Tuesday, April 16th, 2019
Christian singer Crowder to headline fair concert
By William Kincaid
CELINA - A Christian singer-songwriter who has risen up the music charts with a genre-hopping style all his own has been tapped to play at the Mercer County Fair this year.
Crowder, a multiplatinum-selling, Grammy-nominated Christian music artist, will headline the fair's second Christian concert at the grandstands on Aug. 10. He'll be supported by opening act We are Messengers, fair organizers revealed on Monday.
"Each year we kind of look at the chart records and see who are hot, and these artists both were exceptional," fair manager Cara Muhlenkamp told the newspaper. "We knew that it would be a popular act among various age groups."
David Crowder first came to prominence with the Christian rock act David Crowder Band before striking out on his own under the moniker Crowder.
He has sold more than 3 million records, garnered three Grammy nominations and landed numerous radio hits, among them "All My Hope." His latest LP, "I Know a Ghost," came out in 2018.
We are Messengers focuses "on spreading the message of God's love and using songs born from their own struggles to impact the lives of their audiences," the band's biography reads.
Tickets for the Aug. 10 show go on sale at 9 a.m. Friday and can be purchased at the fair office, website at mercercountyohiofair.com or by phone at 419-586-3239.
Fair organizers in 2018 put on their first Christian music concert featuring the Newsboys and special guest Adam Agee. It was a great success selling an estimated 76% of available seats.
Also, fair organizers announced in December that country superstars Montgomery Gentry with Eddie Montgomery and Phil Vassar will take over the grandstand on Aug. 9 to kick off the 2019 Mercer County Fair on a high note.
"It's been an act that we wanted to get for a while," Muhlenkamp had said at the time, pointing out all the logistics finally came together to make the booking a reality.
Fair officials have cemented their reputation as providers of top-notch concerts over the years, booking Neal McCoy, Joe Diffie and Walker Hayes in 2018; The Brothers Osborne and Granger Smith in 2017; Gary Allan and Ray Scott in 2016; Josh Thompson, Craig Campbell and Eric Paslay in 2015; Rodney Atkins and The Swon Brothers in 2014; and Joe Nichols and Angie Johnson in 2013.
In response, country music fans have flocked to the fairgrounds each year. Last year's Neal McCoy and Joe Diffie was an 80% sellout, a 4% increase over 2017's country music show.
