Clay Walker Still on Top of His Game at Taste Of Country BBQ

The long-awaited Taste Of Country BBQ was this past Saturday on the Fairgrounds in Hamburg. After a full afternoon of local talent, cloggers, sunshine and great food, Clay Walker hit the stage with a set that lasted just under two hours!

It has been way too long since Clay Walker has been here in the northeast, and Western New York more specifically. After seeing him perform, it's clear that nothing is slowing him down. Next year, Clay will celebrate 20 years of hits, 11 no. 1 songs (to date) and over 11 million albums sold. With those accolades, it would be easy for anyone to get cocky or over-confident. Not Clay! Song after song on Saturday, he gave the fans exactly what they came for -- energy, class and great music. Even after eating great BBQ, it was hard not to wanna dance around to songs like "Live, Laugh, Love," "Then What" and "If I Could Make A Living." Walker's show even included cannons filled with paper streamers, which some fans collected as souvenirs.

The encore to his set was more like a grand finale. The best moment for me was being able to be standing by the stage listening to him sing the song " Fall." Not only is that that a great song, but hearing it live was a huge bonus to the day. His voice was right on the money with every note! It has to be one of the more difficult songs to perform live, and his band was solid as they transitioned into a medley of other classics such as "This Woman and This Man" and "She Won't Be Lonely Long."

I had to chance to speak to Clay after the show, and he is by far one of the most genuine stars you'll ever want to meet. He offered some advice on how to improve our BBQ for next year and complimented the great fans we have in this area. I've been doing this job for almost 17 years, and I am always so impressed with stars like Clay Walker.  I guess I am biased because it is my passion, but country music has the most genuine, gracious and talented group of stars. Clay Walker is a great ambassador for that gifted group!