The Crazy Horse Saloon will be a little crazier May 25, as the California Cowboys perform with headliner Chris Cagle.
The California Cowboys will be recording their first video for “The Party’s Over” at the beginning of the night.
A crew from Fox 30 will film the video to repay a debt from station owner Chester Smith. The Cowboys performed at a Christmas party for Smith and his wife and now, as it begins promoting its third album, the band has hopes of gaining national notoriety after being a regional act for most of its existence.
“We’re able to make a living as a regional act,” lead singer Robert Smith said. “It’s kind of an anomaly–being signed to a major label.”
Smith plans to use another connection to get the video to air. Chris Conn, host of Great American Country’s “Fast Forward,” promised if Smith could get a video together, then Conn would get it on the show, which features up-and-coming artists.
Smith said the Eagles and the Steve Miller Band heavily influenced the band members as children. As a result, they’re not the typical, laid-back crooners most people associate with country music.
“We’re country with an edge,” Smith said.
While the Cowboys are plugging along as a regional act, Chris Cagle has gone national with an authentic edge to his music. Cagle has taken the country music world by storm with his first two CDs, “Play it Loud” and “Chris Cagle.” He topped the country music charts with his hit “I Breathe In, I Breathe Out.”
Cagle is currently wrapping up work on his third album, which is yet to be titled. His first single, “Miss Me Baby” will be released to radio stations at the end of the month.
Cagle’s publicist, Judy McDonough, described him as an authentic artist that isn’t country just because of the money.
“He is a country artist’s country artist,” McDonough. “He wears a cowboy hat because that’s what he does, not what the music dictates.”
This show will continue the Crazy Horse’s tradition of bringing out the best country music has to offer. Previous artists include Ty Herndon (“Steam,” “No Mercy”), Michael Peterson (“Drink, Swear, Steal and Lie,” “From Here to Eternity”), and The Charlie Daniels Band (“In America,” “Simple Man”).
General Manager Brian Buckley said the Crazy Horse’s atmosphere at concerts is like nothing you’ll see in a larger venue.
“The artists are pretty hands-on with the crowd,” he said. “They come here as a night off. Most of them will come up afterwards, have a beer and hang out for the night.”
The Crazy Horse boasts an intimate setting for its concerts that allows people to get closer than ever to their favorite acts. In order to create this atmosphere, fewer people will be let in, Buckley said.
“I hate it when people drive from way out of town, or even locals that are regular customers, show up at the door only to find we’re sold out,” Buckley said. “When we’re sold out, we don’t let anybody else in because it makes the show unenjoyable for the other people.”
Tickets can be purchased in Chico at Diamond W Western Wear, Corral West, or the Crazy Horse Saloon. Buckley said ticket prices typically change as the date of the concert draws near, but general admission is $39.