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LoCash Cowboys Bio
Sat. August 16, 2008
LoCash Cowboys Bio
Sat. August 16, 2008
For decades, musicians have been calling their names individually.
Dusty Springfield sang about the “Son of a Preacher Man” in 1968, and since then many an artist has crooned about American football heroes. It took only a chance meeting in Nashville to bring the two together.
The result: LoCash Cowboys.
Chris Lucas, a high school football luminary from Pasadena, Maryland, grew up accustomed to center stage, playing in front of the masses each Friday night. When not quarterbacking his team to victory, he sang and danced in his home, or performed at local establishments under the guidance of his aunt. His love for country, rock and R&B was evident from an early age. Chris arrived in Nashville in 1998, seeking his way among those who have made it, those who have not, and most importantly, those who will.
Preston Brust quite literally grew up as the son of a preacher man, his father an ordained minister in the Church of Christ. Born in Dermott, Arkansas, he was raised in Kokomo, Indiana. Growing up in the Heartland of the Nation, he naturally gravitated toward country and rock. Belting out Gospel tunes at a young age in church, Preston prepared himself for his future in front of the Sunday–morning crowd – and perhaps a higher audience. Preston arrived in Nashville in June 2002. Two weeks later, Chris & Preston, the duo, was spawned.
“They say when the stars line up, great things happen,” Chris said. “The stars lined up and have kept lining up. The more we play, the stronger we grow as musicians and as brothers. From our first meeting until this present day, LoCash Cowboys were meant to entertain and meant to be.”
Members of the Country Music Association (CMA) and nominated to CMA’s Top 10 Ballot for Duo-of-the-Year in 2006, LoCash Cowboys have been heard on radio stations from coast to coast and played before millions over the last three years, and countless more on television.
“Anyone who saw LoCash Cowboys on the CMA ballot will never forget it,” Preston said. “We were the only unsigned act on the ballot. We like to think of it as a sign of things to come.”
But just how did Chris & Preston, the duo, become LoCash Cowboys?
The two met in Nashville at the famous Wildhorse Saloon in July 2002, where Chris was employed. After a brief encounter, Chris offered Preston a job working with him on stage. While not in name just yet, the LoCash Cowboys had been born. On stage at the Wildhorse, Chris and Preston shared the spotlight with each other, and their talents with the audience. For four years, they entertained fans at the Wildhorse, including corporate outings and private parties. As those early shows went on, the tandem swiftly learned their collective value. Chris & Preston had launched their career.
“Looking back we realize that we thought we were just going to work and rock the house every night,” Preston said. “But we were really building the foundation and designing the blueprints of what would become LoCash Cowboys.”
The new-found brothers signed with Buddy Lee Attractions in July 2002 as Chris & Preston and then officially launched as LoCash Cowboys in late 2004. Since then LoCash Cowboys has indoctrinated the nation to the concept and the attitude that defines LoCash.
“LoCash is a way of life,” Chris said. “It doesn’t mean you are poor or have no money. It just means some of the best things in life are free – or LoCash. It’s remembering who you are and where you came from.”
Singing two-part harmony to musically-educated audiences, LoCash Cowboys electrifies fans with their upbeat brand of music – a hybrid of country, rock and hip hop. A country-music fan has not experienced LoCash Cowboys; however, until they have seen the complete show, one that has left established artists and industry executives searching for their dropped jaws and popped eardrums. With high-energy dance moves that compliment their wide-ranging vocal abilities, LoCash Cowboys’ show has carved its niche in 40 states thus far.
“We’re like stage Marines,” Preston said. “We walk out, take one look at the audience and attack! We never let up whether it’s a 30-minute appearance or a four-hour show. The energy stays at a peak the entire time.”
Their show strikes a stark contrast to what many would consider traditional country music. With a flair for the dynamic, this hybrid show of country, rock and hip hop thumps, smacks and batters fans with a sensation of LoCash stimulation. The boys engage fans with their original hits such as: “Boom Boom” and “Gimme Somethin To Look At.”
“This song (“Boom Boom”) has garnered more attention and press than any other thus far, and this was without a record deal,” Chris said. “Hearing the song live and in person makes you feel the non-stop energy of LoCash.”
This chameleon-like approach to their performance has allowed these two musical brethren to criss-cross the nation, entertaining musical souls from Seattle to Florida and New York to California, playing everything from honky-tonk, roadside saloons and country bars to festivals and country fairs. LoCash has also played corporate parties for the likes of Starbucks, Expedia, Outback and Gaylord Entertainment.
Corporate sponsors Budweiser Select and Peavey Electronics have provided support the past two years and will continue to ride the LoCash Train through 2008. More than 40 states are planned for 2008, including LoCash’s second invasion of California, as well as Arizona, the entire Midwest and the complete Southeast. This tour comes on the heels of 2007 performances at CMA Music Fest, the Official CMA Awards After Party and the Wrangler National Rodeo Finals, as guests of the Academy of Country Music (ACM).
The gigs keep getting larger for LoCash, and the fan base keeps growing, but this is a direct result of their road-warrior mentality. Playing 250 shows a year in nearly all 50 states in the Union, LoCash has covered the music marketplace from those honky-tonk, roadside saloons to performances on Country Music Television (CMT) and the Official CMA After-Party.
