SIDNEY – Lonestar – an award-winning pop-country band that started in 1992 with multiple hits that are still well-known today – will be performing at Sidney High School on Nov. 6, 2022, at 7 p.m. as the first show in the 2022-23 Gateway Arts Council Presents Series.
The current band members are Drew Womack (lead vocals, acoustic guitar), Michael Britt (lead guitar, background vocals), Dean Sams (keyboard, acoustic guitar, background vocals) and Keech Rainwater (drums). Womack – formerly the lead vocalist of the band Sons of the Desert – recently joined the band in early 2021 after co-founder Richie McDonald left the band for a second time. Other band members throughout the years include co-founder John Rich, who left to start the band Big & Rich, and Cody Collins, who replaced McDonald when he left the band the first time.
Lonestar’s rise to fame came in the late 90s and early 2000s with memorable songs like “Amazed,” “Smile,” “My Front Porch Looking In,” and “Mr. Mom.” Thirty years after their formation, they have performed in all 50 states, sold more than 10.5 million records, and are still going strong with 80 performances worldwide per year. Soon, they will revamp 10 of their most popular songs on a new record called “TEN to 1,” not only with a new lead vocalist but with some slight technical adjustments.
Britt said the band has remained relevant because of the resiliency of the founding members that are still involved and the evergreen nature of their hit songs.
“Had we not had the success and hits when we had it, it would be hard to sustain it now. But having that under our belt and having this inner drive that we’re gonna make it happen no matter what, I think that’s kind of what has kept us going all these years,” Britt said.
For their Sidney performance, fans will hear all of Lonestar’s number one hits with a medley of cover songs at the end of the show, according to Britt. For anyone afraid of the band’s hit songs sounding different because of a new lead vocalist, Britt confirmed that while there are vocal differences between McDonald and Womack, the style is still the same.
“When he (Drew Womack) started with us it just felt natural and normal because we knew him, and the first time we heard him sing it was like ‘holy crap, that’s what it sounds like.’ It was weird because we’re used to hearing Drew’s voice from Sons of the Desert records and hearing him sing our songs, it just sounded kind of like us. It was kind of like what we want to sound like. Because we’ve had other singers fill in for Richie and it’s different. It’s maybe too different,” Britt said. “Drew feels more true to the music.”
“The big thing is we just like to have fun,” Britt said. “That was another thing that Drew brought to the table was that he just has this youthful exuberance, not that he’s that much younger than us, but just that he’s new to it. He’s been off the road with a big band for a while – he’s been doing solo shows in Texas – so it’s kind of like giving him the keys to a Ferrari, so he’s just having a great time, and it’s actually fun for us just to kind of watch, be a part of it. It’s truly exciting for us.”
This event is organized by the Gateway Arts Council and is part of their 2022-2023 Presents Series. Tickets are $45 for general admission and $42 for AAA members. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit gatewayartscouncil.org/performing-arts/.
