The final country music show at the New York State Fair Grandstand wasn’t quite as memorable as some of its shining moments of years past, but the rollicking, rowdy, mixed bag of country and rock delivered Sunday night by Hank Williams Jr. and his sparkling seven-piece band wasn’t a bad way for the old stadium to go out.
It wasn’t as unforgettable as Vince Gill’s dazzling marathons, Alan Jackson’s traditional country shows, Alabama’s harmonious celebrations, Keith Urban’s rocking parties, Brooks and Dunn’s hit parades or even Reba’s rainout. But it was a fast-moving, 90-minute train of memories and musicianship with never a dull moment.
Hank does things his own way, no surprise there, covering a lot of his biggest songs, but often only fragments, before moving on. He paid tribute to country influences from Waylon Jennings to Johnny Cash and, of course, his own sainted father. But as he said in song, “his kind of music and mine ain’t exactly the same,” proving it with snippets of songs from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Aerosmith, ZZ Top and Foreigner.
It was a relief that Bocephus avoided the type of political rant that has come back to haunt him over the past few years, instead concentrating on singing and talking about his favorite subject, himself. It wasn’t unexpected after he appeared wearing a hat that said “icon,” but it can get tiresome.
But when looking at the big picture, this full-moon August night wasn’t about one performer, no matter how talented, charismatic or bellicose. It was one last chance for fans who have seen great country acts, including some Hall-of-Famers, to look beyond the stage to the glittering midway and the venerable buildings of the Fair, something they’ve done many times, one of the pleasures they will surely miss when future shows are moved off the grounds.
One highlight that your State Fair Hound won’t forget is Hank Jr.’s furious fiddling on Kaw-Liga, a song co-written by his father, and one very likely performed at the Grandstand’s first concert. That one featured country star Charley Pride—one of the aforementioned Hall-of-Famers—in 1976. Pride had one of his biggest hits with Kaw-Liga, back in 1969. Now, 39 years after the first show, that quirky country classic echoes through the same old Grandstand, now destined for demolition. Now that’s symmetry.
(Photos courtesy of the New York State Fair)
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