Country legend Travis Tritt to headline outdoor concert with Aaron Lewis & The Stateliners at Riverside Casino & Golf Resort

Recording artists who sound similar is an issue in many genres, particularly in bro-country. However, when Travis Tritt broke out in Nashville more than a quarter century ago, along with Clint Black, Alan Jackson and Garth Brooks, each future star stood on their own.

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"I think one of the things that has kept me going all these years is that my voice is recognizable," Tritt said. "I didn't sound like any other artist when I was starting out at the same time as Garth and Alan. We all sounded different."

Tritt, 62, who will perform Saturday, Aug. 2 at Riverside Casino & Golf Resort, looked different as well. He's the only one of the aforementioned recording artists that failed to sport a hat. Tritt is also the only one of those country icons who broke during the '90s to incorporate the sound of bluesy Southern rock into his country music.

That amalgam of sounds has enabled Tritt to enjoy incredible success. More than 40 of Tritt's songs have landed on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, including five number 1 hits, "Help Me Hold On," "Anymore," "Can I Trust You with My Heart," "Foolish Pride" and "Best of Intentions." Tritt also has 15 additional top 10 singles. Add that up and there's more than enough for a set list.

"I've been incredibly fortunate," Tritt said while calling from Georgia. "It's been incredible how much the fans have supported me. We try to engage the audience as much as possible as we play the solid hits going all the way back. The fans enjoy that. People don't realize how many hits we had on the charts."

The cerebral singer-songwriter loves performing but isn't crazy about all the time he spends during his tours offstage. But, he finds ways to deal with the downtime.

"The biggest problem with touring is that it becomes very monotonous," Tritt said. "I'll be honest. Traveling is hell, but the two hours I spend onstage makes it worth it. Trying to fill up that time is something I'm always engaged in."

Don't expect Tritt to be seen away from the stage. "I usually stay on the bus reading," Tritt said. "If you stepped on to the tour bus, you would see me reading or watching the news on one of the 24-hour news channels since I'm a news junkie."

It's worked out well for Tritt, but he's well aware that the industry is very different than what he experienced as a fledgling recording artist a generation ago.

"Things have changed so much," Tritt said. "It's so different the way records are recorded and marketed. It's harder to break into the business and be recognized. If you don't have tremendous movement on the charts in the first few weeks, the song dies a quick death. Getting started today is much more difficult than when I started. I'm just glad where I'm at."

Tritt will co-headline with singer-songwriter Aaron Lewis. The veteran tunesmith, who alternates between being a country solo artist and the frontman of the hard rock band Staind, stands out.

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Lewis is an outlier in an age when recording artists are reluctant to rock the boat with a song or a post that might contain controversial material, since it might come back to bite them on social media. But Lewis lays out his pointed opinions with songs like "Am I the Only One," a right-wing anthem which assails Bruce Springsteen.

"Am I the only one who quits singing along/Every time they play a Springsteen song," Lewis sings during "Am I the Only One."

Lewis and Tritt are a pair of recording artists who don't follow.

"I don't know how to be any other way," Tritt said.