In addition to "Country Gold" host Leroy Van Dyke, pictured in the previous post, the show included a talented and expressive 7-member band. We saw the show last year and made it a must for this year's fair program (yeah, I know ... here's the kid who grew up on polkas and schottisches and oom-pah and accordions and concertinas and Hardanger fiddles liking country music ... it's the Okie influence!). Van Dyke's songs were much the same as last year, but he had new talent with him. One of the "new" singers was David Frizzel (Lefty's brother), who I didn't care that much for, but he did a kick-butt duet with Leroy's son Ben Van Dyke, playing the Johnny Cash song, "Luther Played the Boogie," one of my favorites.
The show-stealer for me, though, was Rex Allen, Jr. (bottom pics). I can't say I'd ever really listened to him before, but this guy is a master. He has an awesome voice (despite some sound system overloudness) and he just has a stage presence that reaches out and folds you in. Plus, being historically oriented, he presented a lot of background information about the country/western music business and the songs he sang that was fascinating. I mean, who knew that "Tiny Bubbles" was a western song before it became Don Ho's trademark? Or that "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David?
It was a great evening with Sandy, even if it did keep us out past our bedtime! And it was an interesting crowd, too. First time I've ever been to anything in Montezuma County where the seating was half-filled 45 minutes before the event began ... nobody is EVER ahead of time around here! We were honored to be in the younger set, too ... the average age must have been 72! I felt a little out of place being one of those without an oxygen tube. tv
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