As the people in the audience tossed beach balls back and forth, The Beach Boys had officially taken the stage.
The band performed at the 140th annual Wood County Fair on Saturday night as part of the week-long series of events, which approximately 100,000 people came to throughout the week. The show consisted of not only a live performance from the band, but videos on a projector screen of people surfing.
Entertainment Chair for the Wood County Fair Dave Nietz said the fair is known for its hosting of country musicians and bands to perform each year, but this year the fair board wanted to do something different.
“We just took a chance that it was going to be a big hit,” Nietz said. “We’re satisfied with the turnout this year and we just tried something different other than country because that’s what we usually do. People like them.”
Advertising and Public Relations for the Wood County Fair Cindy Harter said people who are part of the fair board will pick about five possible musical acts in October of the previous year and then sign a contract in January for the official act to perform at the fair. We were close to selling all of the tickets for the show and it’s easy to see that with the amount of people who filled the amount of seats on the ground, as well as everyone who sat in the stands, she said.
“I noticed that there are more people here at the fair that wouldn’t normally come here,” Cindy said. “We try to market to different aspects of people outside of the fair and we try to offer something for everybody.”
Junior Josh Harter attended the show making it his third time seeing The Beach Boys perform live and said the band always puts on a great show.
“I grew up listening to them,” Josh said. “They’re great at getting the crowd going compared to other bands I’ve seen live.”
Graduate student Erin Baker attended the show and said her parents always listened to the band which ultimately sparked her own interest in the music.
“I’ve seen them a few times before,” Baker said. “They give me a nostalgia feeling when I hear them.”
The band is set to play in Cancun, Mexico tonight as part of its summer-long tour, which is set to end in the middle of October in Hampton, Georgia.
