MOUNT VERNON — While local country music fans are looking forward to tonight’s Lonestar concert at the Knox County Fair, members of the band are looking forward to sharing in the fair experience themselves.
The band’s drummer, Keech Rainwater, said during a phone interview Thursday that the group, most of which is originally from Texas, will not be at the fair just to perform.
“We love county fairs,” Rainwater said. “We go to participate and ride the rides a little bit. And you can’t beat fair food.”
Rainwater said the band will be performing a lot of its older music which fans will be familiar with, as well as newer songs the group is working to put on its album, “The Future.” The group plans to release the album early next year.
“We’ll do a couple of the newer songs in the set, as well as some of our older music, including music from our very first album; a little of the old, a little of the new,” he said.
Lonestar has completed all but two songs for the new CD, according to Rainwater. This will be the band’s first major release of new music with its new lead singer, Cody Collins, who joined the group about two years ago. He joined Rainwater, keyboardist Dean Sams, and lead guitarist Michael Britt to form today’s Lonestar.
Rainwater said Collins has fit in well with the original members, who formed the band in 1992.
“He was a young lad back when we started,” Rainwater joked about the younger Collins.
After the addition of Collins, the band has enjoyed success with its tour schedule, as well as with a Christmas album released last winter.
Besides the new album, Lonestar is also planning a holiday tour this winter to showcase its Christmas music.
This weekend, though, finds the band in Knox County, where Rainwater said the band members will follow a summer tradition of taking a motorcycle ride through the area where their concert is scheduled.
“I’m sure we’ll be getting our motorcycles out and getting a ride in,” Rainwater said. “Summer’s winding down, so we’ve got to get rides in when we can.”
Fair food and motorcycle rides aside, what the band is most looking forward to is performing.
“We can’t wait to get up there and perform for everybody,” Rainwater said. “We’re going to have a good time and we can’t wait to see everybody.”