Music Festival
Saturday, August 7, 5:00 pm.
Get ready for the 2010 Inter-State Music Fest! This year's line up includes CMA award winner, Jamey Johnson, red dirt music artist, Stoney LaRue, rockin' Texas-brand country music from Jackson Taylor and the Sinners, and Stillwater, Oklahoma's Jason Savory.
Tickets:
You can purchase tickets for individual events at the Inter-State Fair and Rodeo, or you can save money by purchasing a Fun Pass. The Inter-State Fair and Rodeo Fun Pass gives you entry to ALL grandstand events, including the Music Festival, at one low price!
Click here to purchase your FUN PASS online or call 1-888-71-TICKETS
- Click here to purchase tickets to only the Music Festival or call 1-888-71-TICKETS.
Jamey Johnson will Headline the Inter-State Fair and Rodeo Music Festival
He could be basking in his songwriting accolades, but Jamey Johnson remains a restlessly creative maverick.
Jamey is the co-writer of the CMA and ACM 2007 Song of the Year “Give It Away,” recorded by George Strait. Trace Adkins, George Jones and Joe Nichols have also recorded his songs. But instead of sitting at home counting his royalty checks, Jamey Johnson recorded more than 40 songs during the past year.
Not content with providing hits for others, the singer-songwriter has a powerful drive to sing, record and perform.
“Writing is not enough for me,” says this intense artist. “I did not come here to just be a writer. I live to play….I’m not here to take a stab at it. I am going to DO it.”
Following a deep period of isolation and introspection, Jamey Johnson entered the recording studio in April 2007. Within months, Jamey emerged with That Lonesome Song, a collection of extraordinary compositions that is equally noteworthy for its lyrical craftsmanship and its strikingly original sound.
The set burns with the emotional heat of songs such as “Sending an Angel to Hell” and “Lonesome Song.” Turn one corner and you’ll find the dark humor of “Mowing Down the Roses” and “Women.” Turn another and you’ll find the soft contemplation of “When the Last Cowboy’s Gone” or “Out on the Ocean.” Jamey’s life sets the tone for the autobiographical “Stars in Alabama” and “Between Jennings and Jones.” And speaking of Waylon Jennings, Jamey pays tribute to his idol by covering “Dreaming My Dreams” and “The Door Is Always Open.”
Also Performing: Stoney LaRue and the Jackson Taylor & the Sinners
Stoney LaRue
At 3 years old, Stoney LaRue could be found belting out “Swinging” by John Anderson on his Mr. Microphone radio. The son of a struggling bass player and a nurse, LaRue understood the allure of music at an early age, and recorded his first works at age twelve. He earned accolades through school for his unmatched vocal abilities and promising instrumental talents. Many subscribe Stoney LaRue to the category of artists that are simply natural born performers, just don’t try to limit him by category.
Born in Taft,Texas, LaRue actually spent the majority of his adolescence north of the Red River, where he was raised in Southeastern Oklahoma . He never really pictured himself doing anything else but making good music, so LaRue eventually made his way to the state’s Red Dirt hotbed of Stillwater, where he began to develop his individualized style from a widespread range of influences.
From Willie Nelson to Ray Charles, to The Grateful Dead and Kris Kristofferson, LaRue’s emerging style impressively blends varied elements of country, blues, and soulful rock into cohesive, vocal driven performances. His abilities earned the immediate respect of then “up and coming” peers including Cody Canada, Mike McClure, Jason Boland, and other cohorts of the revitalizing Texas and Red Dirt circuits (now electrifying audiences nationwide.)
In 2002, both fans and industry took good notice of LaRue after he spearheaded The Organic Boogie Band and released ”Downtown,” which was recorded in private sessions at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa and mixed in a trailer on the side of a cliff in Bartlesville,OK. It was just the beginning, as the debut cemented LaRue’s following and inspired a move to New Braunfels, Texas, where a vibrant music community and a persistent touring schedule spawned a vast response.
Fans anxiously awaited the August 2005 release of Stoney LaRue-the Red Dirt Album, which hit the Billboard sales charts in its debut week. A far cry from the mixing trailer on the cliff, The Red Dirt Album was recorded with a tight circle of players and professionals in a studio setting. The record was a pinnacle effort for LaRue and has inarguably established his triple threat status as a truly gifted vocalist, player, and performer.
In 2006, Stoney released an addition to the famed Live at Billy Bob’s series. His live single, “Oklahoma Breakdown” topped the Texas charts for over four weeks and has ignited Stoney’s powerful support as an artist not to be missed. Armed with golden ear musicianship, an amusing wit, and soulful magnetism, LaRue’s shows are infused with an uplifting quality, a cathartic barroom brand of spirituality, where venues are complimented for good bar “feng shui,” and where time and dimension can be traversed via emotive lyrics and melodic riffs. A charismatic performer, LaRue’s flawless vocals can draw a crowd to a open mouth level of sonic mesmerization, and next have them singing “Forever Young” so loudly that you can’t hear anything else.
At 30 years old, Stoney LaRue now performs close to 300 dates a year at top festivals and venues across the world, including the Caribbean and Europe, sharing bills with renowned acts like Lee Ann Womack, Gary Allan, Dierks Bentley, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Willie Nelson, Rodney Crowell and others. With a band that includes Jeremy Bryant(drums), Jesse Fritz (bass), Kevin Webb (guitar), Jeremy Watkins (fiddle) and Steve Littleton (keys), Stoney is poised for what is on the horizon to come.The music is undeniably inside of Stoney LaRue, but he’s the type of artist that doesn’t HAVE to point it out to you, his belief in the music is strong enough that it just powers through transparently. Stoney LaRue is not trying to be anybody but the artist that he is, and his sincerity just seeps out, spills off the stage, and overtakes any room.
