Country music has always had a niche audience. But in the history of modern music, there have been moments when country music swaggered its way into the eye of the general public, whether it was Lynyrd Skynyrd or Garth Brooks.

Now another act that prescribes to that particular style of whiskey-drinking, cowboy boot-wearing music is climbing onto the national stage, and it’s making a stop in Athens on the way.

“It’s more than I could ever ask for,” said singer and guitarist Randy Rogers. “I grew up writing songs, started this band about nine years ago and the past few years have just been a dream come true.”

This year alone, they have played on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “The Late Show with David Letterman” – a tremendous increase in national exposure. The band was ranked as one of Rolling Stone’s “Must-See Tours of the Summer,” and Playboy named their most recent self-titled album the best country album of the year.

“What started out [as] a regional thing for us has started to become more … touring coast-to-coast, not just in our section of the world,” Rogers said.

The Randy Rogers Band originally got together in San Marcos, Tex., in 2000 and recorded its first album there within the year. Since then, the five-piece has released five more albums and maintained a rigorous touring schedule.

Its music is classic country-rock mix, with Rogers claiming influences of Merle Haggard and Robert Earl Keen. Rogers adds crunchy guitars to fiddle, lonesome lyrics and gentle melodies of his idols, creating a verifiable love child of classic twang and Southern rock.

Since its first album, “Live at Cheatham Street Warehouse,” recorded in a local club, Randy Rogers Band has dedicated itself, first and foremost, to making music for the crowd they’re playing to that night.

“We try to interact with the people that are there and try to make everybody have a good time,” Rogers said. “We’ve been doing it a long time, playing almost 200 shows a year for the past seven years. We’re pretty familiar with each other and pretty familiar with the stage.”

A Georgia Theatre production, this show was transferred to the 40 Watt in lieu of the fire on June 19. This will be Randy Rogers Band’s first 40 Watt appearance.

“The [Georgia Theatre] name will still be attached to it, and they will still see proceeds from that,” said Velena Vego, booking agent at the 40 Watt.

“The 40 Watt has always been known for breaking up-and-coming bands – that’s what interests us,” Vego said. “So to have these country artists that we haven’t really had before, it is exciting for the club.”

Rogers believes his particular style – what he calls “edgy country” – satisfies those who are tired of the mainstream country-pop on the radio.

“I think that [true country music] always has its place,” Rogers said. “It’s an alternative to the norm. Every once in a while it kind of creeps into the mainstream just because people get so tired of listening to same old cookie-cutter stuff that all sounds exactly alike.”