Two accomplished Northern California country acts will share the Town Center Amphitheater stage Thursday for a full evening of country, Southern rock and Americana
EL DORADO HILLS — Concertgoers will get twice the music at El Dorado Hills Town Center this Thursday as Live on the Boulevard presents a country doubleheader featuring two Northern California acts with extensive recording, touring and performance résumés.
Cynthia Renee and the Cripple Creek Band will share the Town Center Amphitheater stage July 30, bringing two complete performances to the weekly summer concert series. The pairing will give audiences an evening that stretches from contemporary country and radio-ready songwriting to Southern rock, Americana and Bluegrass.
Both acts arrive with new career milestones, years of regional touring and experience performing alongside some of the biggest names in country music.
The evening will kick off with Cynthia Renee and her band taking to the amphitheater stage. Renee, a Sacramento-based singer and songwriter, enters Thursday’s concert during one of the busiest and most successful stretches of her career. Her latest single, “The Way God Made Me,” has continued gaining attention on national country radio while her self-titled album has earned recognition from the independent music industry.
“The Way God Made Me” debuted at No. 41 on the New Music Weekly Country Main Chart after receiving 118 radio spins during its first week. The debut marked Renee’s first appearance on the publication’s main country chart and placed her music alongside releases from established national recording artists.
The song also climbed to No. 4 on the New Music Weekly Country Indie Main Chart, moving up from No. 6 as support continued to grow among independent radio programmers, digital stations and listeners.
The song’s message centers on authenticity, self-confidence and remaining true to the person someone was created to be. That theme reflects the storytelling approach Renee has carried throughout her music, combining personal lyrics with contemporary country production and a vocal style built for both radio and the stage.
The single has also received national awards recognition. “The Way God Made Me” was nominated for Song of the Year at the 12th annual Josie Music Awards, while Renee’s self-titled album was nominated for Album of the Year.
The awards will be presented Sept. 20 at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. The latest honors bring Renee’s total to three Josie Music Awards nominations during the past two years.
Released through Twelve Seventeen/SSM Records, “The Way God Made Me” continues the momentum Renee has built since signing with the Nashville-based label in 2023. Her previous releases have helped expand her presence with country radio programmers and listeners beyond Northern California.
Her earlier singles “Working on a Hangover” and “Good on Me” both received national country radio airplay. “Working on a Hangover” reached the top of several national independent music charts, while “Good on Me” appeared on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart.
Those releases helped establish Renee as an emerging independent country artist while introducing her music to audiences across the country.
Her performance résumé has grown alongside her radio success. Renee has shared stages with Uncle Kracker, Lady A, Chase Bryant and Maddie & Tae and has appeared at Country in the Park, the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City, the Harris Center for the Arts in Folsom and venues throughout California, Nashville and Wyoming.
Her current tour includes performances in California, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon. The schedule has placed Renee in front of a wide range of audiences while allowing her to continue building a national following from her Sacramento-area roots.
Thursday’s performance will give local concertgoers a chance to hear the songs behind that growing recognition while also experiencing the energetic stage presence that has become a central part of Renee’s live shows.
Closting the evening will be the Cripple Creek Band, a Northern California group that has spent more than a decade building a following through a blend of country, Southern rock, Americana and Bluegrass.
Formed in 2012, Cripple Creek has developed a sound that draws from several roots-based styles while maintaining the drive and energy of a modern country show. The band has become known for performances that move easily between original music, Southern rock influences and crowd-friendly country favorites.
Cripple Creek released its self-titled debut album in 2014, followed by “Bonafide” in 2017 and “Last of a Dying Breed” in 2022.
The band has also released several singles, including “State of Jefferson” in 2019, “Hands Folded” in 2020 and “Take the Reins” in 2026. The releases have documented the band’s musical growth while expanding its catalog of original material.
Songwriting has become an important part of Cripple Creek’s national recognition. The group was named a finalist in the Wide Open Country Song Contest in 2025 and was a finalist in the Great American Song Contest in 2017 and 2022.
The band later earned a Top 5 finish in the Great American Song Contest in 2025. Cripple Creek was also named a semifinalist in the International Songwriting Competition in 2020, 2021 and 2026.
Additional honors include a Top 15 finish in Music for the Cause in 2019 and finalist recognition in the USA Songwriting Competition that same year.
The band’s concert résumé includes appearances at several of California’s most prominent country music venues and festivals.
Cripple Creek performed at Ironstone Amphitheatre in 2021, opening for Toby Keith, and appeared at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in 2022 as an opening act for Bret Michaels.
In 2023, the band performed at the GoldenSky Country Music Festival in Sacramento during a lineup headlined by Eric Church. Cripple Creek later appeared at the Country Summer Music Festival in Santa Rosa in 2024, when Little Big Town served as a headliner, and returned in 2026 during a festival lineup led by Keith Urban.
The band also appeared at KNCI’s Golf and Guitars event at Haggin Oaks from 2018 through 2023. Those events included artists such as Cody Johnson, Morgan Wallen, Lainey Wilson and Randy Houser.
Over the years, Cripple Creek has opened for a lengthy list of country and Southern rock performers, including Whiskey Myers, Eli Young Band, Drake White, Neal McCoy, Jon Pardi, Joe Nichols, The Cadillac Three, Dustin Lynch, Tyler Farr, David Nail and Jackson Dean.
That experience has helped the group build a polished and forceful stage show capable of connecting with festival crowds, theater audiences and outdoor concertgoers.
While Renee brings a contemporary country sound shaped by radio success and personal songwriting, Cripple Creek offers a roots-driven mix of original music, country, Americana and Southern rock. Together, the two acts will give Thursday’s audience two distinct approaches to modern country music during one evening.
The concert continues the 2026 Live on the Boulevard season at the Town Center Amphitheater, 4364 Town Center Blvd. The free Thursday night series has drawn residents and visitors throughout the summer for outdoor music, dining and entertainment in the center of El Dorado Hills.
Gates open at 5 p.m. for chair setup, allowing attendees to secure a place inside the amphitheater before visiting one of the restaurants and businesses throughout Town Center. The amphitheater opens at 5:30 p.m.
An online waitlist for early chair setup opens at noon on concert days. One registrant may bring up to four people, and participants are asked to line up in numerical order by 5:15 p.m. at the corner of Brickyard and Holiday Inn.
Wine, beer and spirits are available for purchase inside the venue. Outside alcohol, beverages and ice chests are prohibited under ABC regulations.
Venue rules also require bags to be clear plastic or smaller than 8 inches by 6 inches by 1 inch. All bags and coolers are subject to search. Blankets, personal tables, barbecues and roped-off seating areas are not permitted.
Following Thursday’s country doubleheader, Live on the Boulevard will continue Aug. 6 with Journey Unauthorized, a tribute act that recreates the sound and arena-rock energy of Journey.
The series will then take a brief break before returning Aug. 27 for its season finale with The Spazmatics, known for their energetic celebration of 1980s music and pop culture.
Remaining 2026 Live on the Boulevard Schedule
July 30 — Cynthia Renee and Cripple Creek
Aug. 6 — Journey Unauthorized
Aug. 27 — The Spazmatics
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