By Mark LaFlamme,Staff Writer

AUBURN – Luke Robinson is a huge fan of Big & Rich. As far as the 20-year-old is concerned, the country music band has it all. It has a sound that breaks away from traditional country music, and yet still maintains the appropriate country sound.

Robinson will be at Wal-Mart on Monday when the duo appears at the store to sign CDs and mingle with fans.

“I’m a huge fan,” Robinson said. “They have the most upbeat music on the radio today. The traditionalist seems to think they’re too mainstream. I disagree. They have lyrics that almost sound like club songs, but it still has that twangy, country feel. They’re cutting edge in that way.”

Big & Rich, part of the “Music Mafia,” powered their way onto the country music scene with hits like “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy,” “The Wild West Show” and “Big Time.” These are not sad songs about dead dogs or wives that run away with best friends. This is lively, bouncy music you can stomp your foot to.

“If you wanted to have theme music when you’re walking into a bar or something, this is exactly what you’d want,” Robinson said.

At Wal-Mart, fliers were being handed out announcing the CD signing event. The band will be at the Mount Auburn Avenue store at 10 a.m. Monday before moving on to St. Clairsville, Ohio, for 3 p.m.

Robinson believes Big & Rich is the perfect type of country band to visit locally. It has a sound that might appeal to those music listeners who are not normally fans of country, he said.

“It’s like 80’s classic rock, mixed with rap, mixed with traditional country music. People will listen to them and they start expanding into more classic country,” Robinson said. “They transcend the line of what country music is supposed to be and what it could be. I think it’s good for the genre.”

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