As we get older and older, it is nights like Saturday at the Clark County Fair that make us feel younger and younger.
That was the vibe at the Grandstands for the I Love the 90’s Tour.
“Everybody here is officially a teenager tonight,” Vanilla Ice told the crowd.
And that was after Tone Loc did a little survey, asking folks to cheer for when they heard the decade they were born. The 2000s? Some cheers? The 90s? Some cheers. Same with the 80s. The loudest, though, might have been when the 70s were announced.
Vanilla Ice, Tone Loc, and Young MC took the stage for a 90-minute blitz of their greatest hits and also led the crowd in singalongs to other big songs from back in the day.
Tone Loc and Young MC’s hit it big in 1989. Vanilla Ice hit the scene hard in 1990. All three would become part of the 90s sound.
Saturday night, thousands of fans were thrilled to go back there again.
“It’s awesome. It’s affordable. It’s going to be a good concert,” Charles Cliett of Vancouver said before the event. “I’m glad people are happy.”
“Complete excitement,” Michelle Cliett added, noting the nostalgia that comes with a concert like this one. “This brings back a lot of memories.”
The concert series at the Clark County Fair are free with a paid ticket to the fair. But some elect to spend a little more to get closer to the stage. The Clietts were in the reserved section.
“We get to see him live, up close and personal. The old songs are still bad—,” Charles said ov Vanilla Ice and friends. “We never got to see him when we were little. It was too expensive.”
Even the reserved seats at the fair are still less expensive than a ticket to a concert at a larger arena or stadium.
“It’s way cheaper than the Moda Center where I saw New Kids on the Block,” said Jennifer Browning of Beaverton, Ore.
Her friend, Candie Andersen of Vancouver, sang “Ice, Ice Baby” while in line for merchandise.
Plus, the event is much more than a concert. The concert series this year — Midland on Friday, I Love the 90s on Saturday, and Collective Soul on Sunday — is a way for organizers to attract people to the fairgrounds. Once music fans are here, they find there is so much more to experience.
“We can do everything at one time,” said Luz Martinez of Portland, who heard about the concert on the radio and told herself, “I gotta go.”
She and her party got to Summer’s Best Party early.
“I already got on the rides and took a bunch of pictures. Now, just waiting for the concert,” Martinez said.
Everyone interviewed said they were here to hear the songs of their youth, live.
Charles Cliett said he is also a fan of the message that the artists send to the fans at these concerts.
“They’re good Americans, too,” he said.
Right on cue, Vanilla Ice finished the first song of his set and pointed to the large American flag that waves high, right next to the grandstands. It was subtle. He didn’t say anything. At least not yet.
A few minutes later, there was nothing subtle about his vibe. He started a “USA! USA!” chant.
He gave a shout out to the military and first responders.
“Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t be proud of being an American,” he said, while asking the crowd to not let the media divide you.
Beyond playing their biggest hits, the three artists also had fun with the crowd. And they showed respect to some artists from the 90s who have passed.
Even after Vanilla Ice performed his top hit, “Ice, Ice Baby,” there was still 15 minutes left in the show, and Vanilla Ice led the crowd in singalongs with other famous, old songs. So many participated in “Just a Friend” by Biz Markie that it probably could be heard throughout the fairgrounds, not just around the grandstands.
All three performers talked about the old days, and they encouraged the crowd to participate. Tone Loc and Vanilla Ice asked fans to come up to dance with him. Dozens obliged.
Plus, these are professional artists. They know how to work a room.
Vanilla Ice, in fact, had a request that brought a big reaction and laughs from the crowd.
“Make some noise if you got movies at Blockbuster,” he shouted.
There was a lot of noise Saturday night. Music to the ears of Clark County Fair organizers.
