You know it's going to be an interesting evening when you're told it's a "no bottle event" done presumably to prevent stray beverage containers from ending up on stage.
This was the case during a Sunday night concert featuring Brooks & Dunn and ZZ Top. Country singer Rodney Atkins opened the show at the Ford Center before an estimated crowd of nearly 6,000.
Atkins set up the evening with several of his hits, beginning with the fiddle-driven "These Are My People." He looked right at home and just off the farm in a ball cap, plaid shirt, worn jeans and work boots. Atkins, also a talented song writer, performed all his familiar songs including, "About the South," "If You're Going Through Hell" and "Watching You" about a life lesson he learned from his young son.
When you're out on the road with Brooks & Dunn and ZZ Top — on the same tour, no less — who can blame Rodney Atkins for not having the time to get on the phone for an interview.
But he did agree to answer e-mail questions from his laptop on the bus. We caught up with the hot country upstart before he breaks from that tour to do a one-off headlining date of his own at the Brown County Fair on Friday night — his second stop in front of his Green Bay-area people this year:
Q. Your first four singles off "If You're Going Through Hell'' all went No. 1. Was there one that surprised you most that it topped the charts?
A. I really believed in all these songs. I never dreamed they would result in the most-played songs of the year. I guess if one surprised me more than the others it would have to be "Cleaning This Gun.'' I loved the song the first time I heard it, but I didn't know if everyone would get my twisted sense of humor. I'm really glad they did.
from <a href="http://www.newsok.com" target="blank>newsok.com
Rodney Atkins' chart-topping success hasn't come from a slickly polished sound or image.
Instead, the perpetually ball-capped country singer has notched four No. 1 hits with "life songs” from his sophomore album, "If You're Going through Hell.”
"They are songs about real life and it wasn't an attempt for me to be cool or hip. I think there are a lot of folks who live lives pretty similar to mine. I think they are intelligent songs about everyday things — they are songs about celebrating life and the struggles in life,” said Atkins in a recent e-mail interview from the road.
Support Trey Gray on his mission to raise awareness of Huntington's Disease, a hereditary and incurable neurological disease that affects over 14,000 Tennesseans, including Trey.
Taylor Swift, Kellie Pickler and Julianne Hough Host
Trace Adkins, Rodney Atkins, Bucky Covington, Billy Ray Cyrus, Faith Hill,
Julianne Hough, Alan Jackson, Jewel, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Kellie Pickler,
Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood,
Keith Urban, Gretchen Wilson and Dwight Yoakam Perform
ABC heads to Nashville to take you to the hottest music event, “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock.” Reigning CMA Horizon Award winner Taylor Swift, former “American Idol” finalist Kellie Pickler and Country Music Star/”Dancing with the Stars” champion Julianne Hough host the special airing Monday, September 8 (9:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network.
