High-energy Big & Rich relishes 'ride 'em cowboy' attitude

by Keith Groller

The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.) (MCT)

17 August 2007

"Where did we just land?” Kenny Alphin asks of his bus driver.

“Oh, we’re in Great Falls, Montana,” Alphin says to the interviewer on his cell phone.

Alphin, best known as Big Kenny, one half of country music’s daring duo known as Big & Rich, may not know where Big & Rich are performing on a given day during their “Summer Krush” tour, but he does know where they are on the country charts.

Alphin and his partner, John Rich, are still riding high from the recent news that their newest single, “Lost in this Moment,” went to No. 1 on the country charts, their first song to reach the top.

“That’s incredible for us,” Alphin says. “We’ve had so much commercial success that most people thought we had done it before, but we hadn’t. It was a goal, a bar, we set for ourselves and it feels damn good to reach it.”

A No. 1 single is about the last piece needed to solidify Big & Rich’s place at the forefront of a new generation of country music.

Big & Rich are founders of the Muzik Mafia, a group of Music Row singer/songwriters that include Gretchen “Red Neck Woman” Wilson, who stretch the boundaries of the genre. They want acceptance for their “Freak Parade” and claim “music without prejudice” as their credo.

The duo’s first album, 2004’s “Horse of a Different Color,” was hailed as a groundbreaking attempt to take country toward the edges of rock, hip-hop and rap, while keeping the twang at its core.

The album reached No. 1 on both Billboard’s national and country music charts. The No. 1 single from the album, “Save a Horse (Ride A Cowboy),” went to No. 11 on the country charts and reached a mainstream audience when ESPN used it on commercials for its World Series of Poker shows.

Big & Rich’s second effort, “Comin’ To Your City,” lacked the uniqueness of “Horse of a Different Color,” and wasn’t as well received. But the title song soared and was again used by ESPN, this time to promote its college football “Game Day” show.

The duo recently released their third album, “Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace,” which offers a contrast between Alphin and Rich’s soulful, spiritual side and their “life’s a party” personalities.

Alphin announces the change on the album, proclaiming “Side B” as the volume and tempo are turned up.

“It’s like the old vinyl records where the needle would move and you’d flip to the other side,” Alphin says. “We wanted to have a continuum of certain songs on one side and then let it loose on the other. We’re always looking for the greatest songs and it’s hard to pick the right ones for an album. John and I have written lots of songs, but we’re always writing ourselves and on the lookout for more. I know I’m always jotting down notes about songs that could work for us or other artists. We just want to keep putting out the best stuff that we can.”

Alphin says that he and Rich wanted some songs on “Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace” to reflect where they are in their lives.

They wanted to let everyone know that they haven’t forgotten what’s really important.

“Absolutely, we’re spiritual people, and the more of a name you make for yourself in this industry, the more pressures that are on you, the more demands on your time, you have to keep a spiritual base and stay close to your family and kids,” says Alphin, who is known for his big hat, big glasses and larger-than-life persona on stage.

“You need to keep it all in perspective. We travel a lot and we’re working hard. We’re gone from home 200 days a year. I miss my family terribly when I don’t have them with me.”

“So, on a song like `Eternity,’ we want to reflect what we’re feeling,” Alphin adds. “We want to say that we’re trying to do everything we can in this life to make it all better. This can be a great place, but sooner or later we’re all moving on to a place even more beautiful.”

Alphin, who will turn 44 on Nov. 1, has no plans of going anywhere soon. He has a son, Lincoln, who will turn 2 on Nov. 2 and occasionally he admits that it’s not easy to keep up with the hectic pace.

“I try my best to stay in shape, get a little exercise and take care of myself,” Alphin says. “But we have so many projects going, including movie soundtracks and short films, that it’s not easy. We’ve got to get out there and perform at a high level every night. You can’t take a night off. You’ve got to give them everything you’ve got. It’s a hard job, but if it was easy, everybody would be doing it.”

A Big & Rich concert is a high-energy show with lots of special effects and high-octane music.

Cowboy Troy, an African-American country rapper and a charter member of the Muzik Mafia, often serves as the duo’s opening act.

“Cowboy Troy recently released his first CD and we’re very proud of him,” Alphin says. “It’s a very unique record, old-school Kid Rock. It’s hard to describe, it’s sort of like countrified rap. But it’s what is true to him and what he wants to do and the fans love him.

“And that’s what we’re all about. We want to help out the next generation of artists, It’s real cool to run into such great talent and try with everything we’ve got to give them a boost.”

Big & Rich continue to have big plans of their own.

“We want more hits, we want to keep touring, we want to build as big a show as possible and keep going the way we’re going,” Alphin says. “We’ve come a long way. Having a No. 1 country song was sort of the last bastion for us, but there’s more to do. This has been one of the most incredible experiences in the world, and it’s a cool feeling.”

And while both Alphin and Rich have done things on their own, don’t anticipate either of them going solo any time soon. They’re in harmony on their records and in their personal lives and they know they’ve got a good thing going.

“Our relationship is stronger, if anything, because of what we’ve gone through in the last few years,” Alphin says. “I love John like a brother, and like you and your brother, you’re going to have differences from time to time. We both believe that if there’s something on your mind, you talk about it and put it out there and get it resolved.

“I’m in a little bit of a different place in my life than he is. I’m married. I’ve got kids. He’s not there yet, but we’re both really busy, and every now and then, we’ve got to take a break from our careers and each other and detox a little bit.

“But soon after that, we’re right out there kicking and thinking about what we’re going to do next. We’re constantly dreaming up new ideas. We’re not anywhere near out of them yet.”