selling album, The End Is Where We Begin, which doesn’t just showcase the group’s thunderous musical pursuits coming full circle with its most cutting edge album to date, but also finds Canada’s favorite modern rockers voluntarily walking away from record label life altogether (even after a slew of profitable offers came along) to reignite the passionate DIY work ethos that first emerged over a decade ago.
“The End Is Where We Begin summarizes everything we’ve been through as a band, and where we are now- the closing of one chapter and the beginning of another,” confides front man and principal songwriter, Trevor McNevan. “We’ve been through every transition you could face as a band in the past year, aside from the band line up, and our entire team couldn’t be more excited. Against all odds, not to mention some pretty lucrative record contracts, we’re following what we feel is the right thing for us to do, and at the end of the day, that’s our responsibility. We’re very thankful to have the support and trust we do with our audience; they’re as much a part of our team, as anyone else. We’re growing together, and look forward to each new step we take together.”
For those who’ve been following the Ontario-bred players since their formation in 1998, it’s been a continuously escalating highlight reel that includes best-selling albums, top Active Rock hits (including “Let The Sparks Fly,” “War of Change” and “Light Up The Sky” from The End Is Where We Begin), plus a slew of soundtrack slots. In fact, the group has literally infiltrated every facet of pop culture, from ongoing ESPN appearances, to various NASCAR, MLB, NHL, WWE and NFL airings (including the 2010 Super Bowl), along with the “GI Joe” movie trailer, WGN-TV’s “Smallville” and EA Sports’ NHL 2010 and 2013 video games.
When it comes to the subject of surpassing goals, The End Is Where We Begin doesn’t just find Thousand Foot Krutch’s new career direction taking off like a tour de force, but also serves as a creative pinnacle that blends the most innovative elements of yesterday with the ground-breaking strides of today. “I think this is a step forward in a new and inspired direction for us musically and as a band,” sums up McNevan. “It’s everything we could’ve hoped for and we’re excited to head into this season. Sometimes we need to go back to go forward and remember where we came from, which connects on a lot of different levels. We hope to keep making music that’s honest to us and continue to grow together with our audience.”
Flaming Gorge Days is one of the biggest events in Sweetwater County with two nights of concerts, a Festival in the Park, annual parade, golf tournament, 3 on 3 basketball tournament and so much more. For more information contact the Green River Chamber at 307-875-5711 or the website atwww.flaminggorgedays.com.