“When we found out that CMA wanted us to be the entertainment for the Official After-Party, we flipped out,” Preston said. “It’s an honor to be a part of the CMA so obviously we were ecstatic to be a part of the event. We received unprecedented publicity for rocking the show, and more amazing bookings have appeared due to that performance.”
When LoCash started touring in 2005, the boys made an immediate impact on the country-music world. Not many entertainers get to showcase their talents in front of millions of television viewers their first year on tour, but in ruthless, raw and robust LoCash style, the brothers introduced themselves to the world on CMT – live! While in Vega, Texas shooting CMT’s “Popularity Contest,” the boys took the stage and gave country music fans a glimpse of the future – and even a little of the present.
“At the time, people all over the country, including CMT, only knew us as the Wildhorse guys,” Preston said. “CMT was awesome for including us live in Vega, Texas. I remember our phones blowing up after the show aired on CMT.”
Catching the attention of producers around the nation, LoCash Cowboys found themselves working with a country legend: Tanya Tucker. In 2005, the boys appeared on seven episodes of “Tuckerville” on CMT and ultimately wrote, produced and recorded the theme song for the show: “My Life in Tuckerville.” The show began re-runs in summer 2007, giving LoCash Cowboys even more television exposure. “My Life in Tuckerville” is due out on Tucker’s Greatest Hits Album, which is scheduled to be released in 2008.
“Working with legend, icon and all-around wonderful woman Tanya Tucker, we appeared on seven episodes and hosted the marathon show on TLC (The Learning Channel),” Chris said. “Maybe we could host our own show on The Learning Channel. There is certainly a lot to learn about country music and the LoCash way of life.”
LoCash Cowboys kept the music-television connection intact for 2006, appearing on the Miss America Pageant in Los Angeles and writing the theme song: “Boom, Boom.” LoCash Cowboys had landed on the West Coast. The pageant was broadcast on CMT, MTV and VH1, launching the lads and “Boom Boom” to the stratosphere of American cable television.
“Not only was it our first time on MTV and VH1, but the show was aired on all of Viacom (CMT, MTV and VH1), Preston said. “It blows us away every night when we walk out on stage and hear the audience singing, ‘Boom Boom, Bang Bang.’ The song makes people just gravitate toward the dance floor.”
When the invite came in 2007 to play Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling’s SlamiVersary, the boys exposed their true flamboyance and flair, rocking more than 10,000 raging spectators at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in front of a national Pay-Per-View audience. 2007 also included performances on the River Stages at CMA Music Fest, a major gig for that opened up the opportunity for their performance at the CMA After-Party.
“We have been working very closely with the CMA,” Chris said. “They have stood by LoCash for quite a while now, and we were honored to play both the CMA Music Fest and CMA Awards After Party.”
Since Chris and Preston joined forces and morphed into LoCash Cowboys, Buddy Lee Attractions has handled all the duo’s booking and laid the foundation for Team LoCash. In addition to headlining shows booked by Buddy Lee, LoCash Cowboys have shared the bill with the likes of Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Charlie Daniels, Gretchen Wilson, Big & Rich, REO Speedwagon, Clay Walker, ZZ Top, Tom Petty and countless others. In terms of recording, LoCash Cowboys has worked exclusively with the Dirt Road Studio team of Dale Oliver and Mark Miller (Sawyer Brown). The foundation of Team LoCash was set in place four years ago and remains solid to this day.
“The President of Buddy Lee Attractions, Tony Conway, met us back in 2002 as a favor to a friend,” Preston said. “We sang a cappella and 10 minutes later he pulled out a contract. His insight, along with his entire team at Buddy Lee Attractions, has helped book over 500 LoCash shows the last two years. BLA has introduced the nation to LoCash Cowboys and set the kindling on fire. Now it’s time for the LoCash fire to rage out of control.”
In addition to much-anticipated 2008 performances around the nation, LoCash Cowboys will be back in the studio, recording new music written by multi-CMA, ACM and CMT award winner Keith Urban.
“Keith is an incredible writer, singer and entertainer,” Preston said. “When we went into the studio to cut that song, we wanted sing it with integrity and make him proud of his work.”
In addition to their exploits on stage and in the studio, the boys also find time to reach out and serve the various communities through which they travel. For the past three years, Chris and Preston have served as spokesmen for D.A.R.E, Drug Abuse Resistance Education. In 2008, they are launching a national campaign with various children’s hospitals, trying to bring some LoCash smiles to the faces of terminally-ill children.
“Our community involvement is crucial to who we are as people,” Chris said. “We were both raised in caring, loving and religious families who taught us the value of giving back. As entertainers, we have the opportunity to make people laugh and smile. Nobody should be laughing and smiling more than kids.”
Though the son of the preacher man and the American football hero have marked their country-music territory in America, electrified audiences in 40 states, on the radio and through television, there is much more to accomplish, more fans to entertain, more admirers to absorb.
Musicians are no longer calling their names individually. Through their collective and collaborative nature, LoCash Cowboys, with their ruthless, raw and robust sound, have solidified their place among the brilliant and breathtaking artists Nashville has to present.
2008 will prove that.
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