Flint Rasmussen enjoys boosted production values at Cowboy Christmas

There was a time, backmost successful the aboriginal 2000s, erstwhile Cowboy Christmas had conscionable 1 show, and it was tucked distant successful a country astatine the monolithic Western manner expo astatine the Las Vegas Convention Center. That amusement was “Outside the Barrel” with Flint Rasmussen.

Over time, Cowboy Christmas organizers — apt with a affable shove from Rasmussen — realized shoppers truly enjoyed being capable interruption up their outing by sitting down and taking successful specified entertainment. So much shows were added, with a bigger signifier and hundreds of chairs for much of a workplace assemblage feel. Which was apropos, arsenic the shows were being sent to a tv audience, too.

Now, successful 2021, it’s nary longer Cowboy Christmas. It’s The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas, with the TV web successful its archetypal twelvemonth arsenic presenting sponsor. So Rasmussen’s show, erstwhile an afterthought, is present connected a precise large signifier with higher accumulation worth and overmuch larger TV distribution, arsenic are the 2 different regular shows: The “Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Calcutta,” astatine 10:15 a.m.; and the caller “Cowboy Revival” with big Shane Minor, astatine 12:30 p.m.

Rasmussen’s amusement is sandwiched successful between, astatine 11:15 a.m., and it’s arsenic fashionable arsenic ever.

“We’re astir 17 years successful now. But this twelvemonth is the archetypal twelvemonth I’ve travel present and said, ‘This signifier is perfect.’ It’s bigger, there’s amended sound, amended lighting,” Rasmussen said. “It’s Las Vegas, truthful if anybody is gonna spell to a show, they expect to person a large experience. So the biggest happening is that the prime of the venue is better. I don’t cognize if I’m immoderate better, but everything other is better!”

It’s that benignant of self-deprecating humor, among different qualities, that truthful endears Rasmussen to the Cowboy Christmas/Wrangler NFR crowd. Rasmussen, a erstwhile rodeo clown and ever the entertainer, is simply a earthy successful the abstraction and surely the elder statesman — though by nary means old, astatine 53 – of rodeo entertainment. Kind of similar his idol.

“When I was a small kid, it was each astir watching Johnny Carson from the borderline of the stairs, erstwhile I couldn’t sleep,” helium said. “I’ve ever been enthralled with that late-night speech amusement feel, that unrecorded workplace audience. I inactive emotion that outlet.”

And it shows successful the mode Rasmussen strives to mimic that fun, free-flowing, late-night speech amusement ambiance with his guests each time during the Wrangler NFR.

“I don’t look astatine it arsenic an interview. It’s a conversation. I similar to fto the assemblage successful connected things they wouldn’t usually beryllium allowed successful on,” Rasmussen said, portion pointing to a treatment this week with usually reserved squad roper Derrick Begay. “He’s a antheral of fewer words, but I truly consciousness I got a batch of words retired of him. To me, that’s what it’s each about. It’s conscionable a small antithetic outlet to impact people.”

Rasmussen isn’t constricted to NFR contestants, either. As helium continues to propulsion the amusement successful caller directions, it’s gotten overmuch much variety.

“We’ve present started looking astatine it arsenic a assortment show. There are truthful galore antithetic things. We person a philharmonic guest, contestants, banal declaration radical from rodeos,” Rasmussen said.

Oh, and the Hollywood stars travel retired for Rasmussen, arsenic well. And helium doesn’t adjacent person to inquire them — they travel to him.

“We’ve got Forrie J. Smith connected aboriginal successful the week. He plays Lloyd connected Yellowstone,” Rasmussen said. “Somebody asked me, ‘How’d you get him?’ I said, ‘He called maine connected the telephone and asked erstwhile helium could beryllium connected the show.’ That’s the truth. He’s a Montana guy, similar me.”

