The 170th Shawville Fair will be bumping with classic and modern country, and even some ‘90s rock this year, thanks to a few big names that will be gracing its main stage over Labour Day weekend.
Today (Apr. 2) the fair board announced ‘90s grunge rock band Big Wreck will headline the main stage Friday night (Sept. 4), followed by rising country singer Jackson Dean on Saturday (Sept. 5), and Nashville star Chris Janson on Sunday (Sept. 6). “It can buy me a boat,” anybody?
Fair board vice-president Scott Lemay said he has been working with a committee for months to bring these heavy-hitters to Pontiac’s biggest event of the year.
“When I look into entertainment, I’m not just looking at music, I’m looking at their stage presence, [and] what kind of energy they’re going to bring to the show,” he said.
Friday nights at the fair have typically been reserved for rock bands. Lemay said last year’s Glass Tiger brought one of the biggest crowds the fair has seen on a Friday in years.
“We’ve always kind of filtered into that ‘80s genre. The struggle with that is there’s not a lot of ‘80s bands together still that are in our price range or our location for touring, so we’re having to look at other elements. Now maybe we need to focus on ‘90s or more current stuff,” he said.
“The Tea Party has kind of become very popular again, Pearl Jam and things like that, with this younger generation. They’re all listening to that. [ . . . ] So I really feel Big Wreck is a great fit for us.”
Big Wreck is a Canadian rock band that formed in 1992 and took a few years to get its feet under it before its songs started hitting Top 40 charts in Canada and the U.S. in the late ‘90s.
Their most famous song, “That Song”, was one of the most-played Canadian rock songs on Canadian radio for about a decade.
Lemay said he is also very excited for Saturday’s headliner, Jackson Dean.
“He’s maybe not as well known because he’s an American artist but he’s got several big hits. He’s got some new music out, he’s doing a ton of touring. He’s fantastic, so that’s our young country element,” Lemay said.
Dean’s 2022 debut single “Don’t Come Lookin’” peaked at number three on Billboard magazine’s Country Airplay chart and was also featured in an episode of the TV series Yellowstone.
Janson to ‘blow the roof of Pontiac’
Lemay said he is proud to have landed Chris Janson for Sunday’s closing show, noting he’ll also be headlining this year’s Calgary Stampede.
“I think we’re going to blow the roof off the Pontiac with Chris Janson,” Lemay said.
Janson, a member of the exclusive Grand Ole Opry family of country musicians, is best known for his anthem-style songs, a handful of which have become chart-topping hits including “Buy Me A Boat”, “Fix A Drink” and “Good Vibes”.
“Landing him is huge. He’s got a tone of music. He’s the perfect fit for our Shawville Fair. He’s this good old country boy, kind of red neck sort of thing. He loves hunting, fishing, he’s wholesome country right to the core. That’s kind of what the Pontiac is, and what our fair is about.”
Lemay said he’s made some helpful contacts with agencies in Nashville over the past year that have made it possible for the fair to bring more American talent to Shawville.
“We try and bring in some world class entertainment for everyone to enjoy, but the fundamentals of the fair are built on the agricultural background, and we want not to ever lose that, it’s important to keep that heritage going forward.”
Lemay said the rest of the entertainment lineup will be announced on social media in the weeks to come.
