NASHVILLE, TN – It's been three years since self-proclaimed "hick-hop" artist Cowboy Troy exploded onto the country music scene with his hit single "I Play Chicken With The Train."
Fans in Johnson City, TN can catch the country rapper playing with a train of a different sort as Nashville country-rock band Coaltrain plays host to the Nashville star at 10 p.m. Saturday, August 9th at Capone's.
"We're excited to bring Cowboy Troy with us to Capone's," says Chris Denham, lead singer and fiddler for Coaltrain. " I think people really appreciate the diversity that we bring in our shows. We cover pretty much every genre from country/metal to americana and rap.".
Coaltrain originally hails from Wheeling, West Virginia, where the band has opened for national acts such as Sammy Kershaw, Montgomery Gentry and Neal McCoy. The band played its first show with Cowboy Troy back in Wheeling on February 16 and plans to tour with Cowboy Troy on select dates in 2008. Capone's is among the venues nationwide that will be featuring the group along with Cowboy Troy.
Cowboy Troy, aka Troy Coleman, is perhaps best-known for his stint as a judge on the USA Network's Nashville Star television series which has given rise to the careers of artists such as Buddy Jewell and Miranda Lambert. As for Coaltrain, the band features Denham along with guitarist Joe Carr, bassist John "Sixball" McCombs and keyboard/harmonica player Kendall Webb.
While the two acts may seem like an odd mix, Denham actually sees a lot of common ground.
"He's one of the most recognizable artists in country music right now so we're just honored to be on stage with him," Denham says. "But I also think we walk the line between different styles of music like he does so I think our sound mixes with his music very well."
Coleman plays a hybrid form of all the different styles of music that he was raised on in his hometown of Dallas, Texas.
"I grew up listening to a mix of country music, rap and rock," Coleman explains, "with a little bit of funk and pop. That didn't make me unusual back home.
"Whenever I would go into the honky-tonks and they put on Run-DMC or Sir Mix-A-Lot, the floor would be packed with the cowboy hats swaying and people having a good time dancing," Coleman says, "so it didn't seem like that big a deal for me once I decided to try music that all these things would converge in my music."
But a big deal it was. Coleman's debut album Loco Motive debuted at number two on the Billboard Country Albums chart, and turned Nashville on its ear – literally. The mix of rap, rock and country influences brought to life in part by co-producer John Rich (of Big & Rich) was unlike anything Nashville had ever experienced before and helped propel Coleman to even bigger audiences including a co-hosting gig with Jewel on Nashville Star.
A second album, Black In The Saddle, followed and showed a more serious side of Coleman that led to even greater critical acclaim. But for many country fans, Cowboy Troy is still the man who plays chicken with the train. And for Denham and the rest of the Coaltrain gang, playing with Cowboy Troy gives the group an opportunity to show fans how musically diverse the group truly is.
"We have a respect for all different musical styles, and we like what Cowboy Troy stands for in country music – a man who's got enough talent and courage to go out and be true to himself and his musical vision," Denham says.
"We're proud to bring him to Johnson City and cant wait to ROCK the HOUSE."
"Come early, be loud, stay late!"
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