Lonestar to headline Fayette Fair
With the 48th Annual Fayette County Fair set to open Thursday, more than just Fayette County residents are looking forward to the event. Lonestar, the country music superstars who will be headlining entertainment at this year’s fair, are also excited about the opportunity to perform in the area.
“We are going to rock the house,” said band drummer Keech Rainwater. “We do a lot of these shows and they are huge. It’s great because everyone is having a good time. It’s like a day at the beach.’
Lonestar will be performing on Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Outdoor Arena. Fair organizers have said that Lonestar will be the biggest music act in fair history.
“This is by far the biggest act we have ever had. We are really excited about it and expect it to go well,” said Bill Jackson, president of the fair board.
Lonestar began in 1992 in Nashville when Rainwater joined fellow band members Dean Sams, Michael Britt and Richie McDonald. Before long, the group hit the road and began playing any venue that would take them.
“We started out in a two-door Jeep Cherokee. Our focus was to try to get a record, but it was really challenging. A lot of times we were playing places and the people had no idea who we were,” Rainwater said.
In 1995, with the help of country music legends Don Cook and Wally Wilson, the band released its debut album, “Lonestar.” They followed that with a second release in 1997, “Crazy Nights,” which featured two number 1 singles, “Come Cryin’ To Me” and “Everything’s Changed.” However, as Rainwater, explained, everything did change for the band in 1999 when they released their third album, “Lonely Grill.” “Amazed”, the first release from that album, climbed to the top of both the country and pop charts, making Lonestar a household name and familiar band heard on the radio.
“It was a really big shock. Nobody thought it was going to become that big of a hit, but it did. ‘Amazed’ put us on the globe and really took us to a different level,” Rainwater said.
In 2001, the band released its fourth album, “I’m Already There”, which has also been very successful. Rainwater said, “‘I’m Already There’ was different from their past albums, but in a positive way.
“I think we really matured with “I’m Already There.’ The subject matter is deeper and the lyrics have more meaning. We just aren’t talking about girls. We are singing about being away from home, kids and fatherhood,” Rainwater said.
Since becoming one of country music’s hottest bands, Lonestar has had a busy touring schedule, including being a part of the George Strait Country Music Festival. According to Rainwater, the band enjoys playing live shows and in particular fairs and festivals.
“A majority of this summer we have been doing fairs and festivals and those are a lot of fun. We really appreciate the fans that go out there and support us at these events. It allows us to do what we do. We plan on doing it for as long as they will keep supporting us,” Rainwater added.
Keechwater also said that people who have seen the band live before will probably see a different setlist this time.
“We generally write a setlist and then re-do it after six months. We want to give the people more than what they have seen before,” Keechwater said.
Tickets for Lonestar can still be purchased at the fair office, which will have extended hours this upcoming week from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.
For more information, call the fair office at 724-628-3360.