THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 2019 // 9
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“We were just pretty
impressed by them,” he
said, adding that since
booking Midland, the
band’s success and popu-
larity has continued on an
upward trajectory. “They’ve
just been going like mad.”
Drawing in out-of-
towners
The board and fair-
grounds staff started stag-
ing concerts in conjunc-
tion with the fair three years
ago, making Midland their
fourth.
Adding the concert
feature has successfully
increased the fair’s draw —
especially in terms of out-
of-state visitors — and aug-
mented the demographics of
people who attend the event,
Autio said.
This year, they expect
about 600 to 700 people to
come from out of town spe-
cifically for the concert,
which provides value to the
community in terms of tour-
ism and hospitality dollars.
“Before we even printed
tickets, we had them avail-
able online,” Autio said.
They quickly started getting
ticket orders from people
across the country and Can-
ada “who wanted to come
here to see Midland.”
The fair board and staff
work with a booking agency
to secure entertainment for
the concerts. The agency
provides them with a menu
of artists and their price
ranges, he said. “If we’re
interested in one of them,
they’ll see if it fits into their
travel dates.”
Routing is one of the
most important issues,
according to Clatsop County
Fair and Expo Operations
Manager John Lewis.
“A band isn’t going to
want to come out for a sin-
gle fair,” he said.
Through a collabora-
tion between the booking
agency, various fairs, other
entertainment buyers and the
performers’ agents, venues
Midland, a country band hailing from Texas that is on the rise, headlines at the Clatsop County Fair at 7 p.m. Friday. The group, which includes members Mark
Wystrach, Cameron Duddy, and Jess Carson, received two nominations at the 2018 Grammy Awards.
such as the Clatsop County
Fair can secure a group who
is able to schedule other
nearby performances that
make their travel and time
worthwhile. For exam-
ple, Midland is playing at
the Klamath County Fair-
grounds the night before
their concert in Astoria.
Since the Clatsop County
Fair secured Midland
months ago, the group has
continued to become more
popular.
Autio is unsure whether
they could have booked the
group if they tried today,
as Midland’s near future
includes an international
tour promoting “Let it Roll”
and headlining for other
well-known country artists.
Although the fair’s con-
certs over the past three years
— featuring Craig Morgan,
Montgomery Gentry and
Diamond Rio — were suc-
cessful and well-received,
“this year is a little differ-
ent, because this group [Mid-
land] is on the rise” in terms
of their career and reputa-
tion within the country music
industry, Autio said. They
are “by far the most popular”
group the fair has hosted.
A treasured tradition
Although the addition
of nationally known enter-
tainment has increasingly
become a promotional boon
for the fair, other aspects
of the event continue to be
meaningful for the commu-
nity as well, Autio said.
“It’s a great tradition and
family activity,” he said,
adding many people cherish
memories of going to their
county fair as both children
and adults.
The fair also has a front
stage that features local art-
ists, including dance groups,
magicians and bands, along
with an array of carnival
games and rides, food ven-
dors, hog wrestling, mon-
ster truck rides and a demo-
lition derby.
The fair also has an
important connection with
the local 4-H clubs, serv-
ing as the prime opportunity
for 4-Hers to show and auc-
tion off their animals, Lewis
said.
They start planning each
fair at the start of the year,
and from January onward,
he added, “we’re excited to
see the whole thing come
together.” CW