By STACY MILLBERG - Staff Writer - smillberg@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon
August 31, 2008 12:36 am
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BURTON — Country music fans were in for quite a treat this year at the Great Geauga County Fair as Mercury Records recording artist Billy Currington and Capitol Records recording artists Lady Antebellum took the stage Friday night.
Lady Antebellum, a trio relatively new to the country music scene, opened the 7 p.m. show playing crowd pleasers off of their self-titled debut CD. The group also threw in a few surprises with covers of ACDC’s “Shook Me All Night Long” and the Black Crows’ “Hard to Handle.”
Lady Antebellum took the country music world by storm this year, earning themselves the Academy of Country Music “Top New Group” award. The group was formed in 2006 when Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood met vocalist Hillary Scott. The trio got together hoping to create some music together. The three musicians worked together out of Kelley’s brother’s house writing songs.
Ten of the 11 songs on Lady Antebellum’s album were co-written by the trio. The trio got Friday’s crowd pumping with songs including “Slow Down Sister,” “I Run to You,” and the seductive “Lookin’ For a Good Time.” Lady Antebellum closed out their portion of the concert with their debut single “Love Don’t Live Here.”
After a brief intermission and with no introduction at all, country music sensation Billy Currington casually strolled on stage and opened to a grandstand of screaming fans with the first single off his new album “Tangled Up.”
Currington said it was good to be back in Ohio and told fans to start doing a rain dance because it looked like the rain was on its way, and he was right. Gray skies loomed over the fairgrounds along with warm temperatures and high humidity. Early into Currington’s performance, the clouds opened up to shower the crowd with a little rain.
Despite the threatening skies, the rain only lasted about 10 minutes, but was just enough to get the crowd a little wet.
Currington burst into the country music scene in 2003 with his self-titled debut CD which featured the powerful Top 10 hit “Walk a Little Straighter,” about an alcoholic father, and the fun Top 5 smash “I Got a Feelin’.”
Currington’s claim to fame is a duet he recorded with Shania Twain, “Party for Two.” In an previous interview with the Star Beacon, Currington said that’s when his career really took flight.
His sophomore CD “Doin’ Something Right” featured a more mature southern sound of blues-tinged country in songs such as “Must Be Doin’ Something Right,” “Why, Why, Why,” “Whole Lot More” and “Little Bit Lonely.”
Currington performed songs off his first two albums and also a few songs, including his current single “Don’t,” from his newest album, scheduled for release sometime in October. After a solid hour and 15 minute performance, Currington left the stage, only to return for a 30 minute encore.
During his encore, Currington performed his hit “Must Be Doin’ Something Right,” and then decided to shake things up with a few rock numbers. Currington had fans screaming with his rendition of the Georgia Satellites “Keep Your Hands to Yourself” and had hearts pounding with Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get it On.”
The Great Geauga County Fair, Ohio’s oldest fair, is celebrating its 186th year. The fairgrounds boast 152 acres with more than 70 buildings, filled with more than 12,000 exhibits. Four spectacular midways are packed with food to tempt every pallet, games and vendors.
Kathy Sak, public relations coordinator, said the fair is a big draw because of the agriculture environment it offers.
“It’s truly agricultural,” she said. “It’s not a carnival.”
With so much going on in every direction, fair patrons can hardly decide what to do first.
The fair will be open through Monday with several attractions yet to see including truck pulls today and bull riding Monday.
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