For the first time in over 15 years* Ashland County saw a sold-out Country Show at the county fair. Josh Turner gave us nearly ninety minutes of hits, gospel-tinged numbers and cuts from his new covers album "Country State of Mind". Turner left no smash single on the shelf treating us to "Hometown Girl", "Firecracker", "Would You Go With Me", "I Wouldn't Be A Man", "All Over Me" and "Your Man" which was particularly fun as it was the women in the audience who were leading the crowd sing-along. The "Long Black Train" singer also performed "Me and God", a hit record he recorded with bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley who passed away in 2016, and the gospel classic "I Saw The Light". Turner is touring in support of his latest album "Country State of Mind" from which he chose "I Can Tell By The Way You Dance" (Vern Gosdin), "I'm No Stranger To The Rain" (Keith Whitley) and the title cut, A Hank Williams Jr. original. Turner also took time to toy with the crowd teasing about the need for help with the crowd from the local "Law Enforcement", a less-than-stellar effort on a sign from a fan, a couple of fans in what appeared to be wearing some of the worst t-shirts available on his website. That allowed him to roll into an extended sales pitch for all the new Josh Turner merchandise available in the white shack on the track.
In all it was a great night of music, under the stars, on a glorious late summer night with over three thousand fans in attendance to hear the rich baritone , and sometimes deep deep bass, voice of Josh Turner. Some might call it "perfect".
Please enjoy some pictures from the show.
* I have conflicting information regarding the last "sold out show" at the Ashland County Fair". Was it 16 years ago, as stated by Josh Turner from the stage? That would have been Trace Adkins. Or was it, as one person in the know stated, :"Rascal Flatts" who played here in 2003. Or could both have been sold out shows? I'm trying the track that down.