It is that time again; the summer heat is finally hear and with it comes the mouthwatering scent of fried food and the familiar sounds of screaming kids and rickety carnival rides.
The Murphy Brothers Exposition is back in their fifth year of a five year contract with the Red River Valley Fair. The fair is no longer just about the rides though, along with the crazy rides comes several competitions and the highly anticipated concerts.
Big acts for all music lovers are rolling into the Red River Valley Fair this year. These acts include Hinder, an American Rock band from Oklahoma, award winning country group, The Band Perry, Hairball, a local cover band from Minneapolis and country singer, Hunter Hayes.
Country star, Randy Houser kicked off the fair Tuesday July, 9 by showing West Fargo what country is. Houser’s excitement to be in North Dakota was like many of the performers I have seen at the fair in the past, but his seemed to reach out to the audience a little bit more making the show even more enjoyable.
Like most acts the fair gets, Houser has older songs that the audience knew, along with more recent hits. The middle of the concert is when I was truly drug into the sense of enjoyment from Houser. With his newest hit on the radio, “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight” Houser got the attention from the audience that was filled with everyone from young country music fans to old ones.
Houser, like many other performers did not just stand on stage and sing though, he connected with the audience by giving us the chance to sing. He also connected through speaking about himself and his songs. Houser’s true southern hospitality came out many times throughout the show.
By ending the show with a cover of Garth Brook’s “Friends in Low Places,” followed by a song off of Houser’s new CD, “My kind of country” and finally one of his most famous hits, “How Country Feels” Houser was successful in putting on a show that pleased the country music fans of the Fargo-Moorhead area.
With the fair in full swing now, fair goers of all ages are looking towards the future. Whether it is the unbearable anticipation teenage girls are feeling for the Hunter Hayes concert this Friday, or even the excitement all ages are feeling for the return of Hairball, the Red River Valley Fair is truly showing this year that the fair can supply a fun packed day for all ages.