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Saturday evening, the "new" Lonestar will take the stage at the Yakama Nation Legends Casino outdoor arena in Toppenish.

Over the past year, the chart-topping crossover country-pop group has gone through some changes -- the band's longtime record deal with BNA Records, whose parent company is Sony BMG, was fulfilled and the label declined to pursue a new contract. At the same time, lead singer Richie McDonald announced he was leaving to pursue a solo career.

But drummer Keech Rainwater says it's just another chapter for Lonestar, which formed in the early 1990s and whose hits include "What About Now," "I'm Already There," "My Front Porch Looking In," and the ballad "Amazed," the group's biggest single, which hit No. 1 on both the country and pop charts.

"We reached the end of our contract, which is quite an accomplishment. We put out 10 albums, sold millions of records. It's like graduating from college or medical school or something," Rainwater said during a phone interview from Nashville, where this week he was busy directing a music video for '80s pop singer Eddie Money, who's going a little bit country. (Rainwater's second career is directing films and videos.)

When former Lonestar bass guitarist/co-lead vocalist John Rich parted ways with the band in 1998, that was a chapter, said Rainwater. (Rich went on to become half of country duo Big & Rich.) And when McDonald decided to move on, "we never entertained the idea of quitting," said Rainwater.

Instead, the remaining members -- Rainwater, guitarist Michael Britt and keyboardist Dean Sams -- went on an exhaustive search for a new frontman.

"In our minds, there was never a choice," said Rainwater.

The decision, then, became to either find an established singer, or find a new talent. And they weren't looking for a McDonald sound-alike, rather someone who could carry on the Lonestar brand.

They found their man singing in a bar in Kennesaw, Ga.: Florida native Cody Collins.

With Collins, the "new" Lonestar, as Rainwater refers to it, recorded the album "My Christmas List," released last holiday season through Cracker Barrel Old Country Store.

And while in the studio, they also banged out the title track and first single -- "Let Me Love You" -- for Lonestar's forthcoming album, "The Future." (You can hear both songs on Lonestar's MySpace page at www.myspace.com/lonestar.)

The video for the single will be out in a week or so. It's a performance, nighttime piece, said Rainwater. But why wait a week? You can get your own live version Saturday.

Opening Saturday's show is fellow chart-topping country singer Joe Nichols, who was last here when he opened for Toby Keith at the Yakima Valley SunDome in early 2006.

Nichols' twangy, deep-voiced singles "Brokenheartsville" and "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off" both topped the country charts, and his latest album, "Real Things," features the current single, "It Ain't No Crime."

If you go

WHO: Lonestar with Joe Nichols.

WHEN: 6 p.m. Saturday.

WHERE: Yakama Nation Legends Casino outdoor arena, 580 Fort Road in Toppenish.

HOW MUCH: General admission tickets cost $10 and are available through the Legends Casino gift shop, 877-726-6311, ext. 5271, or Ticketmaster, 453-7139, www.ticketmaster.com. (The reserved seats are sold out.)

WHAT'S THE WEATHER? AccuWeather.com predicts a real-feel daytime high for Saturday of 94 degrees and mild nighttime weather in the mid-50s with moonlit skies.