Green’s days filled with gratitude at country’s revival

Monday, Oct. 24, 2005 | 8 a.m.

Singer/songwriter Pat Green is riding the wave of a resurgence in country music popularity.

Make that a "Wave on Wave," the title of the breakout hit that brought him national attention in 2003. The song about redemption made it into the top five of Billboard's country singles chart.

"Country is the strongest growing genre, without a doubt," said the 33-year-old native of Waco, Texas, during a recent telephone interview from Chicago, where he was appearing at the House of Blues.

Green will perform at 10 p.m. Friday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center during the Professional Bull Riders Association after-party. Tickets are $20; for information call 632-7580.

He recently completed a national tour as an opening act for country superstar Kenny Chesney. The "Somewhere in the Sun" tour, which also featured Gretchen Wilson and Uncle Kracker, played to sold-out arenas across the country.

"Kenny is the hottest touring act in the United States right now," Green said. He also says he saw the renewed enthusiasm for country everywhere he went with Chesney.

"I'm happy that it's so quickly getting back to where it was in the mid-'90s," Green said.

In Las Vegas, the resurgence is evident by the recent decision by Beasley Broadcast Group to switch its format on KJUL 104.3-FM from adult standards to country.

Although "Wave on Wave" has given Green national name recognition, he is not a newcomer to the business. He has been performing for more than 10 years.

Some have described him as a regional phenomenon, well known in his native Texas -- where he often performed with such legends as Willie Nelson -- but virtually unknown in the rest of the country.

Green's hometown popularity in the late '90s was fanned by three self-produced and independently distributed albums, including 1999's "Live at Billy Bob's Texas."

Green says it isn't accurate to pigeonhole him to one part of the country genre.

"We played the college circuit," he said. "We performed anywhere in the nation that we could get a college town behind us. We've had a great independent career, better than most -- we sold between 300,000 and 400,000 records before we signed with a major label."

In 2001 he joined the mainstream recording industry, signing with Republic.

His first album with the New York-based producer was "Three Days," which earned him two Grammy nominations.

When "Wave on Wave" debuted at Billboard's No. 10 spot, Esquire magazine, in its June 2003 edition, described the performer as "a young John Mellencamp playing a Delta-house kegger."

The Mellencamp description is not far off. The producer of "Wave on Wave" was Don Gehman, who worked with Mellencamp for many years.

Green says the success of that album has created a challenge for him to repeat the success.

"I have a change jar on my bus," he said. "It gets filled up and I empty it out and then put more in -- I'm not going to take anything for granted. I do care and I'm looking for the next hit."

This is not Green's first trip to Las Vegas.

"I've played there several times, at most of the big casinos -- like the Hilton -- but at several off the Strip, like Silverton," he said. "I really like the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay."

He says he was not surprised at the rebirth of country music.

"I kind of saw it coming on the college campuses," Green said.

Although he is a hot ticket in the country market these days, Green's music contains elements of blues and bluegrass and a little rock.

"I want the music to impact and affect as many as possible," he said.

Green describes his show as "very high energy."

"I come out every night and try to put the best show I can," he said. "It's all about making sure people get their money's worth."

Jerry Fink can be reached at 259-4058 or jerry@lasvegassun.com.