Hunter Hayes-The Grandstand @ The Kansas State Fair

Photo courtesy of the Hunter Hayes Website

The Saturday Night Grandstand Show

By Lydia Lowe

     Media Day was this past Friday at the Kansas State Fair and one of the gifts that everyone attending received were tickets to the Hunter Hayes concert on Saturday night.  I never turn down a free concert and it doesn't matter if I know who the musical act is or not, I'm there.  I knew of Hunter Hayes and I knew he was a country act, but that was about it.

     Wow, did this concert and performer deliver a high energy show. It did not disappoint.  From the opening song to the end of the show, Hunter Hayes worked the stage and the audience.  There's an old saying about "paying for a full seat but only needing the edge"?  Those attending this concert didn't need the seat or the edge.  Most everyone was on their feet the entire time; young, old, it didn't matter.  

     It was hard to even figure out the demographic of the audience.  There were the teen and tween girls but there were women of every age group and lots of men in the crowd.  I don't know if the men got drug there by wives and girlfriends and were just making the best of it, but they seemed to be into the music, too.

     During the first few songs of the concert, it was hard to make out the lyrics.  It must have been some sort of technical difficulty which was remedied later on in the show.  Hayes played guitar: acoustic and electric, as well as the piano.  He has a wide range of music ability.  He pulled a girl out of the audience to sing with him, at one point, and she had an amazing voice, not to mention the fact that this was a high stress situation and she pulled it off superbly.  I was so impressed with her.  Hayes also took time to take some selfies with some of the girls down front. 

     Hayes sang his first #1 song for the crowd, Wanted.  I think that has just become one of my favorite all time songs.  It really made me stop and think about some things that have been going on in my life recently from a different perspective.  Isn't that what all art is about, holding up a lens in which to see life anew?  I was a bit confused by the fact that he followed that song up with a song made popular by One Republic, entitled Counting Stars.  I liked his version of the song, but wasn't sure why he switched from original songs to a cover tune. 

     During one of his songs light up beach balls were released into the crowd.  That was really something to see.  I thought it was a great touch and lots of fun, although none of the balls came my way.  It was fun to see them bouncing around down below.  I found out later that there were people who didn't particularly like the beach balls. In fact, one row behind me completely cleared out until the beach balls were collected up and put away.  

     This was a really fun, high energy show.  I'm so glad that I got to go to it.  If you haven't heard Hunter Hayes sing his #1 song, Wanted, check it out online.  It is worth a listen.  I can't wait to hear more songs by this artist. One thing that I thought was really great, at the end of the concert, Hayes thanked his band, of course, but he also thanked his crew.  Hunter Hayes is a class act!