Expect a ‘front porch’ feeling when The Oak Ridge Boys perform at Grange Fair

This year’s Grange Fair grandstand entertainment lineup kicks off Friday with The Oak Ridge Boys, a country music quartet that is looking to create a homey and familiar atmosphere on the Centre Hall stage.

The concert is part of the group’s Front Porch Singin’ Tour, named for a recent album and the atmosphere that Richard Sterban, bass vocalist for the country and gospel quartet, said the four men hope to bring to concert venues and audiences.

“Dave Cobb, who’s one of the hottest guys in Nashville, produced our latest album. He got in touch with us and told us he wanted to capture the feeling of four guys gathering on the same porch and harmonizing and singing in a casual way — and he captured that feeling of the Oak Ridge Boys just gathering on the front porch,” Sterban said. “We’re going to attempt to turn our stage into that front porch and sing those songs in an informal manner.”

While the atmosphere may be informal, that doesn’t lessen the music’s impact. The band is known for hit songs like “Elvira,” “American Made” and “Y’all Come Back Saloon,” all of which audience members can expect to hear, alongside other samples from the group’s extensive catalog.

“They’re very meaningful songs that are very healing in nature and give people hope and help them get through difficult times,” Sterban said. “We want to entertain people. We want to give people their money’s worth when they come see us. We work hard to do that, but along with entertaining people, we want our music to help people. You never know, when you walk on stage and look out at the audience, what people are going through.”

Originally formed in the 1940s, the Oak Ridge Boys has compiled quite the collection of accolades, awards and fans. Some of Sterban’s personal favorite moments in his career including induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, induction into the Grand Ole Opry and developing a fast friendship with former President George H.W. Bush, which began during Ronald Reagan’s presidency, after a picnic on the White House lawn.

“That afternoon,” Sterban recounted, “we were on the lawn of the White House, doing a sound check and rehearsing. A tall gentleman came walking across the lawn, onto the stage, and introduced himself as Vice President George Bush. ... He said he was a big fan and he could not be at the concert that night due to business, so he wanted to know if we could do a few songs for him right then — and he was telling the truth because the songs he wanted to hear weren’t hits. He wanted to hear album cuts, deep cuts.”

Soon, the Oak Ridge Boys found themselves spending time at Bush’s home in Kennebunkport, Maine, and the group performed at Bush’s funeral in 2018.

In more recent history, the Oak Ridge Boys have enjoyed getting back to work following the COVID-19 pandemic and Sterban assured that he, as well as the other three men, have no plans to retire — even though, last October, he celebrated his 50th anniversary as an Oak Ridge Boy.

“During the pandemic, what we loved doing was taken away from us,” he said. “We did not like that. We all felt ... what it was like to be retired. None of us liked that. We’re so happy we’re back doing it again and doing what we love to be doing.”

An extensive lineup of Oak Ridge Boys concerts are slated for the rest of the year, with other concerts anticipated for 2023. Sterban said the quartet also plans to get back in the studio in January to produce a new album.

The Oak Ridge Boys take the grandstand stage at Grange Fair at 8 p.m. Aug. 18.

“We’re especially looking forward to coming your way. I can speak for all the Oak Ridge Boys. We’re looking forward to it and plan to have a great time and make it a great night,” Sterban concluded. “We encourage people to come on out and spend time with the Oak Ridge Boys. Let’s all celebrate together.”

This story was originally published August 17, 2023 at 9:00 AM.