Gary Who?

So the other evening my husband suggested we attend a concert at the Great Frederick Fair. Of course I was more than happy to agree; only later asking him who we would see. "Gary Allen" he stated as if I would instantly recognize the name. "Gary who?" I promptly request more information. After a slight roll of the eyes followed by the singing of a quick line "Nothing on but the radiooo..." I slightly recognized the artist and concurred it would be a fantastic date night.

Headed out this evening I hardly thought it would be fantastic the event that it proved to be.
Entering the fair once again this week, we took in all the familiar sights and sounds. The hum of passing conversations with a distant bass line in the background. The smell of funnel cakes and sausages mingling with the smell of fresh cut fries and pretzles quickly had us salivating. For once this week we briskly passed the vendors and headed for the grandstand.

Having never been to a concert at the Great Frederick Fair we entered the stands with a slight hesitation. Ushers helped us and hundreds of other Fredricktonians find our designated seats in a nice and orderly fashion. As we sat there a few brief moments waiting for the show to start, the infectious excitement of hard core Gary Allen fans started to wear off on us.

When the show started, I honestly wasn't that impressed. The stage, the lights and the roaring crowed helped nudge me along however. A few songs into the show and I was singing along with the mass surrounding us. An artist I didn't think I knew at all happened to be singing several songs I know all the words too. Singing hits such as Nothing on But the Radio, Man to Man, Tough Little Boys and Life ain't always beautiful the crowed roared with approval. People were dancing, screaming, cheering and holding signs in a manner I certainly didn't expect at a country concert. As if that wasn't enough, the fiddle player certainly put on quite a performance. Illuminated by a light positioned just behind him (from our seats at least) and a fog machine he was fascinating to watch. Every now and then he took center stage, entering a battle of fiddle versus the guitar. We were even more impressed when he switched to the guitar for a few songs.

The show also featured several guitar solos that would make many rock aficionados stop to take a second look. Switching betwen acoustic and electrics, the band's music often came close the rock we all love so much.


After Gary Allen and his band left the stage, the crowed immediately groaned in protest. After a moment of cheering and chanting Gary's name the band returned for a much appreciated encore. He played 4 or 5 songs that just ended the evening in a perfect manner.
So the long and the short of it all.... Suck it up and go head out to a country concert. So what if you don't listen to country? The excitement is hard not to partake in, and you can always take a couple of shots before hand to make it just a little more interesting. With Lone Star playing on Saturday night there is still an opportunity for everyone to head out and add that little extra twist to the whole fair experience.

I do have one wish however, having visited Gary Allen's website, I wish it was easier to locate the name of the fiddler with the curly hair and the rest of the band. A band is more than a singer after all. If nothing else at least it was fun to head out and practice my photography skills in a new setting. I think the pictures over all came out better than my Fashion Show experience.