LOCASH COWBOYS AND ZAC BROWN BAND TEAM UP TO ROCK COUNTRY JAM USA
The duo defies the odds to perform at the popular festival in Eau Claire, Wisconsin Saturday night
NASHVILLE, TN — It is not uncommon for problems to occur when bands are zig-zagging across the country to entertain their fans. The LoCash Cowboys are no exception, as they discovered this weekend as they attempted to travel from the Berlin Raceway in Marne, MI to Country Jam USA in Eau Claire, WI, hurdling mechanical and logistical problems, as well as battling Mother Nature. But, thanks to a determined management team, Country Jam promoters, and Country Jam headliner, Zac Brown Band, fans were not disappointed in the end.After their show on Friday evening in Michigan, Preston Brust, Chris Lucas, and their band exited the stage at 2:00am only to discover their bus would not start. There were neither mechanics nor rental cars to be found and it wasn’t until 9:00am on Saturday morning that they finally got their bus rolling. Despite the odds, including the fact they had 500 miles to drive, Lucas stated, “Country Jam has always been great to us, and we were determined not to miss the show. We didn’t want to let our fans down.
The team attempted to find a charter plane to shorten their trip, calling all over Illinois and Michigan, until they finally found one in Madison, WI. – a two hour drive to Eau Claire. They arrived at the plane around 4:00pm, loaded it up, and the band took off for the 45-minute flight. A police escort was waiting with a van from the festival to take them to the grounds upon landing and they pulled up to the steps of the stage at exactly 4:59pm to perform. Thankfully, their tour manager had called ahead and arranged to borrow some equipment for the set, but as they walked up the steps to go on stage the stage manager shut down the main stage until approaching rain and thunderstorms passed.
In order to stay on schedule for the evening’s headliner, the Zac Brown Band, the announcer told the crowd that due to the rain delay, LoCash Cowboys would not be able to appear on the main stage. The crowd was clearly upset as their audible “boos” echoed throughout the grounds. Upon hearing the boos, Zac Brown and his band started asking what the ruckus was about and once told, Brown asked the duo and their band if they wanted to stay and perform after his set. The decision was easy, especially considering all they had endured just to arrive at the show. They went on stage, but during their performance of “Keep in Mind,” Brust’s piano was not working, apparently having gotten wet during the storm. Again, refusing to be deterred, the duo sang their last single acoustically. Once they finished the song they turned around and Brown was on stage with them. The crowd went crazy and Chris and Preston thanked him profusely for allowing them to follow his set. Brown told the crowd he was happy to open for LoCash Cowboys.
“I made sure I personally thanked Zac when he came off stage that night. He was so genuine, cool, and sincere about giving us the opportunity to close the night on the main stage,” says Brust. “It was a historical night for LoCash, to perform in front of 30,000 fans under such conditions, and we can’t thank the Zac Brown Band and Country Jam enough for giving us such a great memory. It’s definitely going in our book some day!”
The duo has been serious road warriors these past six years, honing their craft and earning a reputation as being one of the most entertaining live shows in country music. They have been winning fans in droves along the way with their charisma and unrestrained performances and proved this past weekend that they will do whatever it takes never to miss a show.
While they have shared bills with artists including Charlie Daniels, ZZ Top, Toby Keith, Train, Blake Shelton, and Tom Petty, among others; performed at halftime of NBA and U.S. Olympic team basketball games; and performed on Fox News Network’s New Year’s Eve broadcast in front of two million people in Times Square, Lucas states, “We have worked with several artists and for the Zac Brown Band to help us out and let us close the show out shows how great and humble they are with their much-deserved success. I was always a fan of theirs, but now I put them at ‘Legend’ status. I wish them many more successes – what great guys!”
In May 2011, LoCash Cowboys made their prestigious Grand Ole Opry debut. On June 8, they were featured on an episode of Man v. Food Nation on the Travel Channel, which aired the week of the CMA Music Festival. Events they participated in included the Kickoff Parade, Country Weekly fashion show, Musicians on Call benefit at the Hard Rock Café, City of Hope charity softball game, and Chevrolet Riverfront stage performance! LoCash Cowboys’ last single, “Keep In Mind,” reached 35 on the Billboard Country chart. Their previous single, “Here Comes Summer,” cracked the Top 40 at country radio, while the video peaked inside the Top 5 on the GAC and CMT Pure Country countdowns. Chris and Preston also wrote (with Jaren Johnson) “You’re Gonna Fly,” a song on Keith Urban’s current album, GET CLOSER.
Currently, LoCash Cowboys are busy promoting their current single, “You Got Me.” Written by Lucas and Brust with bandmate Eric Halbig, this up-tempo, harmony-laced song is about that feeling one gets when falling in love. Produced by hit-maker Jeffrey Steele, “You Got Me” will appear on LoCash Cowboys’ forthcoming R&J Records debut album, THIS IS HOW WE DO IT. For additional information, visit www.locashcowboys.com.
Photo courtesy of Country Jam USA.