--- Feature • Kosciusko County Community Fair--- Country Dreamin’ By Deborah Kennedy July 13. Tickets are just $10 for general ad- mission and $20 for trackside seats. Every cowboy worth his steer and every Pickler, cute as the proverbial button cowgirl worth her boots knows that the dress and a belter to boot, is sure to bring in coun- code for the county fair includes Wranglers. try fans, “Idol” fans and fans of pretty girls Hence the theme of this year’s Kosciusko in general. County Community Fair: Blue Jeans and According to Knepper, bringing Pickler Country Dreams. to the fair was a no-brainer. Not only is she But the 95-year-old fair, taking place incredibly popular, but she also has some se- July 10-16 at the Kosciusko County 4H rious country cred, and that obviously jives Fairgrounds in Warsaw, is about ------Feature • Three Dog Night------much more than blue jeans. Notice the “dream” part of the theme. For many young peo- ple, the fair repre- sents the reward for a job well done Play it Hot & Cold and months spent toiling tirelessly By Deborah Kennedy and “Black and White” – also climbed to the in barns and bed- very top of the charts. rooms and base- If on a really cold night you happen to That was in 1968. Between then and ments. find yourself deep in Australia’s Aborigine 1976, Three Dog Night put out nine stu- William Knep- country, you might begin to understand how dio albums, including Suitable for Fram- per, fair general the great American rock band Three Dog ing (1969), Naturally (1970) and Harmony manager, remem- Night got its name. (1970). That’s not a typo. TDN did indeed bers well his days If it’s a little chilly, Aborigines will sleep put out two albums in one year, and perhaps as a 4H kid. He with one of their dingos. If it’s pretty darned the only explanation for such a prolific spree raised rabbits and cold, they’ll sleep with two. If it’s freezing, is the fact that they didn’t write much of also com- they’ll bring three dingos in to keep them their material. Rather, they relied on some peted as KOSCIUSKO COUNTY warm. of the top songwriters of the day – Nilsson, a wood- That is, in the cultural parlance, a “three Laura Nyro, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, worker. COMMUNITY FAIR dog night.” John Hiatt and Newman, among others – to “ T h e Sun.-Sat., July 10-16 • Times vary Of course, Three Dog Night the band keep them in hits year after year. kids have plays it more hot than cold, especially when Until roughly 1976 it was a great formu- been work- 1400 E. Smith St., Warsaw you consider that la. The guys domi- ing really Admission: free until 1 p.m., $4 adults, this sextet – Cory THREE DOG NIGHT nated the charts hard, rais- $2 children, (kids 5 and under free) Wells and Danny with a total of 21 ing their Hutton on lead vo- Friday, July 15 • 8 p.m. Top 40 hits. Besides a n i m a l s www.kcfair.org, 574-269-1823 cals, Jimmy Green- Foellinger Theatre the aforementioned and per- spoon on keys, 3411 Sherman Blvd., Fort Wayne No. 1s, their musi- fecting their projects,” he said. “The fair is well with Michael Allsup on cal resumé includes the culmination of a year’s worth of hard the ambi- guitar, Paul Kingery Tix.: $25, 260-427-6000 or “Black and White,” work, and it’s always really exciting when it ence of on bass and Pat www.fortwayneparks.org “Shambala,” “An arrives.” the fair. Bautz on drums – Old Fashioned Exciting not only for the animal and “We’re holds the record for most records and con- Love Song,” “Never Been to Spain,” “Try a craft competitions, but also for the free so excited to bring Kelly here,” Knepper cert tickets sold and most Top 10 hits for the Little Tenderness” and “Sure As I’m Sittin’ live entertainment, which this year will be said. “She appeals to just about everyone.” years 1969-1974 (which is nothing to sneeze Here.” brought to you by Big Cat Encounters, Silly If your music tastes run more toward at when you remember that a certain Fab Even good things come to an end. Sort Safaris and the Indianapolis Colts and Colts mainstream rock, then mark your calendars Four were still quite busy taking the world of. Thanks to years of relentless touring, not cheerleaders. for Thursday, July 14 when Oklahoma-based by storm during that five-year span.). to mention founding member Negron’s drug While not free, other opportunities for rockers Hinder will make the grandstands TDN came together in 1968, a byprod- habit, their bonds had begun to fray. They full-on fun include an Akron Go-Karts race rattle. uct of the friendship of Wells and Hutton, played their last official concert at the Greek on Monday, July 11 and a showdown of the Getting Hinder was, Knepper said, sim- who met each other while Wells was tour- Theater on July 26, 1976. Kokomo Quarter Midget cars on Tuesday, ply a matter of luck. ing with Sonny and Cher. Back then they Of course, the fact that I’m writing this July 12. “We got lucky with the routing,” he called themselves Redwood, and they really story means there’s a happy ending. There Also, for the first time in the fair’s histo- said. “It was a right place, right time thing, began as a trio – Wells, Hutton and Chuck was a reunion in 1983 which produced a ry, there will be a hot dog eating competition and we’re hoping that lots of people come Negron, who, during the group’s 1970s ska-inspired album (what?), and ever since and a pie bake-off. Can someone say Alka out. It’s the first time in a long time we’ve heyday, developed a heroin addiction. The then, TDN have continued to tour. They’re Seltzer? If you’d like to be a part of these done a rock concert at the fair.” three vocalists eventually added Allsup, currently working on a new album, their first cut-throat contests, contact the fair office. Other highlights of this family-friendly Greenspoon, Floyd Sneed on drums and Joe in 24 years. Of course, gorging oneself on fatty treats celebration include kids’ activities, a truck Schermie on bass and changed their name to And they’ll be at the Foellinger Theater is one of the main pleasures of fair-going. So and tractor pull, fireworks, a parade, carni- Three Dog Night. This would be the lineup Friday, July 15, reminding audiences why is the possibility of seeing incredibly talent- val rides, karaoke and pageants for teen girls that made rock n’ roll history, first with the they were, and continue to be, so beloved. ed musicians for a fraction of the price you’d and young kids. single “One” (written by Harry Nilsson) and Tickets are $25, which is nothing to see pay at one of the big sheds. This year, the It’s an old-fashioned, funnel-cake kind then “Mama Told Me Not to Come (written a few living legends at work. Kosciusko County Fair Board was able to of fair, so why not pull on your Wranglers, by Randy Newman).” Two other singles off Whatever you do, don’t let your mama coax “American Idol” country darlin’ Kelly step into your boots and let your country their eponymous debut – “Joy to the World” tell you not to come. Pickler to town for a concert on Wednesday, dreams run wild? 8------www.whatzup.com------July 7, ’11