From a touch of classic country to a new wave of country blues, Gretchen Wilson, Big & Rich and the rest of the Muzikmafia pleased country fans young and old Friday night at the Convocation Center.

The show marked a milestone in Wilson’s career.

“This is my first time playing in front of a sold-out crowd with a headliner, so this is pretty exciting for me,” Wilson said.

Wilson’s set included her hits such as “Redneck Woman” and ”Here for the Party,” as well as a rendition of Loretta Lynn’s classic, “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man).”

Big & Rich took the stage next and had the crowd on its feet with “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy),” and slowed it down with “Holy Water.”

The duo played for about an hour and performed other tunes such as “Love Train” and “Kick My Ass.”

Just as the crowd thought the show was over, the sound of a saxophone playing “The Godfather” theme filtered through the air and both Wilson and Big & Rich, along with more than 15 other artists, crowded the stage for an encore.

This Muzikmafia – as they called themselves – included a number of artists from Nashville, Tenn., as well as Wilson and Big & Rich. The artists took turns playing music together and on their own. One artist jammed a country blues tune on his guitar and later all of them joined in to play a catchy rendition of Heart’s ”Straight On.”

Many fans, like Dan Lauer, a senior meteorology major, consider these groups to be the newest craze in country music.

“Both Gretchen Wilson and Big & Rich are kind of the new wave of country music where it still has that country sound to it but also ties into rock ‘n’ roll,” said Lauer, who has been following country music for most of his life.

The sold-out show also drew fans from across state lines.

Sarah Ahnen, 23 and Kristi Kittleson, 22, drove an hour and a half from Madison, Wisc. to see the country blowout.

“Both groups are different and real, and they appeal to a lot of different people,” Kittleson said. “That’s why people like them.”