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County Music Show organizers hope to draw crowd with Branson musicians
Organizers of the Fort Scott Country Music Show said they are bringing back a popular Branson, Mo., act to hopefully provide a boost to recently sagging attendance figures.
A show scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 8 at Memorial Hall, 1 E. Third St., will feature Branson entertainer Wade Landry and his wife, Teresa Bowe Landry, who regularly perform in the "Swingin' Cajun Style" show at the God and Country Theatres in Branson.
Show co-organizer Nancy Cliffman said Thursday the Fort Scott Country Music Show, which she and her husband, Steve, began organizing in 2011, had been doing well up until the last couple of shows. Now the show is struggling financially and the Cliffmans are having trouble breaking even with each show. She said recent hot weather may be a factor in lower attendance.
"It's in danger of shutting down. This will be our last year," she said. "We don't know if we'll be able to finish out the year."
In hopes of giving the show a much-needed boost, Nancy Cliffman said the Landrys, who always draw a good crowd, are coming in to perform.
"We always have a good crowd for Landry ... the Landrys bring in more people," she said.
Nancy Cliffman said the show still draws decent numbers, in fact there are several locals who come to each show, including a couple who are 92 years old and "have never missed a show." The shows typically bring in more people when entertainers like the Landrys come to town.
"When we have someone like Leona Williams, who is Merle Haggard's ex-wife, she drew a good crowd. We had like 130 people. As long as we break even, we feel good about that. It's when we start to go under" that the Cliffmans start to worry, she said.
Nancy Cliffman said they have a contract with the city to use Memorial Hall for the Fort Scott Country Music Show performances. Expenses for the show, such as rent, insurance and advertising are becoming more difficult to pay for.
"Plus, we send out about 71 emails to people from all around to let them know who's coming," she said. "And we pay every band member for the shows."
The twice-monthly shows run from March through December. Nancy said time will tell if the show is able to last. The Cliffmans would like to make it through the end of the year.
"We hope to last; it will be a fight until then," she said.
In a telephone interview Thursday, Wade Landry said he's been in the entertainment business for about 40 years. He's been entertaining in Branson for the last 20 years.
"I eventually came to Branson and did my own thing," he said. "It's always fun to come back to Fort Scott. There's a good band, nice folks and a good crowd. We've performed there several times over the past three, four years. They're good people. It's lots of fun."
The country music variety show includes Wade, who is a Grammy-nominated fiddler, and vocal performances by his wife.
"She is a performer in her own right; she's been in the business for many years," he said. "We got married and started working together and I put her in the show. I play the fiddle, but she's the star. It's a perfect combination; comedy and a fiddle player and a beautiful girl."
The show has run in Branson for seven years. Wade said many people from the area come to his and other Branson shows.
"In spite of the economy, we're still hanging in there," he said.
He said people can "expect to be entertained" at the show with comedy and music as the key forms of entertainment. Music audience members can expect to hear include Cajun, western, swing, gospel and traditional country music.
"It's not only music, but we bring a Branson-style of entertainment with us," he said. "There's humor and comedy involved. And there's interactivity between musicians -- that spontaneity -- and musicians working together. Everybody enjoys the same style of music on that stage. That energy falls into the audience and they get it. It's like peanut butter and jelly -- it sells."
He added, "We just want to have a good time and entertain the crowd. That's why people keep coming back."
Wade said he has also been part of some "big things" recently, including two recent appearances on the History Channel's "Cajun Pawn Stars" television show.
Wade said he and his wife have performed at Memorial Hall as part of the Fort Scott Country Music Show several times. He said he performed in Fort Scott years ago when he was working with Mel Tillis, but he didn't recall the venue.
He said he's glad to be returning to Fort Scott.
"I like working places where there's no tension, where everything runs smoothly and everybody does their job," he said. "In Fort Scott, the band is really good; they're an exceptionally good band in Fort Scott."
The Fort Scott Country Music Show's typical band includes Dewayne Bowman on vocals and guitar; Jim Garstang on keyboard; Ronnie Blecher on drums; Randy Vanderpool on vocals and bass guitar; Ernie Reed on fiddle, and Scotty Henderson on steel guitar.
The band also includes Jason Richison on vocals and Ginelle Esry, a singer from El Dorado Springs, Mo.
Admission to the show is $12 for adults and youth 15 and younger are admitted free of charge. A concession stand sells soda, candy bars and chips. Nancy said any profits from ticket sales and concessions go back into the show.