GREENVILLE — Perfect weather, country music and the atmosphere of the Great Darke County Fair came together Sunday night as country star Dylan Scott took the stage for the fair’s featured concert.
Scott performed before fans gathered at the fairgrounds grandstands on a comfortable late-August evening, providing a fitting backdrop for one of the signature entertainment events of the 170th Great Darke County Fair.
Cooke & Belle opened the evening at 7 p.m., warming up the crowd before Scott took the stage for the 8 p.m. headlining performance. The concert was part of the nine-day fair, which runs Aug. 21-29 at the Darke County Fairgrounds in Greenville.
For fairgoers, Sunday offered about as good a night as could be hoped for to enjoy an outdoor concert. Comfortable conditions allowed fans to settle into the grandstands and track area for an evening of live country music without having to contend with the heat, rain or storms that can accompany an August night in Ohio.
Scott brought a catalog of familiar country hits to Greenville, including three of the songs that helped establish him as a major presence on country radio — “My Girl,” “New Truck” and “Can’t Have Mine (Find You a Girl).”
“My Girl,” released in 2016, became Scott’s breakthrough hit and has since been certified multi-Platinum. “New Truck” and “Can’t Have Mine (Find You a Girl)” followed as chart-topping songs and helped solidify Scott’s place in contemporary country music.
The three songs remain among Scott’s most recognizable recordings, with “My Girl,” “Can’t Have Mine” and “New Truck” continuing to rank among his popular tracks.
Scott has continued adding to that success in recent years. His newer hits include “Boys Back Home,” recorded with Dylan Marlowe; “This Town’s Been Too Good to Us”; and “What He’ll Never Have.” His latest album, “Easy Does It,” represents another chapter in a career that has generated nearly 5 billion streams and seven No. 1 singles.
The Louisiana native has built his career around a mix of contemporary country, songs about small-town life and family, and a deep vocal style that has become his musical trademark.
Sunday’s concert gave Darke County fans an opportunity to hear that music without traveling far from home.
Before Scott took over the grandstand stage, Cooke & Belle provided the opening entertainment. The duo brings together elements of country, soul, gospel and music influenced by the 1960s and ’70s, setting the tone for the night’s headlining performance.
The concert also continued a Great Darke County Fair tradition of bringing nationally known country performers to Greenville as part of the fair’s grandstand entertainment.
For many in attendance, however, Sunday night was simply what a county fair concert is supposed to be — good music, family and friends, fair food nearby and a beautiful summer evening.
With the lights of the midway glowing across the fairgrounds and Scott’s music filling the grandstand, the weather cooperated from beginning to end, giving country music fans a memorable Sunday night at the Great Darke County Fair.
