DATE: Wednesday, August 13, 1997            TAG: 9708130037
SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JIM PATTERSON, ASSOCIATED PRESS 

                                            LENGTH:   85 lines

TOURING COUNTRY SUPERSHOWS SEEK TO REKINDLE THE INTEREST OF FANS

STRONG COUNTRY MUSIC double bills and package shows are hitting the road this year in an attempt to win back casual fans who strayed from the fold in 1996.

Even the biggest stars have taken notice of a downturn in the touring industry. Some have reacted by taking on corporate sponsors, others are sharing touring costs - and even their prestigious headliner status.

The trend should result in better values for fans. For example, it will take just one ticket to see the new shows of two of country's biggest acts, Reba McEntire and Brooks & Dunn, who will play Hampton Coliseum on Thursday.

``You could probably say that business across the board was down a little bit in 1996, for some people more,'' said million-selling singer Vince Gill. ``For us, it wasn't too bad.''

Still, Gill has accepted a tour sponsorship from Kraft for the first time this year, and he tapped fellow tenor Bryan White as a strong opening act.

``Obviously, from a financial standpoint, help with a tour is really, really good. And it's not something that I'm ashamed to have my name attached to,'' Gill said. ``I'm not going to show up on a bunch of packages of cheese, you know? We're just business partners for the tour.''

Sales of country music CDs dropped by about 10 percent in 1996, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

Likely the year's biggest tour pairs two multimillion-selling acts, McEntire with Brooks & Dunn. Sponsored by oil company Mobile 1, the 85-city tour began in Memphis on Feb. 28. They are using an in-the-round stage, and McEntire will perform a few numbers with Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn to keep the entertainment flowing without an intermission.

It can be a knotty problem, though, for less-established acts.

New star Paul Brandt, who broke through with ``My Heart Has a History'' last year and opened dates for Travis Tritt and Marty Stuart, says he is leaning toward small theaters for 1997.

``The one industry that is doing the best as far as touring goes and is actually booming . . . has been the Christian industry,'' Brandt said. ``They do a lot of small-theater concerts where they have up to 3,000 people, and they sell the place out and they make a big event about it and it's exciting.

``That's what I want to try and do . . . instead of charging exorbitant prices that are being charged in some of these big arenas just to break even.''

Brandt plans to play about 170 dates in 1997 and is keeping his options open in case he's invited onto a bigger tour.

For country fans who like the music rather than any particular artist, the best values are probably the package tours sponsored by Fruit of the Loom, PrimeStar, Crown Royal and Wal-Mart. The latter is the best deal of all - more than 200 free shows in Wal-Mart parking lots.

The shows feature a revolving cast of newcomers and middle-tier artists eager to reach fans in the many small towns this tour hits that others don't. Playing selected shows this year are James Bonamy, George Ducas, Ty Herndon, MC Potts, Eddie Raven and Jo-El Sonnier, and many others.

The 60-date Fruit of the Loom Country Comfort tour, which began Feb. 20 in Cincinnati, features Hank Williams Jr., Travis Tritt, Charlie Daniels and Jo Dee Messina. It comes to the GTE Virginia Beach Amphitheater Sept. 12.

A sort of traveling state fair, dubbed The Experience, travels with the tour. It features interactive computer exhibits, country-music memorabilia and line dancing away from the main stage.

Fans will be able to ``go in and actually interactively accept a CMA Award from Vince Gill or something along those lines,'' Tritt said during a news conference to promote the tour. ``Go in and see a little bit of history of the Grand Ole Opry or see a little bit of the history of country music in general.

``A lot of people are referring to this as a Lollapalooza of country music, and I think that this is an accurate description.''

The Crown Royal tour features David Lee Murphy, Tracy Byrd and Garry Allan. Terri Clark, Clay Walker, Bonamy and Clay Walker will play under the PrimeStar banner.

Waiting in the wings is a potential bombshell: Shania Twain plans to tour to support her third album with a show to rival McEntire's. Twain has never toured. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]

Reba McEntire, center, with Brooks & Dunn.

WANT TO GO?

Who: Reba McEntire and Brooks & Dunn

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday

Where: Hampton Coliseum

Tickets: $40 plus service charge

To order: 671-8100

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