Music performances are a big part of the fair | Kitsap County Fair & Stampede

There’s no doubt that some who come to the Kitsap County Fair come to hear the music. And this year’s fair is filled with great bands of all kinds.

“Shameless,” a Northwest band, will play at 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 23. The classic rock and blues band has been rockin’ the Northwest for more than 20 years with Mickey Eaton, Marilyn Fick and Tom Pike. With a nice blend of popular covers and originals, this band give you a mix of classic musicians with a slice of youth, making it a great show. They are one of the longest, Kitsap County bands around.

​Thursday will bring country favorite Daryle Singletary to the Cowboy Corral to perform. He is from rural Georgia. His father is a retired postmaster and his mother is a hair dresser. They sang gospel music on weekends. By the time he reached his teens, Singletary was a rabid country music fan, enthralled by the sounds of Keith Whitley and his all-time favorite Randy Travis.

He moved to Nashville in fall 1990 and made the rounds of Music City’s nightclub talent contests, picking up $100 here and there. Producer Greg Cole began playing drums in his band at a club called The Broken Spoke. He recorded a pair of singles for the independent label Evergreen Records in 1992, but neither was a success.

In the meantime, he was badgering his idol with letters. After members of the Randy Travis Band heard him at The Broken Spoke, they urged Travis to listen, too. With Travisas his co-producer, Singletary issued his debut album on Giant Records in 1995.

The album included the career-launching singles “I’m Living Up to Her Low Expectations,” “I Let Her Lie,” “Too Much Fun” and “Workin’ It Out.” His subsequent projects included the hits “Amen Kind Of Love”, “The Used To Be’s,” and “The Note.” In 2015, he released “There’s Still A Little Country Left.” He plays a large circuit of county fairs and corporate events.

The Olson Bros Band will play on Friday, from 8:30 p.m. to midnight. The Olson Bros Band burst onto the country music scene in 2013 winning the Lake Fair Battle of the Bands and a national country songwriting contest with their song “Sunrise,” which earned them a trip to Nashville where they were introduced at The Grand Ol’ Opry.

The band originated in Olympia and is led by singers and songwriters Luke and Isaac Olson. They are currently playing shows all over the Northwest and Nashville, and have more than 50 shows on their summer schedule including an opening gig for Craig Morgan, country music festivals, concerts in the park, and wineries.

The Olson Bros have been enjoying a little radio time throughout Washington and are also known for their energy on stage and their sweet vocal harmonies. Isaac and Luke love performing but also enjoy writing music and have spent some time writing songs in Nashville. Their first album has lots of great music, some written together and some in collaboration with Brandon Kinney who has written songs for Randy Houser (“Going Out With My Boots On”), Craig Campbell (“Out of my Head”), Cole Swindel and many other famous acts.

Both Olson brothers attended Washington State University which is where they truly started to find a deeper love for country music. Luke is now attending Belmont University in Nashville studying songwriting and making more connections in the music industry including interning with Desmond Child (songwriter of “Living On A Prayer”) and writing with quite a few well known Nashville songwriters.

Brothers Isaac and Luke Olson started the group out as a duo playing guitar and writing music together beginning in 2011. Things really began to take off for the band in 2013. With the addition of Milo Mullins on the Bass and Seth Bowman on the drums the Band began playing live shows and won the 2013 Battle of the Bands at Capital Lake Fair in Olympia.

Luke and Isaac also won a national songwriting contest for their hit song “Sunrise” in the Texaco Country Showdown. The Olson Bros won $5,000, a trip to Nashville to consult with a publishing company, and got introduced at The Grand Ol’ Opry.

The Olson Bros enjoy writing songs that display strong emotion, making people laugh, cry, or smile and just have a good time. Some of the bands all time favorite artists include John Denver, Zac Brown, Sam Hunt, Dierks Bentley, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Taylor Swift and Florida Georgia Line.

On Aug. 26, the Michael Anthony Pratt Band will play, beginning at 8:30 p.m.

“To keep you on the dance floor; to see you raise your glass with a holler back; to leave you high-spirited and satisfied; that’s why we do what we do,” the band states on its website. “If you’re looking for the perfect blend of great country music — rockin’ and real, classic and contemporary, with original tunes that will have you singing the chorus by the second round and spot-on covers — you’ve arrived.”

With noted original work, strong vocals, tight harmonies and a fun and energetic light-heartedness, the Michael Anthony Pratt Band is one the fastest rising country bands in the Northwest and will leave you thoroughly entertained.

Admission to all concerts is free with paid entry to the fair on that day. All concerts are on the stage at the Cowboy Corral on the fairgrounds.

Music performances are a big part of the fair | Kitsap County Fair & Stampede