Randy Bachman and his son Tai, led an all-star cast of bandmates as BTO took the state at the Great Darke County Fair.
Ryan Berry | Daily Advocate
The legendary Randy Bachman on stage at the Darke County Fair.
Ryan Berry | Daily Advocate
Darke County Junior Fair King and Queen Collin Batten and Morgan Aultman tossed and shot out t-shirts prior to the concert.
Ryan Berry | Daily Advocate
By Ryan Berry
DailyAdvocate.com
GREENVILLE — Although attendance was down for the concert on Thursday evening, concert goers were not disappointed by Bachman Turner Overdrive (BTO). Even though there was no opening band, it was like two concerts wrapped into one. Music from the 60’s through the 80’s was featured as Bachman and his bandmates took attendees through the history of his original band, The Guess Who, BTO and his solo project.
Although the 80-year-old carefully navigated the stage to a chair waiting for him, his voice did not waver as the band began its set. From the opening note to the encore BTO had the audience clapping, singing and enjoying themselves for approximately an hour and a half.
Bachman gave a history lesson on both groups and how each was formed. Both Canadian groups were established with the band members coming from the Winnipeg, Manitoba area and seemed to be a way of combining the forces of each of those regional bands that included names like Burton Cummings, Kurt Winter, Fred Turner, and Robbie Bachman. He explained one of the only singers he didn’t team up with from that area during that time was Neil Young.
The Guess Who songs that thrilled audiences included No Time, No Sugar Tonight, These Eyes and American Woman, to name a few.
Moving to the BTO era, Bachman and his band played Roll on Down the Highway, You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet, and Let it Ride. After a brief break before the encore, BTO came back out and did a medley of songs from BTO and other bands before closing the evening with what is arguably their biggest hit, Takin’ Care of Business.
Darke County Fair concert goers could be heard praising the band for an incredible concert as they exited the Grandstand.
To contact Daily Advocate Editor Ryan Berry, email [email protected].
