CASHMERE— With preparations for the Chelan County Fair ramping up, award-winning country icon Easton Corbin looks forward to making an appearance as the event’s headline performance.
Corbin hails from Trenton, Florida, and is famous for his multiple top-10 Billboard hits, including All Over the Road and A Little More Country Than That.
Traveling all across the nation, Corbin loves getting to play small town shows regardless of the venue.
“Every venue has it’s own personality,” Corbin shared. “whether it be a county fair, a club, a theater, it’s just all a little different. The commonality of [every venue] is, people are there to have a good time and hear some country music, and that’s what we’re gonna do.”
This deep connection and joy for playing in rural communities stems from Corbin’s own upbringing on his grandparents’ farm. Growing up in a classic agricultural American community, he sees many of the fond elements of his hometown reflected in places like North Central Washington.
“You know, I grew up on a cattle farm, I showed cattle for 4H and FFA, and I take pride in my music being authentic for who I am and where I’m from and how I was raised, so that very much influences my music,” he explained, mentioning that he often sees important rural communities being overlooked. “And when we play around big cities, some people don’t think much about the surrounding area, especially in Washington. So much of that is agriculturally related, there’s a lot of farming and outdoor stuff that goes on in Washington State.”
Corbin looks to bring his best show to Chelan County, providing fans and newcomers alike with a diversified setlist of his top songs, newest releases, and classic covers.
“We’re gonna do all the hits we have. We’re gonna throw some new songs in there from our latest project. We might do a cover or two, and I don’t know, maybe there’s not a song that we do in the set but it’s a fan favorite. We’ve had people hold up signs or yell out a song. And it’s like, ‘you want to hear it? We’ll do it!’”
This type of fan-centered performance is common for Corbin, as he loves giving the fans what they want. In fact, he has a few highly requested fan favorites in his repertoire.
“One song that I love that’s a fan favorite, it never was a radio single, is a song called Tulsa Texas. And we get requests for that song every night.”
With a knack for classic country, Corbin plans to stick by his traditional roots, calling on influence from old-school stars like Merle Haggard and George Jones. Although Corbin sees the industry around him as constantly changing, he hopes to stay with his traditional style and continue paying homage to his authentic rural upbringing.
“You know, the industry is ever evolving, it never stays the same. And for me, I like to set my flag on the traditional side of things. No matter what direction the genre goes in, I’ll always be that as an artist,” Corbin said with pride. “I think the key to longevity and success is staying true to who you are and being that constant to your fans, they can always depend on you.”
In that same sense of appreciation for American tradition, Corbin loves playing at county fairs across the country, standing by his belief that small town communities are crucial to his fanbase and the nation as a whole.
“I think that’s the backbone of our country,” he mentioned, “that’s really the backbone of our audience. So, doing those county fairs and events like that, I think that’s how you stay connected to those smaller communities.”
Corbin reinforces this belief through his own childhood memories of county fair performances, remembering the massive impact that one night of good country music can have on a small community.
“Every year, I remember going to a festival or two around my area as a kid, you know, that’s the biggest thing that happens in your area all year long,” He shared, remembering the importance of performing for rural towns similar to his home. “You always got to remember that, you know, even though we play every night, for a particular group of people, you might be the highlight of their year.”
While he continues to prepare for his September 6 performance at the Chelan County Fairgrounds, Corbin is working on an upcoming project that he has yet to announce. Details on the project remain confidential. However, Corbin wants fans to know that something is in the works.
“I can’t give up too much [information] yet, but we definitely got something cooking in the book,” he revealed.
With the days to the Chelan County Fair counting down, Corbin can’t wait to get back over to Washington State and perform for his local fans while introducing new listeners to his music. Though Washington State is about as far away from Florida as it gets, he explains that his West Coast fans can be just as big.
“I’m looking forward to it. We have a lot of great fans out on the West Coast. And unfortunately, it being such a long ways away, we don’t get to get out there as often as we’d like,” Corbin admitted. “So when we do get out there, man, it’s a great time, and it’s a special time to be able to hang out with our fans and share our music with those who are a little farther away but just as big of fans.”
To learn more about the Chelan County Fair and its upcoming featured performances, visit chelancountyfair.com.
Will Nilles: (509) 731-3211 or will@ward.media
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