Diamond Rio tickets go on sale Feb. 28

by Marissa Lorenz

The Kremmling Area Chamber of Commerce (KACC) is excited to announce that ticket sales will go on sale this weekend for Kremmling’s second annual country music concert. This year’s event will feature Diamond Rio of Grand Ole Opry fame. Two dynamic opening acts include Colorado’s own Back Road Roots Band and Hatchie Drive from Memphis, Tennessee.

“I’m stoked that we’ll have Diamond Rio,” bubbles Tara Sharp, KACC Executive Director, “and we’ve had tons of excitement in the community since announcing them.

I grew up with Diamond Rio, but they’re still writing and touring. I think they have a following among all age groups and it’s massively impressive that they’re coming to our town!”

Indeed, Diamond Rio was formed in 1982 as the Tennessee River Boys, a house band at the former Opryland Theme Park. They put out their first album in 1991, the same year as their first Opry performance, and was the “first group in country music history to top the charts with its debut single, ‘Meet in the Middle,” according to their profile on Opry.com. “They have been awarded Top Vocal Group honors a total of six times from the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association and sold more than 10 million records, earning five gold and three platinum albums in the process.”

Diamond Rio is considered a defining actor in the “young country” movement and is known for their Billboard 100 hits “Unbelievable,” “One More Day,” “Beautiful Mess,” and “I Believe.” out of Gypsum, Colorado and both they and Hatchie Drive are described as combining “southern rock with blues harmonies and country,” for something entirely fun and new.

The event is hoping to surpass last year’s Corbin Easton event for which just over 1,000 tickets sold to a performance that saw the music continue with several encores. Sharp notes that the concert will again be held at the Grand County Fairgrounds in Kremmling, which has a capacity of between 3,500 and 5,000. She says that ticket sales will be capped at 3,500 for safety reasons.

Sharp notes that ticket prices have also been dropped somewhat this year in hopes that more people will be able to attend. She indicates that the Chamber did some price comparisons with similar events, such as local concerts at Winter Park’s Rendevouz Event Center at Hideaway Park and has tried to

price the event in a comparable range. “We really want everyone to be able to attend,” she says. “More attendees also means more people in our hotels, our restaurants and our retail stores. We want people to come to Kremmling for Diamond Rio and discover their next vacation destination.”

She recognizes the challenges of putting together any kind of new event believes that “while most young events don’t realize a profit, they do make a huge difference to the local economy. Our goal is to bring people to Kremmling. And while we don’t want everyone to move to Kremmling, I want everyone to vacation in here at least once.”

She also realizes other benefits to bringing in such “top acts”, like regional radio partnerships that promote Kremmling (iHeart Radio the Bull in Denver has contacted the Chamber with a desire to partner this year) and ongoing promotions from the bands themselves. She says that, after giving the Corbin Easton band a tour of Grand County last summer, including rafting, golfing, dining, and hot springs, the band posted on their Instagram about their amazing small town experience in Kremmling. “His crew still contacts me and would love to come back to perform and be welcomed again with our legendary hospitality and area beauty.”

This year’s concert will be held Saturday, August 29. A beer garden is planned with Thirsty Dills’ mobile beverage trailer and tips-trained volunteers. Tickets go on sale this Saturday, February 29. Early ticket sales will be $25 for general admission, $50 for VIP passes, and will go up $10 the day of the event. They can be purchased by going to the Chamber’s website
at www.KremmlingChamber.com.