Washakie County Fair headline act hails from Moorcroft

WORLAND — Chancey Williams and The Younger Brothers Band kicks off a week of music at the Washakie County Fair with a concert at 8 p.m. Tuesday night.

Following their Top 10 debut on the iTunes Country Album chart, Wyoming native and singer-songwriter, Chancey Williams and the Younger Brothers Band will be performing songs from their latest album, “Rodeo Cold Beer” in the concessions area. Ticket prices are the wristband fee for the fair, $10 for the week or $5 for the day.

Earning the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Heatseekers Mountain chart, the 10-song collection from Chancey Williams and the Younger Brothers Band features tracks about love, endurance, brotherhood and soul searching, among other topics, includes the single “Down With That,” which won 2016 Rocky Mountain CMA Song of the Year. Also among Rodeo Cold Beer’s tracks is “Silhouette,” a seductive and sultry song, penned by Josh Thompson (“Any Old Barstool”), Josh Dorr and Andrew Paul Petroff.

Saddle bronc rider turned country singer-songwriter, Chancey Williams has gone from competing on horseback to performing on center stage at major rodeos. The only artist besides Chris LeDoux to both ride and entertain at the world’s “Daddy of ‘Em All” rodeo, Cheyenne Frontier Days, Williams is the authentic next cowboy of country music. Growing up on a ranch in Moorcroft, Williams learned the cowboy-way-of-life from his father, and like his dad, Williams found himself a successful bronc rider, winning the National High School Rodeo Finals, the College National Finals and a couple rounds at Cheyenne Frontier Days.

In 2013 Chancey Williams and the Younger Brothers Band released their first album, Echo, which graced the Billboard Heatseekers Chart. In July 2015, the group released the single for “Down With That,” which earned the 2016 Rocky Mountain CMA Song of the Year award. The “Down With That” music video amassed over 180k views on YouTube.

Williams and the Younger Brothers Band have opened for their heroes — Chris LeDoux, Merle Haggard, Alabama, Dwight Yoakam — as well as several current mainstream country acts Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert and Eric Church. On May 19, they released their sophomore album, “Rodeo Cold Beer” which debuted at No. 7 on iTunes Country Albums Chart and just hit No. 1 on Billboard Heatseekers Mountain chart.

Following Williams and the Younger Brothers Band in the music line up at the fair will be the Casper band Westbound 40 from Laramie. The group was formed in 2009 and includes Ben Jones on lead guitar, mandolin and vocals, Reid Buckley on fiddle, mandolin and vocals, Nate Hobbs on drums and Tim Hawkins on bass.

According to the Westbound 40 Facebook Page, “Westbound 40 plays classic country and classic rock with song selections from Johnny Cash to Guns N’ Roses. Many Texas country songs are also featured. Westbound 40 also performs several original tunes. Even with their party atmosphere, Westbound 40 strives for a professional show which everyone is sure to enjoy.

The concert begins at 8 p.m. in the concession area and again admittance is the fair wristband.

Thursday night and Friday night feature familiar Worland bands with Shark Twain performing Thursday at 8 p.m. and Rattlesnake Ridge performing after the rodeo. The rodeo starts at 7 p.m. Both concerts are in the concession area, with admittance the fair wristband.

Shark Twain, according to their Facebook Page, has a “stealthy sound infused with lyrics that are a passionate and playful use of the English language. The style is a hybrid of multiple genres and a blend of ingredients that can be found in alternative rock, blues, and start and stop Funk.” The group started as a three-piece band in December of 2012 with Shane Foote, singer, songwriter and guitar; “Big Daddy” aka Trent Agee, bass guitar and vocals; and Mike Montoya III, drums and vocals. The group added Tracy Kern, lead guitar and vocals in 2013.

Foote said this is the second time the group will be playing at the Washakie County Fair. They will be playing original music that is included in their recording, “Long, Long Way Home” as well as some blues and alternative music.

Rattlesnake Ridge is Breck Buer and Bill Pennington on guitar and bass, Brad St Clair on drums and Ed Muller, rhythm guitar. Foote will also be playing with Rattlesnake Ridge.

Rattlesnake Ridge plays a variety of country and classic rock, from Alan Jackson to ZZ Top, Buer said.

Saturday’s dance, which traditionally has been music provided by a DJ, will this year be provided by Imaginary Sounds, which is Chad Rose, Worland High School choir teacher.

Washakie County Fair Board Chairman Jeff Lapp said they like to keep the music in Wyoming and keep as many as the activities and contracts as local as possible. He said they previously had contracted with an out-of-county DJ firm. This is the first year they will be contracting with Rose’s Imaginary Sounds. The dance runs from 9 p.m. to midnight in the concession area.

OTHER ENTERTAINMENT

In addition to the music, this year’s fair is filled with a variety of entertainment starting with the tractor pull this Saturday night at 6 p.m. Lapp said they moved the tractor pull to the first Saturday because it works better if there are no animals at the fairgrounds. The fair board contracts with Live-A-Little Productions and Jay Richard and Jack Miller to put on the tractor pull each year.

The tractor pull has a separate admission fee and is not included with the fair wristband.

Next up is the pig wrestling at 6 p.m. Monday. The board contracts with Double D Hog Wrestling out of Greybull. There are four divisions, peewee, junior, women’s and men’s. Lapp said registration is due Friday with forms available at the Extension office.

There will be an inflatable playground for children Wednesday through Friday on the back greenspace near the cemetery. The area is open 4-8 p.m. each day.

The rodeo will be at 7 p.m. on Friday. The parade will be at 9 a.m. in downtown Worland.

“We want people to come out and have a good time,” Lapp said, adding that the board welcomes suggestions but asks people to remember they are on a limited budget.

Lapp said he has volunteered for 16 years on the fair board, just reappointed to his fourth term. “I was always a 4-H kid and I love the program. I enjoy doing it and really enjoying planning the fair to try and make it fun for everyone.”

He said the all-volunteer board, is planning to try and meet every morning the day of the fair to discuss the day’s upcoming events.