Jackson Taylor & the Sinners
Jackson Taylor is a story teller, plain and simple.
Jackson Taylor tells stories about what he knows -- life. Jackson’s lyrics paint tales of lives filled with passion and joy as much as of a life tainted by sorrow and disappointment – his life. Jackson sings of heaven and hell, beauty and grit – Jackson sings of real life.
Born one of eleven siblings to parents of migrant workers, his life began in Moody, Texas, a small town just north of Austin. It was a nomadic existence stripped of the comforts and security that most take for granted. Jackson’s roots instead became deep seeded in his love for music, a passion passed on to Jackson at an early age by his father who would steal away whenever possible to see and hear country greats like Waylon, Willie, and Billy Joe Shaver perform, often with Jackson in tow.
Jackson's adolescence was spent bouncing from one migrant labor town to another, finally settling in a small farming town in Washington State. After graduating high school, he moved back to Texas for a while but soon left to try and make his mark in Nashville. There, Jackson found work as a songwriter, but life for Jackson was still a steep uphill climb, and after a couple of tough and frustrating years, Jackson had to face the hard truth that Nashville was not the “home” for which he had spent his whole life searching.
From New York City to Los Angeles, Jackson has finally found his rightful home, ironically right back where his life began -- in Texas.
Combining his real life experiences with old school country elements, and throwing in the flavors of punk and southern rock to create a style all his own, Jackson Taylor continues to break the rules of traditional country music with his straightforward lyrics, "take it or leave it" approach, intense live performances, and the drive and determination of a freight train. The end result can not be pigeon holed into any style and can only be rightfully defined as what it is: “Jackson Taylor Music”.
Recently signed to the Smith Entertainment Group (Stoney LaRue and No Justice, catalogue on Cross Canadian Ragweed and Randy Rogers Band, the Live at Billy Bob’s Texas line), Jackson Taylor is ready to take country music by storm with his latest release, aptly entitled Dark Days, which was produced and engineered in the mountains of Washington State at Cascade Studios. The CD (produced by Jackson Taylor and Ronnie Belaire, and engineered by Allen Larsen) contains 12 tracks and features the debut single “Lonely,” a tale of emotion that Jackson knows all too well. Other tracks include “Outlaws Ain’t Wanted Here No More,” which is a true account of Jackson's experiences in the country music industry that eventually pushed him to take his own musical path. Also featured on the new album is a cover of the tune “Honky Tonk Heroes,” written by Billy Joe Shaver, one of Jackson’s favorite music outlaws.
Billy Joe Shaver summed up it up best when he said, “Jackson’s songs are so real and honest, you know straight off he's been there and done that. He writes and sings like he lives, great songs that I believe will live forever."
Jason Savory
Jason Savory was born and raised in the small town of Ripley, located in Central Oklahoma. Jason grew up spending most of his time in the woods hunting and fishing, which is still an addiction of his today. Then, as now, when the sun went down he would spend the rest of the night listening to the radio. “I would rather do that than watch TV anytime,” Jason said.
His Dad is a huge country music fan, so he grew up on country music, listening to George Jones, Gene Watson, Earl Thomas Conley, Merle Haggard, and all the greats.
His older brother Greg started out performing first. It was at one of his shows that Jason first sang in public. “I was fifteen years old. My family and friends pooled their money and offered it to me if I would get up and sing a song. So, for about thirty dollars, I got up and sang ‘Seminole Wind’ by John Anderson,” explained Savory.
After that, he was hooked. He continued to sing through high school at fairs, festivals, weddings, etc. After high school, he attended college at OSU. “I started to get some better gigs than just playing in someone’s kitchen for four people and playing for tips. One of my first venues to play was about 45 minutes from Stillwater, out in the country, and set on blocks, pretty rough, but I thought I was really doing something. Not long after that, I was booked at Willie’s Saloon on the Strip in Stillwater, the same venue that Garth Brooks played at when he was attending OSU,” Jason proudly confirmed.
Things just got better from that point on, because playing Willie’s Saloon got his name out. He found some guys to help him start a band, and together they performed high-energy shows throughout Oklahoma and Texas, and then Jason put out his first album.
His first single off that album “Wife For A Night” made it to #36 on the Texas Music Chart. He burned up the road on a radio tour throughout Oklahoma and Texas. Jason released two more singles – “Nothing More Than Me,” and “Those Days Are Gone,” which made it to #50 on the Texas Music Chart.
Jason has had the pleasure and opportunity to share stages with Joe Nichols, Ronnie Milsap, Trent Tomlinson, Phil Vassar, Julie Roberts, Charlie Pride, Mark Chestnutt, Asleep At The Wheel, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Randy Rogers, Stoney LaRue, Jason Boland and The Stragglers, Reckless Kelly, No Justice and many others.
Recently Jason had a lifelong dream come true. He played a show with Earl Thomas Conley, who is one of his favorites. Jason said, “I was privileged to sing a duet with him; I sang Keith Whitley’s part on ‘Brotherly Love’.” Jason was very excited that His Mom and Dad were in the crowd and able to share the moment with him. Jason continued, “I put that song on my first album and my brother Greg sang along with me.”
When pressed for what made him a country music singer, Jason said, “I will soon release my second album and I know it promises lots of good things to come, but if it all ended tomorrow, I could honestly say that I made it as a country music singer because of that show with Earl Thomas Conley.”
I can assure Jason’s many fans there are many more hits in his future. The crowds at his very intense and exciting performances continue to grow, and the fan base swells with folks enjoying some of the best original lyrics in the business, while Jason seasons his talent with time. Jason Savory is truly creating his own fantastic destiny! Stan Moffat, PCLP
