Little Big Town plays before excited fans at district fair

The two-guy, two-girl formula Kimberly Schlapman and Karen Fairchild cooked up in Nashville almost a decade ago works for Little Big Town. The foursome, made up of Schlapman, Fairchild, Jimi Westbrook and Phillip Sweet, played to an excited crowd on the sixth day of the SEMO District Fair.

"We love Little Big Town," said audience member Dena Taylor. She and her husband, Robert, drove up from Kennett, Mo., to see the show -- their first Little Big Town concert.

"We love country music," she said. "And I like the girl/guy bands."

Little Big Town has played in Southeast Missouri a handful of times in recent years. After a few songs, Fairchild greeted the crowd and referred to Cape Girardeau as the Nashville band's second home and one small fan handed the singer a framed picture of Little Big Town and a family at last year's Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo.

While the band didn't open the show with its first big hit and Taylor's favorite song, "Boondocks," Taylor did sing along to almost every song and pinky whistled her approval after each one.

Kimberly Schlapman performs with Little Big Town Thursday night at the SEMO District Fair. (Fred Lynch)

Little Big Town filled their set with songs about love, losing people and plain country living -- a theme Taylor said she can relate to.

"When they sing 'Boondocks,' that's it. That's Kennett," she said. Robert has the song set as his ringtone.

Clapping and dancing fans filled the orchestra seating, box seats and most of the risers.

For some, like Joelle Mayfield, the concert was simply a fun night out. The high school counselor from Marble Hill, Mo., got free tickets for herself and her husband.

The two-hour set had songs from "A Place to Land," Little Big Town's most recent album, like "Vapor" and "I'm With the Band." They played a few covers and some brand-new music.

Little Big Town starts three nights of country music at the fair. Joe Nichols plays at 8 p.m. today, and John Michael Montgomery closes the fair at 8 p.m. Saturday.

charris@semissourian.com

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