Lonestar headlined this year’s Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department’s Country Concert for St. Jude on Friday, July 21, at Central Park. Shown is the band at the start of the concert. From left: Keech Rainwater (slightly visible on the far left), Michael Britt, Drew Womack and Dean Sams. On the far right in the back is backup guitarist Robby Wilson.

Text and Photos
By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Josh Vetor of Warsaw first saw Lonestar in concert “about 30 years ago.”

He saw them for the fourth time in concert on Friday, July 21. The band was the headliner at Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department’s annual Country Concert for St. Jude at Central Park, playing through several decades of its hits.

Wearing a cowboy hat and a T-shirt which appropriately bore the logo for Lone Star Beer (no connection to the band), Vetor enjoyed the concert from the front row with his wife Lisa Vetor.

Lisa noted her parents actually sat up their seats for the free concert at 11 p.m. the day before.

Warsaw Parks Superintendent Larry Plummer estimated ahead of Lonestar’s arrival to the stage shortly after 8 p.m. there were 4,000 to 5,000 at the park.

“I think it’s just a great event that’s free, not many communities have a free event (thanks to sponsorship) with a national artist, and Warsaw’s very lucky to have that situation,” he said. “It’s just a great night.”

The concert opened with independent country artist Adam Calvert. He played some of his own songs such as “Silver Silverado” as well as those of other artists like Walker Hayes’ “Fancy Like.”

Lonestar took the stage shortly after 8 p.m. Over the next hour and a half, attendees heard everything from the group’s early songs “Tequila Talkin'” and “No News” off its self-titled debut album in 1995 to later ones “My Front Porch Looking In,” “Being Mr. Mom” and “I’m Already There.”

Lead singer Drew Womack, the new addition to the band alongside original members Dean Sams, Michael Britt and Keech Rainwater, sang “I Hope You Dance,” his collaboration with Lee Ann Womack.

The band also seemed to enjoy interacting with the audience, with Drew Womack giving some of the band’s guitar picks to a woman near the front. Sams also jokingly demanded an attendee give up a bag of her kettle corn for not following instructions, which she obliged him.

Proceeds from the concert, including those collected from the audience in buckets, will go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Josh and Lisa Vetor made up some of the front row at the concert.

From left: Britt, Sams and Womack play, with Wilson in the background.

Womack sings.

Sams mugs for the camera, with Rainwater in the background.

The crowd stood and sang along during part of the concert.

Independent country artist Adam Calvert opened the concert. From left: Calvert’s band member Caleb Gossage (in the back on the drums), Calvert and his band member Joey Lindstrom.

Madeline Perault enjoyed dancing to Calvert’s cover of “Footloose.”

Calvert, left, and Lindstrom, right, visit with a fan after their performance.