Diamond Rio Draws On ‘A Roll Call Of Emotions’

The Silver Mountain Amphitheater has defined its niche - for the ‘97 season, at any rate.

After playing with formats for several years, the 2,000-seat mountaintop venue will focus on country music. The series includes Lee Roy Parnell on July 20, Toby Keith on Aug. 8, Tracy Lawrence on Aug. 16 and Sawyer Brown on Aug. 22.

The series kicks into gear Friday night with a show by Diamond Rio, one of country music’s most celebrated groups of the recent past.

The Nashville-based “young country” group has garnered five Grammy nominations and eight Group of the Year awards, including two from the Academy of Country Music and three from the Country Music Association.

Now, they’re touring behind their 1995 album, “IV,” a brand-new greatest hits package and two new singles: “Holdin’,” from “IV,” went into the Top 5 of the country charts this year, and “How Your Love Makes Me Feel” is at No. 28 and working its way up.

Just two more hits to add to the lengthy list that Diamond Rio has cranked out in seven years of existence.

“It wasn’t that long ago,” recalls lead singer Marty Roe, “that we were doing club dates and didn’t have enough songs to fill up a set. Now we have a wonderful problem: too many hits to fit in an hour show. That’s what makes playing live such a blast.”

The current hits-based show tends to be a memory-jolter, even for members of the band.

“I’ve got a roll call of emotions when I look back at these songs,” says Dana Williams, who plays bass and sings low harmonies. “When I hear these things, I think back to the beginning of this trip. It’s been a wild ride.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: CONCERT Diamond Rio will perform at 7 p.m. Friday at the Silver Mountain Amphitheater. Tickets are $27.50 and $21.50, available at Silver Mountain, G&B Select-a-Seat outlets or call (800) 325-SEAT.