Published in the Herald-Republic on Friday, September 20, 2002
By MAISY FERNANDEZ
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC
Teens, take note: This year's Central Washington State Fair is adding extra attractions just for you.
Fair organizers are bringing The Energy Storm3 (a new thrill ride), Townsend (a "hip-pop" boy band), Big Air Extreme (radical motorcycle jumping) and Interactive Game Experience (a collection of XBOX games) to better suit the interests of young people.
"Basically, every year we try and bring in entertainment that hits all the segments of our market," explains Greg Stewart, fair association president and general manager.
But last year, organizers were unable to book a specific band to strike a chord with young listeners. Due to hefty price tags for established acts and questionable longevity of beginning musicians, hiring a relevant act a year ahead of time -- when each year's entertainment is planned -- isn't easy.
"It's a big challenge," admits Stewart, adding that they're pleased to have booked Townsend this year.
An up-and-coming, all-male vocal group that sings and dances, Townsend will perform three shows at the fair, in addition to making numerous appearances this week in local schools. (Look for an additional, detailed story about Townsend in Tuesday's Unleashed section.)
Stewart also notes that in the age of extreme sports and Internet mania, teen entertainment doesn't necessarily have to happen on a sound stage. After a little research ("Our office has a good cross-section of ages, so that's a resource," Stewart says, adding that the fair's agent and friends and neighbors with children offered some input), organizers added XBOX games to Cyber City and the Big Air Extreme show.
Of course, the fair's still for grown-ups, too. Here's this year's whole bill:
* Tracy Byrd: Longtime country artist Tracy Byrd flies into Yakima to perform a flock of songs from his nine-year career. In 2001, the artist hatched his eighth and most recent album, "Ten Rounds," which is a bird of a different feather compared to previous work.
"I don't think we made any drastic changes, but we've got a little more rockin' stuff on there and some more great ballads," Byrd explains in a news release. "I went in with the frame of mind of trying to give people a little bit of Tracy Byrd that people haven't heard before."
The baritone who names Merle Haggard, Ray Price and George Jones as his musical heroes, has performed such chart-toppers as "Holdin' Heaven," "The Keeper of Stars," "Watermelon Crawl" and "I'm From The Country."
* Chris Cagle: A relative newcomer to the country scene, Chris Cagle is known for his stage energy and for blurring the line between rock and country music. The singer/songwriter released his debut album, "Play It Loud," in 2001.
"I tried to put as much emotion and passion into the record as possible because that's who I am," Cagle notes in a news release. "I love deeply and I hurt deeper. I want to create music that people can love to, hurt to, dance to and always want to listen to."
So far, Cagle's work has earned him a best new male vocalist nomination from the Academy of Country Music, a performance at the Grand Ole Opry and a No. 1 single, "My Love Goes On & On."
* Creedence Clearwater Revisited: What started as a reunion of old bandmates resulted in a career resurrection and a new album.
Creedence Clearwater Revival bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug "Cosmo" Clifford launched Creedence Clearwater Revisited in 1995 to play the original band's '60s and '70s hits and perform at private parties.
"We never really had intentions of playing in the public," Cook says.
But after a friend promoted a couple of their shows, the new group -- which now features lead guitarist Elliot Easton, lead singer John Tristao and multi-instrumentalist Steve Gunner -- met with hefty public demand. They released "Recollection," in 1998, which includes hits like "Susie Q," "Born on the Bayou" and "Bad Moon Rising."
They'll perform those hits and more during their Yakima appearance.
* Tony Orlando: One of America's most well-rounded entertainers, Tony Orlando has a pile of platinum albums, popular TV variety series, movies and Broadway performances under his belt.
Recipient of a People's Choice Award and three American Music Awards, Orlando was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1990.
Orlando currently lives in Branson, Mo., where he has performed regularly since 1993.
* Gallagher: As creator of the fictional Sledge-O-Matic, Gallagher has been coating audiences with food fragments for nearly 20 years in addition to material examining human nature.
"My humor makes people think," says the artist who is known for busting open watermelons with a sledgehammer. "I want people to look more closely at this country and their lives to see the humor and absurdity of it all. I don't have to make it up, the truth is funny enough."
* Carmen Jara: A relative newcomer to the American music scene, Mexican singer Carmen Jara is often dubbed "the Diva of Mexican Band music." Her music consists largely of optimistic romantic ballads, and her second album, "Y tu te quedas," went gold. Jara has been on some of the world's top Spanish-language variety TV shows, and has been a hit in Mexico and Panama.
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Article from Yakima Hearld.
