Photos by Andy Lyons, Editor-in-Chief
Country singers Chris Lane and Granger Smith played intimate sets at the Pepsi Grandstand Tuesday night. Despite lower attendance than previous shows at the Missouri State Fair this year, both performers treated it like a Saturday night show and the crowd responded in kind.
Chris Lane, who was dressed more like a pop singer than country, got the crowd going early. He brought a young lady onstage and serenaded her and then hopped into the crowd to sing to a little girl and then moving to the other side of the track and giving a girl a rose. He covered Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer” and the crowd exploded. Toward the end of his set he went into a medley featuring multiple genres of music including “Bye Bye Bye” by the Backstreet Boys, “All the Small Things” by Blink 182, and more.
Granger Smith hit the stage with a huge light show, including a stage-wide pedestal full of front facing lights. His set covered songs he performs as himself as well as Earl Dibbles, Jr. Early on he covered “Freefallin'” by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and got the crowd going. He worked the stage like a seasoned performer, using a small walkway that was butted against the front row to constantly high five and sing directly to fans.
Late in his set, Lane joined him on stage and he joked that Lane has “quite a pretty voice.” The two ran through a few short covers, including “Pick Up Man” by Joe Diffie, “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful” by Sammy Kershaw, and “I Don’t Even Know Your Name” by Alan Jackson – who performed a sold-out show Saturday at the Fair.
For an extended gallery, follow Central Mo News on Facebook.
2 Comments
Debbie
Did you by chance get any photos of the engagement that took place during Granger Smith’s set? That’s my brother and soon to be sister in law. I’d be delighted to see any.
Andy Lyons
Unfortunately not, there’s a strict limit to the first three songs and then they force us to put our equipment away. You may reach out to the Missouri State Fair and see if they got any.