County Fair band show gets new format

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The traditional band show at the Van Wert County Fairgrounds was one of the most popular events at the fair 20-30 years ago, with standing-room-only crowds and many area high school bands participating. Unfortunately, fewer area high school bands now play to a half-empty grandstand, and County Economic Development Director Sarah Smith, who also happens to be the newest Fair Board director, said it’s time to rethink the event.

Smith said she talked to a number of band directors and parents and found general dissatisfaction with the current format. After her research, the new fair director said it was clear to her: “We need to do something totally different,” she noted.

What Smith came up with is the “Build a New Band Show” event. The new format includes having local bands entertain along the midway, like several area bands, including Lincolnview and Crestview, do already when they travel to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. She came up with four time slots that bands can sign up for to walk the midway and entertain. Area bands also have the opportunity to perform between horse races as well.

Then, for the actual band show, Smith developed a totally new format – kind of a “show within a show”.

She first booked a popular entertainment band – The Naked Karate Girls, which bills itself as the “No. 1 Midwest entertainment brand” – to play during the traditional band show time slot (Monday evenings, the last few years).

“I first looked at getting Nashville Crush, but didn’t want to compete with the Van Wert Rib Fest and other events that had already booked that band,” Smith said.

She also caught a break in getting The Naked Karate Girls for the fair. Although the very popular band is usually booked up six months ahead, Smith said Labor Day Monday somehow got overlooked, allowing the fair board to make a last-minute deal to bring the group here.

Along with booking the band, the new fair director then talked to county high school band directors such as Crestview’s Josh Thomas, Van Wert’s Bob Sloan and Lincolnview’s Anna Battle about having their musicians perform with the headline band. After looking at The Naked Karate Girls’ playlist – and finding a number of songs they already perform for sports contests and other events – Smith said the directors were enthusiastic about the idea.

To help defray the cost of bringing The Naked Karate Girls to the fair, Smith then went out and found a sponsor, with Ridgeview Behavioral Hospital happy to step up and provide a donation to pay that cost.

Smith said she thinks the show will appeal to just about everyone who goes to the fair. Despite the name, The Naked Karate Girls plays songs all over the musical spectrum, from classic rock to hip-hop. The group is especially popular at events from Put-In Bay on Lake Erie to Hilton Head, South Carolina, but also plays at summer concert series, wedding receptions and festivals of all kinds.

“Someone asked me ‘Is this something I can take my grandma to?’ Actually, yes,” Smith said.

Basically, the racy name is a gimmick, she added. “They told me ‘we’re just 40-year-old guys who picked a sweet name for a band’.”

Meanwhile, although change is something most Van Wert County residents seem anxious to avoid, Smith is hoping that the new band show format will gain approval from area fairgoers.

“What we want to do here is revitalize the band show, not do away with it,” Smith explained. “It will never be what it used to be, so let’s start a new tradition.”