Rodney Featured in the Magic Valley Times-News

From Tennessee to Twin Falls: Rodney Atkins brings country flavor to fair

By Melissa Davlin
Times-News writer
August 21, 2009

This isn't Rodney Atkins' first show in Idaho.

"One of the first tours ever was a part of was a Wal-Mart tour,"the Tennessee-based country star said in a phone interview with the Times-News. The musicians in the tour followed a Wal-Mart truck across the country, then played in the retail chain's parking lots.

"The truck would open up and become a stage," he said. And the first stop on the tour was Blackfoot.

Before then, Atkins had never been west of the Mississippi River. "It was just absolutely beautiful out there," he said.

This time through Atkins is headlining, and he plans to rock the Twin Falls County Fair with his honest music that he sings to appeal to his people - hard-working Americans across the country.

Atkins has opened for Martina McBride, Brooks & Dunn, Brad Paisley and ZZ Top. His 2006 album, "If You're Going Through Hell," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard country albums chart and provided four No. 1 hits, including "If You're Going ThroughHell" and "Watching You." He released his latest album, "It's America,"on March 31.

Atkins prides himself in singing music that everyone can relate to. Songs like "15 Minutes" and "Tell a Country Boy" will appeal to country music fans across the country, whether they live in rural Idaho or Tennessee, he said.

"It's about being human, really," Atkins said. "Part of it is the struggle, part of it is the celebration."

Although Atkins has played in stadiums and in front of a crowd of 500,000 in Washington, D.C., he loves the atmosphere of small venues like the Twin Falls County Fair. In large arenas, people tend to come with their dates, but at fairs, it's usually entire families who show up to hear him sing, Atkins said. That they're spending quality time at one of his concerts is an honor to him.

This tour is also the first that Atkins is headlining. Instead of playing for half an hour, he has 80 or 90 minutes to fill with his own music.

So what can the Filer fairgrounds audience expect to hear?

"Everything we've got," Atkins said.

From Tennessee to Twin Falls: Rodney Atkins brings country flavor to fair

By Melissa Davlin
Times-News writer
August 21, 2009

This isn't Rodney Atkins' first show in Idaho.

"One of the first tours ever was a part of was a Wal-Mart tour,"the Tennessee-based country star said in a phone interview with the Times-News. The musicians in the tour followed a Wal-Mart truck across the country, then played in the retail chain's parking lots.

"The truck would open up and become a stage," he said. And the first stop on the tour was Blackfoot.

Before then, Atkins had never been west of the Mississippi River. "It was just absolutely beautiful out there," he said.

This time through Atkins is headlining, and he plans to rock the Twin Falls County Fair with his honest music that he sings to appeal to his people - hard-working Americans across the country.

Atkins has opened for Martina McBride, Brooks & Dunn, Brad Paisley and ZZ Top. His 2006 album, "If You're Going Through Hell," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard country albums chart and provided four No. 1 hits, including "If You're Going ThroughHell" and "Watching You." He released his latest album, "It's America,"on March 31.

Atkins prides himself in singing music that everyone can relate to. Songs like "15 Minutes" and "Tell a Country Boy" will appeal to country music fans across the country, whether they live in rural Idaho or Tennessee, he said.

"It's about being human, really," Atkins said. "Part of it is the struggle, part of it is the celebration."

Although Atkins has played in stadiums and in front of a crowd of 500,000 in Washington, D.C., he loves the atmosphere of small venues like the Twin Falls County Fair. In large arenas, people tend to come with their dates, but at fairs, it's usually entire families who show up to hear him sing, Atkins said. That they're spending quality time at one of his concerts is an honor to him.

This tour is also the first that Atkins is headlining. Instead of playing for half an hour, he has 80 or 90 minutes to fill with his own music.

So what can the Filer fairgrounds audience expect to hear?

"Everything we've got," Atkins said.