Everett, Wash.
Published: Friday, August 22, 2008

Fair concerts from reverent to raucous

Jars of Clay, Weird Al, Bill Engvall and singers Gary Allan and Blaine Larsen are featured.

By Sharon Wootton
Special to The Herald

 The Evergreen State Fair in Monroe opens the musical portion of its 100th anniversary with Grammy-winning Christian alt-rock band Jars of Clay.

Others on the venue in the next week are Gary Allan, Weird Al Yankovic and Creedence Clearwater Revisited as well as comedian Bill Engvall, who is paired with Washington's own country singer Blaine Larsen.

Jars of Clay's debut single in the mid-'90s was the mainstream hit "Flood," helping to open the door for other self-labeled Christian bands who wanted to explore spiritual themes. In April, Jars of Clay released the band's third greatest-hits album, "Greatest Hits."

Country musician Gary Allan's studio albums and greatest-hits record have yielded 21 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, including chart-toppers "Nothing on but the Radio," "Tough Little Boys" and "Man to Man." Expect a performer who leans more toward the Merle Haggard approach than radio's pop country.

Allan's latest top-selling CD is "Living Hard," and his "Watching Airplanes" spent more than four weeks on the charts, rising to the second slot.

A description of Yankovic's talents is one of the widest in today's entertainment world: singer, songwriter, accordionist, actor, TV and music producer, satirist and parodist. Think what you will of Weird Al, but he's released 17 albums and won two Grammy awards from his seven nominations.

His concerts include rock, costume changes, comedy and parodies (remember "Eat It," "Like a Surgeon" and "Smells Like Nirvana"?). Now he parodies Taylor Hicks and Green Day.

Creedence Clearwater Revisited, begun by original Creedence Clearwater bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug "Cosmo" Clifford, started out with a few shows in 1995 that snowballed into 100 a year. The band's "Recollection" album has its best work.

The host of CMT's comedy series "Country Fried Home Videos" and star of the TBS sitcom "The Bill Engvall Show" shares the evening with country musician Blaine Larsen. Engvall won the 1992 American Comedy Award (Best Male Stand-Up Comedian).

Larsen, 22, a native of Buckley, has really turned heads at a young age. His last pair of CDs sent five singles to the Hot Country Songs chart, including "How Do You Get That Lonely?"

Larsen has work ethic on his side as well as talent. When he wanted a guitar as a teenager, he built bird houses, put them in a little red wagon and sold door to door.

When purchased before the day of show (206-628-0888), an Evergreen State Fair concert ticket includes fair admission; Jars of Clay, 7 p.m. Sunday, $15-$35; Gary Allan, 7 p.m. Monday, $25-$35; Weird Al, 8 p.m. Tuesday, $23-$28; Creedence Clearwater Revisted, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, $23-$28; Bill Engvall, Blaine Larsen, 7 p.m. Thursday, $28-$40.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA