Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Levi Riggs comes to the Putnam County Fair


Levi Riggs Concert at the Putnam County Fair on Wed. July 25 at 9pm. on the Pull Strip at the North end of the fairgrounds.  Tickets will be $10 for those 13 and over, $5 age 7-12, 6 and under are free.  The fairgrounds is located north of Greencastle, Indiana on St. Hwy. 231.

Levi Riggs - His name alone resonates with strong country music influence.


At 27 years of age, this Danville, Ind., native is one of country music’s brightest and fastest-rising new stars. He proves it every show with energy, enthusiasm, and a smile that just won’t quit, creating a style of country music all his own.
When respected music critic, Tim Brouk, writes, "If Levi Riggs' voice was placed in the NFL draft, it would be selected in the first round.” When they hear Levi sing, they want more! When they see him perform, they are convinced that Levi Riggs will become a country music superstar!

When it comes to authenticity, Levi actually lives the country lifestyle he sings about. He works with country music fans everyday...a “Down Home Boy”…in the field...selling corn and soybean seed to farmers. "I spend my weekday’s visiting with growers and providing seed recommendations on their farms. They are my audience. That’s who I am,” he says.

Clearly one of the most ambitious country music artists, Riggs founded his own label, Windridge Records, and named it after his family’s Jersey dairy cattle farm. He signed with Flying Island Entertainment in 2012 to promote his music to country radio. His current single on the label, “My Best Friend’s A Girl,” is flying up the country music charts at a rapid pace. A fresh twist on a love song, it references a girl who is “5’4” and fun to kiss with lyrics like: “My best friend has 50 pairs of shoes, spends an hour at the store looking for shampoo. My best friend hates it when I cuss, won’t drink beer or go fishin’ that much. My best friend knows nothin’ bout guitars, don’t get into poker or smokin’ big cigars. Never checks the oil in the car…”
“I have been on the road promoting this single, playing live on the air, meeting program directors and dj’s and the common theme that I hear from them is how reactive this new single, “My Best Friend’s A Girl,” is. Listeners from all over want to hear it and fans are requesting it with a tremendous amount of excitement,” says Riggs. “I hold Meet & Greet autograph and photo sessions after my shows and sign until the last fan leaves. They line up by the hundreds to get pictures with me and that’s a rewarding feeling.”

Having spent his entire collegiate career on a stage somewhere in the world with the famous Purdue Varsity Glee Club, Riggs has learned to craft his recordings to fit his live show. In March of 2012 he opened for The Band Perry, arguably America’s hottest country group, in West Lafayette, Ind. Some of the comments in the Journal & Courier’s article, “Local singer Levi Riggs fulfills dream on Elliott stage” include: "He did an amazing job!" said Chapan's friend, Adrenne Wilcox, who became a fan when she heard "My Best Friend's A Girl. "I am definitely going home and looking him up." "Riggs got the crowd, young and old, on its feet with songs such as "There's Still A Place For That," "Down Home Boy" and "Easy." "The crowd went wild as soon as they heard the opening chords for "My Best Friend's A Girl."

“Another crowd favorite was "Hillbilly Superstar," which was co-written by Brett Eldredge who went up after Riggs as the second opening band.”
He wailed on “Born To Farm” a new original song he wrote on Music Row with Dan Truman of Diamond Rio. Riggs just finished a standing room crowd cheering show at the famous Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville. Recently, Levi was honored to be invited to perform for Manuel, the famous Nashville country music clothing designer who notably designed the stage clothes for Johnny Cash and many other music superstars.

Levi brings a passion and excitement to the stage that sets him far apart from other artists. Levi has tireless drive and focus, a strong persevering attitude, and a passion for everything he does musically on stage and in the studio. He penned the football themed seasonal song called “Tailgate Time” that landed him an invitation to Leigh Steinberg’s 25th Annual Super Bowl Party in Dallas, Texas in 2011. Most recently, Levi blew away over 65,000 fans with his performances at the NFL Experience and Tailgate Party for Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis on Super Bowl Sunday 2012.
In July of 2011, Levi opened up for country music superstar Justin Moore in Evansville, Ind., following Justin's recent #1 hit "If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away." The crowd of over 7,500 fans raved about the new original songs that Levi performed including "There's Still A Place For That," "Hillbilly Superstar," "Down Home Boy," and "My Best Friend's A Girl."

"It's hard for me as an artist to sit in the audience at a concert and just watch," says Riggs." To me, all the fun happens on stage. It's just a rush and it's where I feel at home. I love to connect with my audience through my songwriting and energy. I always give my best effort at every show to perform at the highest level possible." Riggs also brings uniqueness in that he writes much of his own show material. "I love to write songs that my fans can sing along to. I want them to walk away from my show taking home a piece of me and what I’ve experienced in life," says Riggs.

2012 marks a turning point in Riggs’ career. With a successful single on the charts, touring and opening for big name headliners, he’s nearly made Nashville, Tenn., his second home. He’s making numerous trips to work with Grammy-winning songwriters, three of the industry’s top producers, and two of the best song pluggers in the business to offer new and exciting albums stacked with hit songs to his fans. "The best song wins," says Riggs. There is little room for doubt, equipped with the best songs, a seasoned voice, commanding stage presence, and a strong positive attitude and work ethic, Levi Riggs will become a country music superstar.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

2011 Indiana Livestock Breeders Hall of Fame

A common face at the Putnam County Fair is a member of the 2011 Indiana Livestock Breeders Hall of Fame.  Ken Torr has dedicated his life to the promotion, advertising and marketing of multiple species of livestock in Indiana and 30 other states.  Ken's achievements started in 4-H receiving numerous Grand Champion awards in Beef Showmanship and Angus Breeding Cattle at the Indiana State Fair.  Ken was the first Round Robin Showmanship winner at the Putnam County Fair.  He graduated with a degree in Animal Husbandry from Purdue and was on both the Dairy and Livestock Judging Teams.  He has received the Distinguished Ag Alumni award from Purdue University.  For 32 years, Ken worked for the Farm Progress Publications as a Livestock Fieldman for the Indiana Prairie Farmer.  As his career progressed, his responsibilities expanded to Ohio and the Michigan Farmer Magazines as well as farm magazines in the New England area, Oklahoma and California.  Marketing was Ken's passion and this made him as versatile as any marketing agent; this included serving as auctioneer for more than 40 years and crying sales in over 10 states.  Ken also has always been a leader in the agricultural industry, serving as an officer in the regional and state Angus Associations and a Trust officer for the First Citizens Bank of Greencastle.