Fair will again bring big name entertainment
Published 4:45 pm Thursday, April 30, 2009
By Brenda Sexton, The Courier-Herald
Country singing sensations Jo Dee Messina, Sawyer Brown and Terri Clark, along with ever-popular The Beatniks and 1970s big name Grand Funk Railroad will each take their turn at center stage at this year's King County Fair in Enumclaw.
Tickets prices and sale dates are still up in the air, but fair insiders say the prices will be more, but the seats will also be more plentiful.
Last year tickets were $7 to enter the fair and $7 for a seat for entertainment. This year the entrance fee has gone up $1.
Longtime rockin' country band Sawyer Brown, led by the magnetic Mark Miller, kicks off the main stage entertainment on opening day July 16. Sawyer Brown, which rocketed to stardom after a 1982 grand prize finish in a Star Search contest, has a couple decades worth of songs to bring with them including hits like "Six Days on the Road," "The Walk," and "Some Girls Do."
Grand Funk Railroad, which has been on-again and off-again since 1969, is the July 17 main show. The group is best known for its 1973 No. 1 hit "We're An American Band" and also "Some Kind of Wonderful."
Grammy-nominated country star Jo Dee Messina will entertain audiences July 18. Messina, a recipient of the Academy of Country Music's Top New Female Vocalist Award, has 11 top 10 hits with eight number one's to her credit. She is known for songs like "Heads Carolina, Tails California," "I'm Alright," "Bye, Bye," "Stand Beside Me," "Bring On The Rain," "Lesson in Leavin'," and "Downtime."
The Beatniks return to Enumclaw (they were here in March playing Pete's Pool) with their high-energy classic rock 'n' roll sound of tunes from the 1960s, '70s and sometimes '80s. The Seattle-based band features Enumclaw High School graduates Jon Bolton and Daron Wolschleger.
Country music's Terri Clark walks into town July 20 to close out the fair. She is sure to bring her latest big hit "I Just Wanna Be Mad."
Brenda Sexton can be reached at bsexton@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/courierherald
