Wednesday, October 1, 2014 | Los Angeles, California

Review by Oscar Jordan & Kimberly Annette

Photos by Kimberly Annette ©2014

Multi-platinum country music artists Big Kenny Alpin and John Rich aka Big & Rich, just celebrated their 10th anniversary making music together. Their record release party and concert held at Club Nokia in Los Angeles was a high-energy event following the trajectory of their 5th studio album Gravity.

Sponsored by Southern California radio station Go Country 105.1 FM, Nashville’s DJ Sinister successfully opened the show providing solid warm-up for the Grammy-nominated country duo. Big & Rich took the stage to thunderous applause and pandemonium. The band opened with “I Came To Git Down” from the new album Gravity, an explosive good time party tune in true Big & Rich style.Big & Rich

Setting the tone for another new track off Gravity, “Look At Me.” Big Kenny instructed the audience to make a new friend in the interest of friendship, love, and brotherhood. Like the back of his guitar says, “Love Everybody.” The audience as well as the band turned to the person next to them, and greeted each other and got a little silly while_H5A9213 making a new friend.

A bar was setup as a prop on stage and a bottle of possibly whiskey or bourbon was set with plastic cups for those that would be invited out onto the stage periodically throughout the show. With a thank you to all active duty military, the first guests were invited out onto the stage. Three Vietnam era military veterans from the 173rd Airborne Brigade National Memorial, a cause Big & Rich helps to raise over $600,000 for. With heartfelt thanks, the vets took a seat at the bar and was the segue into the Vietnam waltz-time tale, “8th of November.”

Special guest Cowboy Troy came to perform and surged into, “I Play Chicken With The Train” while fiery red headed violinist Megan Mullins wowed the audience with her musical virtuosity and unadulterated hotness. Rich then challenged Cowboy Troy to a round of, “I’m Gonna Start It, Your Gonna Finish It.” The purpose of the game; to finish the song begun by Rich. The first tune he chose to start was Sir Mix-A-Lot‘s “Baby Got Back.” Odds were this one was a no-brainer for everyone. The next song however was a challenge comparatively as Rich called for their drummer to kick it he lead into “Give It Away,” by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Cowboy Troy pulled it off with a version that would have made Anthony Kiedis and Flea smile. The audience was ecstatic.

The Big & Rich band is top-shelf, displaying audience-friendly chops and groove that never detracted from the band’s powerful lyrical message. The band closed with the title track from Gravity. It’s a heartfelt song that explores the imperfection and fragile nature of relationships. The Big & Rich concert was a crowd-pleasing affair that ended with an emotional bang.

 

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Big & Rich | Gravity Record Release Party | Live at Club Nokia
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