Barbara Forrester drove three hours for the chance to see Billy Currington, one of her favorite country artists, perform live.
She left that concert impressed by another male country musician, the one who served as Currington's opening act that night in Fredericksburg, Va., two years ago.
Kip Moore, still a relative unknown back then, opened for Currington at Celebrate Virginia Live. Forrester became a quick fan. And she's been catching him live when he appears in the area ever since.
Suffice it to say that Forrester, who works at Passauer & Miller Insurance Agency in Manchester, is planning to be in attendance to see Moore perform at 8 p.m. today at the Carroll County 4-H & FFA Fair in Westminster.
Moore is this year's headlining fair act. He is one of the first performers in the fair's history to have released a single that reached No. 1 for multiple weeks on "Billboard's" Hot Country Singles chart prior to performing at the fair. "Somethin' 'bout a Truck" spent two weeks at No. 1 in June.
Since that achievement, he has performed before thousands at Nashville's LP Field during the CMA Music Festival and sang his latest single, "Beer Money," on Conan.
"He's got a lot of momentum," said Fair Manager Debbie Weishaar, who indicated ticket sales were brisk leading up to the concert. General admission tickets can be purchased tonight at the gate for $10.
Local performer Jay Henley and the Stone Broke Band will serve as the 7 p.m. opening act.
Forrester has her ticket. What makes Moore unique, Forrester said, is his play list. Up-and-coming artists tend to throw in covers for crowd-pleasing moments. For example, previous 4-H Fair act Lady Antebellum performed the Doobie Brothers' "Long Train Running" at their early shows.
Moore didn't do that in the shows Forrester saw. Instead, he simply performed his music, including songs he wrote himself.
It led to some quiet moments from the crowds, she said, because they didn't know the words. But she left impressed by the music and how kind he was to those who took interest in his music early on.
After his show in Fredericksburg, he signed autographs for anyone who wanted one.
"He said, 'I'll be here until you are tired of looking at me,'" Forrester said.
It was a similar situation when Forrester saw Moore perform at a small show for 50 fans in York, Pa., earlier this year. He was fighting an illness but showed up and sang his heart out anyway, she said.
Despite his early success, Moore is still relatively new to country music fans. He's working up the ranks performing at local venues like the 4-H & FFA Fair.
Forrester expects Moore to stick to his own music once again tonight, and that's just fine with her.
"It's all his," she said. "I like that."
