Brooks and Dunn, Big and Rich thrill Raleigh audience
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on August 30, 2005 1:45 PM
When was the last time you attended an outdoor concert and saw a six-foot-tall black cowboy and a two-foot-tall video star, and heard a combination of rap, rock and country, swirled together with pyrotechnics, smoke and a light show?
And that was just one of the opening acts.
Big and Rich, part of country rock's Muzik Mafia, were one of two lead-ins for Brooks and Dunn's "Deuce's Wild" 35-date concert tour, performing Saturday night at AllTel Pavilion. Rounding out the ticket were the Warren Brothers.
Big and Rich packed a lot into their 30-minute set. Sporting a Carolina Panthers' hat and a guitar bearing the message "Scream," Big Kenny needn't have worried; the audience was already primed to participate in the rousing rendition of the group's popular hit, "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)." Holding court nearby was Two-Foot Fred, featured in the video version of the song.
Cowboy Troy traveled the stage, delivering a rap song. And the show wrapped up with a guitar being smashed and tossed into the audience by Big Kenny, while partner John Rich offered up his t-shirt to the crowd.
By contrast, after a brief intermission, veteran performers Brooks and Dunn casually strolled out onto the stage.
With no fanfare, they launched into a string of their hits, including "Red Dirt Road,""Honky Tonk," "There's Ain't Nothing 'Bout You,""She's Not the Cheating Kind," and "Neon Moon."
The award-winning duo wrapped up the 90-minute show with "You're Gonna Miss Me," "My Maria," "Getting Better all the Time," and "That's What It's All About."