Lonestar headlines Grant Co. Fair
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 7 months AGO
Michael Britt, left, and Drew Womak of Lonestar play on during the group’s concert in Moses Lake.
CHERYL SCHWEIZER/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Drew Womak of Lonestar at the microphone at the Moses Lake concert on Aug. 18.
The country group Lonestar performs in Moses Lake during the Grant County Fair. The group began playing together in 1992, and while a few members have changed out, they’re still going strong in the country music scene.
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | August 22, 2022 3:29 PM
MOSES LAKE — Longtime country band Lonestar took the stage and gave fans live performances of classic hits and new sounds Aug. 18 at the Grant County Fair.
“Are y’all ready to have some fun?” said lead vocalist Drew Womack.
Keyboardist Dean Sams said Lonestar has been playing together as a band for nearly 30 years. The band has a long string of hits, including 10 that have hit the top of the country charts.
“We just love Lonestar,” said Darlene Przybylski, who had staked out a seat in the front row of general admission.
She and husband Rick selected a Lonestar song for the first dance at their wedding a few years ago, she said.
“We want to hear that song again,” she said. “We’re looking forward to it.”
Deanna Martinez said there was a reason she was at the fairgrounds on a very hot summer night.
“Of course, Lonestar,” she said.
Sams joked that not all Lonestar fans are as enthusiastic about all their songs. While talking to the audience he said band members pay attention to the crowd.
“We watch people, y’all know,” he said.
There was, for instance, a seating mixup about three rows from the stage.
“Did y’all get it figured out?” he asked.
And there’s always a guy who really just wants to go home, Sams said. At the Moses Lake concert, he said that guy was three or four rows back, waiting for them to play that song, the one that appealed to his significant other.
“Please, just do the song, so she’s happy,” Sams quoted that guy as thinking. “Please, just do the song, so I can go home.”
But Sams told him to settle in — it was going to take a while. Lonestar had a lot of music to play.
Womack told the audience the band was releasing a new album this fall, a re-recording of their No. 1 hits. The “10 to 1” album reflects songs the band has been playing for years, sometimes for decades, and how they’ve evolved, according to information on the band’s website.
Band members still like playing music together, Sams said.
“We just show up (to play),” he said. “It could be, like, three people or - a lot of people.”
Cheryl Schweizer may be reached at [email protected].
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Open house for Moses Lake comprehensive plan Monday
MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake residents are being invited to learn more about and give their opinions on proposed updates to sections of the city’s comprehensive plan at an open house Monday at the Moses Lake Civic Center, 411 S. Balsam St.
Samaritan posts operating loss for first two months of 2026
MOSES LAKE — Samaritan Healthcare posted net revenue losses in January and February, and while hospital officials anticipated some red ink, the losses were larger than the budget projections. Samaritan posted an operating loss of about $1.4 million in February and about $486,500 in January.
Study recommends city keep MLFD
MOSES LAKE — As of now, the city of Moses Lake would be best served by keeping its own fire department, planning to accommodate additional demand and financial sustainability. That was the recommendation of a study presented to the Moses Lake City Council at its regular meeting Tuesday.