CLAY COUNTY – While most fairgoers enjoyed the Clay County Agricultural Fair, Executive Director Tasha Hyder admitted a common theme in the past few years has been a lack of interest in the concert lineups – and the complaints and financial hardships that come with those.

The cost of attracting popular bands has pushed Clay County far away from musical Main Street.

“It’s hard to afford people at the peaks of their careers. You have to catch an act on the frontside of their careers or the backside of their careers,” said Bob Olson, executive director of the Thrasher-Horne Center. “Artist’s fees are really expensive. We could get a $300,000 band, but would our people really pay $150 a ticket? What you can afford is really determined by the size of your venue.”

Thrasher-Horne’s theater has 1,728 seats. The Cattlemen’s Arena at the fair can seat about 3,400, with seating for as many as 300 VIPs. General admission is available at the back half of the arena.

Hyder said the fair had to charge $5 for general admission to the grandstands and standing room only to offset more than a $300,000 deficit in entertainment fees. Many concertgoers complained of the fee because those seats were free in the past.

“We’ve lost money on our entertainment every year,” she said. “We don’t get a share of concessions because that’s all done by vendors. So, why do we have concerts? Because our guests have come to expect it. The shows are part of the experience. We lose a lot of money with our shows, but we are thinking about new ways to change the experience.”

The lineup in April included Clint Black, Spin Doctors and Ricky Skaggs. In their heydays, they would have filled major arenas. But Black’s last hit was “A Good Run of Bad Luck” in 1994. The only No. 1 song for the Spin Doctors was “Two Princes” in 1991, while the final No. 1 song for Ricky Skaggs was “Cajun Moon” in 1986.

Chapel Heart played the Clay County Agricultural Fair last year and was a hit. Years from now, fans will regard them as one of the fair's entertainment coups.

STAFF PHOTOS BY DON COBLE

A year ago, the fair managed to book Chapel Heart, an up-and-coming trio that finished among the top three on America’s Got Talent and has played at the Grand Ole’ Opry several times, as well as the Oak Ridge Boys, whose last No. 1 song, “No Matter How High,” topped the charts in 1990.

Blake Shelton played at the Clay County Fair in 2006, when his booking rate was $40,000. Now, his rate starts at $1 million.

Artists ' rates were more reasonable before skyrocketing after the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s why the fair was able to attract artists and bands like Lonestar, Randy Travis, The Righteous Brothers, Survivor, REO Speedwagon, ZZ Top, Nelly (twice), Lorrie Morgan, Martina McBride and Diamond Rio – all when they were either in their prime or still somewhat relevant.

“They’ve done a good job catching people on their upswing,” Olson said.

Hyder said the most attended show this year was the Christian band, We the Kingdom.

She said the fair briefly considered hiring Jelly Roll, until they saw his asking price range between $1.5 and $2 million for a single show.

Olson said he faces challenges with his budget, but unlike Hyder, he has different charges and review streams.

The Marshall Tucker Band performed at the Thrasher-Horne Center in 2022.

STAFF PHOTO BY DON COBLE

Thrasher-Horne is responsible for the band's hospitality, paying for stagehands and equipment. However, they enjoy revenue from concessions and sponsorships. If there’s a profit, the band gets about 80% of the cut, and the house takes home 20%.

The cost of the acts sets the starting price of tickets.

“It's all driven by the number of seats in the house,” Olson said. “We make a little money on most of our concerts. We lose money on our Broadway shows.”

Olson said one of the largest shows — and costliest fees — was Larry the Cable Guy's appearance last month, but the biggest crowd was for "Weird Al" Yankovic's 2022 concert appearance.

Hyder and Olson must provide top-dollar entertainment on a budget, and the challenge is becoming more difficult.

“The bottom line is, it does cost a lot to put on an act,” Olson said.