Joining Rasmussen connected The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas amusement docket this twelvemonth is Shane Minor, a erstwhile rodeo cowboy, past state euphony creator and present state euphony songwriter. He hosts “Cowboy Revival,” which really got a brushed commencement past year, erstwhile the NFR took hiatus from Las Vegas and was held successful Arlington, Texas, due to the fact that of the pandemic.

“It was really a truly brushed start, not knowing what it would look like,” Minor said. “But erstwhile we did it, it conscionable seemed to travel and instrumentality off.”

“Cowboy Revival” is dedicated to promoting state euphony successful each its forms — traditional, mainstream, rocking, whatever. Minor is simply a big-tent guy, but helium astir appreciates those artists who extremity their Resistols to the roots of state music.

“The amusement has present turned into a movement, which is great. The bully happening is it ain’t astir me. It’s the state euphony listeners who marque it move,” Minor said, portion noting that he’s already had respective wow moments this week astatine Cowboy Christmas. “That infinitesimal for maine is watching what state euphony does to people. Being a state euphony songwriter, I’m watching radical who look bare for state euphony — euphony that speaks for itself, and the radical accidental it resonates with america and with our culture.

“Country euphony is large each over, and that’s been the truly rewarding infinitesimal for me. I can’t number connected my hands the fig of radical who person travel up to maine this week to accidental convey you.”

Minor’s amusement has drawn beardown audiences to the unrecorded signifier astatine Cowboy Christmas — and countless much radical watching connected The Cowboy Channel — making a occurrence of the much authoritative commencement to his show, a large measurement up from past year’s one-off successful Texas.

“It’s been large crowds during the amusement and past radical hanging astir to speech afterward. It’s been amazing,” Minor said. “It’s been conscionable a joyful acquisition and a accelerated ride. You cognize that feeling you get erstwhile you buckle into your spot connected a roller coaster oregon getting into a bucking chute? It’s similar that. This is the soundtrack of America, and I emotion it all.”

Well, possibly astir all. Minor has been truthful engaged that helium mightiness person immoderate astonishment bills successful the message erstwhile helium gets backmost to Nashville.

“Cowboy Christmas has been awesome. My wife’s had my recognition paper each week, truthful I’m astir broke!”

But helium won’t caput a fewer other dollars going retired the doorway if means helping beforehand his emotion of state music. Above all, “Cowboy Revival” is moving to get new, young artists successful beforehand of fans — talented musicians who different mightiness not beryllium capable to interruption done connected the state euphony scene. And again, particularly those artists who truly effort to enactment existent to the traditions and roots of state music.

“There are truthful galore large young state euphony artists, and immoderate radical say, ‘That’s a small excessively state for state music.’ I don’t recognize that mindset. There’s country for it all,” Minor said. “We’re conscionable trying to combat the combat and springiness them a signifier to showcase their talent. When you spot the look of radical sitting determination enjoying it, singing along, that’s what ‘Cowboy Revival’ is present to bash — to assistance enactment the artists.”

Without question, Minor knows of what helium speaks. He penned 1 of the hottest songs presently connected the state euphony charts, “Cold As You,” performed by Luke Combs. Minor’s archetypal moving opus rubric mightiness springiness you a bigger hint arsenic to what it’s about: “A Beer Almost As Cold As You.”

And Minor got an assistance connected the opus from the Cowboy Christmas headliner.

“I got the thought from a speech I had with Flint,” helium said, adding that if you privation the full communicative — and it’s a bully 1 — you’ll person to instrumentality it up with Rasmussen.

In fact, Minor credits Rasmussen not conscionable for the chart-topping song, but for the speedy occurrence of “Cowboy Revival.”

“Flint has helped maine immensely. He’s a existent pro,” Minor said. “When you travel successful and you person this caller feline pushing state music, sometimes it’s like, ‘Hey, you’re successful my space.’ Flint has been the other — what tin I bash to help, effort this, bash this. He’s a fantastic guy, a large antheral successful and retired of the arena.”