SAWYER BROWN, DIAMOND RIO ON STAGE AT THE SHOW ME CENTER MARCH 18

Country music returns to the Show Me Center at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 18, in the form of Sawyer Brown and Diamond Rio with special guest Tim McGraw.

Sawyer Brown has experienced some golden moments of late with the success of albums "Cafe On The Corner" and "The Dirt Road". Both went gold. In addition, in the last 18 months Sawyer Brown has produced four number one singles.

Throughout its 10-year existence, Sawyer Brown has developed a reputation for delivering a high energy stage show. "I feel like when I go on stage now, I'm even more charged up because I know where to put my energy," said lead singer Mark Miller. "It's like a ball player who's been in the league for 10 years as opposed to the rookie just coming up. The younger guy might be a little quicker, but the veteran is still going to have the savvy to score more."

Added Miller,"We can tell when we hit the stage how we're doing. That's where it counts -- where we meet up with the fans. If they're not into it, it doesn't matter how many number ones you have."

Since Sawyer Brown's earliest days, when "Leona" and "Step That Step" -- their first number one -- launched their initial assualt on the country charts, their fans have been "into it."

Diamond Rio can't match Sawyer Brown's success or experience, but the band has already accounted for two number one singles : "Met In The Middle" and "Norma Jean Riley."

The six-member band was named top vocal group by the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association in 1991. In addition the band has received two Grammy nominations.

The group's new album, "Close To The Edge", takes a step to further the elements that have brought the group success. "The first record did so well we considered it a major challenge to try to make this one stand up to it,' said Diamond Rio lead vocalist Marty Roe. "Musically, it's a little more advanced, and it's a little more poignant lyrically."

Opening the show will be Tim McGraw, son of former major league pitcher Tug McGraw. McGraw's debut single, "Welcome To The Club" has been receiving strong air play across the country.

"If somebody wanted to brand me anything, I'd like to be called a honky-tonk singer," said McGraw. "I like heartbreak ballads in that tradition, and when I sing one, I try to let people feel the song as much as I do."

McGraw may be a newcomer to the country music scene, but he brings a diverse down-home heritage to his musical career. He was raised in Start, Louisiana, a small community in the northeastern region of the state. "I grew up listening to all kinds of music," he said. "My basic diet was country,but I also liked Motown and Rock'n'Roll. And I was an Elvis fan."