Queensryche, Diamond Rio will perform at Evergreen State Fair

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	LOCAL HARD ROCK BAND QUEENSRYCHE will perform at the fair on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m.

BY POLLY KEARY, EDITOR

Some of the biggest stars of their genres will bring back memories for fairgoers this year, including country
legends Diamond Rio and Seattle hard rock icons Queensryche. Those two groups are among a star-heavy lineup at the Evergreen State Fair, which will kick off Thursday, August 27.

Here are some of the highlights of the biggest events coming to Monroe’s biggest party of the year.

Queensryche

Queensryche might be local, hailing from Bellevue in 1981, but they introduced a new sound to hard rock music in the ‘80s and 90’s that influenced musicians worldwide. The band was one of the area’s first to self-release an album when established record labels ignored their demo, a musical practice growing ever-more prevalent. The album sold very well in the region and got good reviews, leading EMI to sign the band, which featured the operatic vocals of Geoff Tate over elaborately arranged hard rock guitar work.

In 1988, Queensryche’s third album “Operation: Mindcrime,” a concept album similar in format to The Who’s “Tommy,” was a massive international success, followed by even bigger smash “Empire,” which got to Number 7 on the Billboard chart and went triple platinum. Subsequent efforts weren’t as influential, as grunge music took over the music scene, but the band never stopped recording.

The band is now touring support of a new album called “American Soldier,” returning to their successful concept-album format to present the perspectives of people who have served on the front lines of wars.
Fairgoers are likely to hear less of the new material than the big hits, though, said Mark Campbell, Director of the Evergreen State Fair.

“We were given a choice between a show of their top hits or their current material,” he said. “We chose their top hits.”

Queensryche will play Wednesday, Sept. 2 at 7:30.

Diamond Rio

Since 1991, Diamond Rio has sold 10 million albums, had nine number one hits, and have been named Vocal Group of the Year six times by the Country Music Association.

The first single for Diamond Rio was “Meet in the Middle,” which became the debut single in country history to go to Number One. There were 32 more singles from the band that made the Billboard charts, including number one hits “How Your Love Makes Me Feel,” “One More Day,” “Beautiful Mess” and “I Believe.”

Unlike many iconic bands still touring after decades, Diamond Rio contains all the original band members, all six of whom will appear in Monroe. This will be a repeat appearance at the fair for the country icons.“It was a great show in 2003,” said Campbell.

The group will play Thursday, September 3 in the Grandstand.

	BLAKE SHELTON topped Country charts last year with his hit “Home,” and is scheduled to perform at the fair with a “very, very special guest” on Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. .

Blake Shelton

If Queensryche and Diamond Rio are a look at the past, Blake Shelton is probably a look at the future. The rising country star, brought to the fair by KMPS country radio, is more than just a musician, he’s something of a pin-up. “He’s been voted one of the op 50 sexiest men alive,” noted Campbell. “He’s right on the edge of being an A-level star.”Shelton topped country charts last year with hit “Home,” and is now touring in support of his new album “Startin’ Fires.”

Shelton started playing music in bars while still in high school in Ada, Okla., and got a big break there while taking part in a musical tribute to Mae Axton, a songwriter whose credits include Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel.” Axton heard him and told him that she thought she could get him a record deal if he moved to Nashville. Two weeks after graduating from high school, Shelton did just that, and the subsequent album made a star out of him.

Debut single “Austin” shot up the charts, and it was followed by a sring of other hits, including Heavy Liftin,” “Goodbye Time,” “Home,” “Nobody But Me,” “ Some Beach,” “Don’t Make Me” and the crowd favorite “The More I Drink.”

He grew more popular as a personality when serving as a judge on the American Idol-style country music
competition show Nashville Star and as an actor in the NBC miniseries Clash of the Choirs.

Shelton is expected to have with a him a guest of some note, whose identity will remain a secret until the concert. “We’ll have a special guest, very, very special,” said Campbell. “So special we can’t tell you who it is.”

Blake Shelton will perform Tuesday, Sept. 1 and 7 p.m.

	MUSICIANS AND COMEDIANS WILLIAMS AND REE will perform at the fair on Sunday, August 30 at 7:30 p.m. .

Williams and Ree

Few acts of any kind have been working together as long as comedy duo Williams and Ree.
Bruce Williams and Terry Ree met in college in Spearfish, S. Dakota in 1968. Initially they started working together in a band, as each are musicians, but the comical banter they exchanged between songs soon grew more popular than the music itself.

Within a few years, the two were performing at the hottest comedy clubs in the country, including L.A.s Comedy Store alongside Robin Williams and David Letterman.

Since then, they’ve shared bills with the Oak Ridge Boys, Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw, in addition to hosting Country Kitchen with Florence Henderson, a show that has been popular for the last 10 years.
Few work as hard as do Williams and Ree, either. The duo performs about 300 nights per year.
They combine music with comedy, and say they can be defined as neither.

“The truth of the matter is that we pick on everyone, no matter what their background, said Ree. “We do songs, we do comedy. Actually, I don’t like to label it comedy. I think we entertain people.”

Williams and Ree will appear Sunday, August 30, at 7:30 p.m.

Other acts this year include Disney Under the Stars, featuring some of the talent from Disney Radio live and in person, the annual Colgate Country Showdown, in which country music finalists from around the area will compete to go a regional semi-final, and lots and lots of motorized excitement at the Evergreen Speedway.

For a complete list of coming events, as well as for tickets, visit www.evergreenfair.org.

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