Chart-topping, million-selling Lonestar lands at the Lassen County Fair Friday night

Lonestar — an award-winning band with a string of Number 1 singles that also scored the huge crossover hit “Amazed” that lingered in the top spot for nine weeks, appears at the Lassen County Fair, Friday, July 19.

Lassen News spoke with drummer Keech Rainwater and singer Drew Womack as they took a break from their ambitious tour that runs all the way to November in a resort in the mountains of Idaho a few days before their appearance in Susanville at the Fair.

Rainwater called it the band’s “grill and chill” — an event they try to make time for every year.

“We can’t wait,” Rainwater said. “It’s going to be nice. We’re looking forward to playing. Come on out, and you’ll hear some of the very favorites from Lonestar as well as some of the songs from the Iconic EP, and a little surprise at the end.”

And Womack said the band will perform all 10 of its Number 1 hits from the Ten to 1 album, “so people will hear all the songs they want to hear and a few they weren’t expecting.”

Rainwater said audience members have a personal connection to those hit songs, and the bad can see that reaction when the play those songs.

Despite the band’s 32-year career, Rainwater said playing for the fans never gets old.

“We love what we do, and this year has been such a great year because it seems to me 90s country is making a comeback in some ways, and that just puts us in front of everyone’s face,” Rainwater said. “And they seem to really love it. There’s something about it. It’s different than the 70s or the 80s or even the 2000s. It just had a sound. It had a sound and a story telling thing to it. I don’t know how to really describe it.”

Over the course of their 30 plus years together, Michael Britt (guitar), Keech Rainwater (drums), Dean Sams (keyboard) and Drew Womack (vocals) definitely know a thing or two about delivering impactful songs. In fact, they took fans down memory lane in 2023 by re-recording their Number 1 hits on the album “TEN to 1.”

And recently, the band officially announced their new EP, Iconic, Vol. 1, will be released later this summer. The five-song collection is the band’s thoughtful homage to some of the industry’s legendary female vocalists.

“Basically we’re paying tribute to great female singers from any genre,” Rainwater said. “The great thing is we wanted to make sure it wasn’t anything you’d expect Lonestar to cut. That’s the main thing, except trying to choose the greatest singers of all time.”

In addition to Fleetwood Mac’s “You Make Lovin’ Fun,” Lonestar picked songs by Pink, Cyndi Lauper, and the Eurythmics. It’s a very eclectic group of songs. The EP is due to come out next month, including a limited edition on vinyl.

“As a band, we are riding high,” Sams said. “We’ve had the two biggest touring years of our career. It feels new again and the fans have just given us a rebirth. We are more energized. We are better players and singers. Our show is by far the best show we’ve put out on the road and I’m really excited for the folks who are coming to see us in 2024.”

Having celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2022, the ACM, CMA and Billboard award-winning group Lonestar has amassed RIAA-certified sales in excess of 10 million albums, 10 Number 1 charttoppers (and another 10 that made the charts) since their national launch in 1995, and the band’s awards include 1996 ACM “Top New Vocal Group,” 1999 ACM “Single of The Year” for “Amazed” (the song also won “Song of the Year”), 2001 CMA “Vocal Group of the Year” and 2002 ACM “Top Vocal Group.”