🎶 Friday Fair Music Fest
When the lights come up in the grandstand Friday night at the Stephenson County Fair, it won’t just be another concert. For many fans, it will be a trip back to the golden age of American arena rock.
The fair’s annual Friday Fair Music Fest will feature a night of classic rock headlined by Richrath Project REO — Playing the Music of REO Speedwagon, with local favorite Rock Steady opening the show.
For longtime rock fans, the name Richrath carries real weight. Gary Richrath was the legendary guitarist and songwriter behind many of REO Speedwagon’s most iconic songs during the band’s rise to fame in the 1970s and 1980s. His distinctive guitar sound helped define hits like Take It On the Run and Ridin’ the Storm Out, helping propel the Illinois-born band to national success.
Richrath Project REO carries forward that musical legacy. The band is led by vocalist Michael Jahnz, who toured for more than a decade with Gary Richrath himself as part of the Gary Richrath Band. During that time, the two musicians developed both a musical partnership and a close friendship, performing songs Richrath wrote for REO Speedwagon along with original material they created together.
Today, Richrath Project REO brings those classic songs back to the stage, honoring the music and the stories behind them. Each show blends the powerful guitar-driven rock fans remember with the personal history Jahnz shared with Richrath during their years touring together.
Before the headliner takes the stage, the evening will kick off with a band much closer to home. Opening the night is Rock Steady, a Freeport-based group known for delivering high-energy performances of classic rock favorites from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. Featuring talented and experienced local musicians on guitar, bass, keys, saxophone, trumpet, and drums, Rock Steady has built a reputation in the region for tight musicianship and a sound that gets crowds moving.
The pairing of a nationally touring tribute act with a hometown band reflects the spirit of the fair itself — blending big entertainment with strong local roots.
Fair organizers say the goal of Friday Fair Music Fest is simple: create a night where longtime fans, families, and younger music lovers can all share the experience of live music under the summer sky.
Music has always been a big part of the fair, and Friday night is about bringing people together, celebrating great songs everyone knows, and creating one of those nights people remember for years.
As the sun sets over the fairgrounds and the guitars begin to ring out, the grandstand will once again become a gathering place for the community — where classic rock, hometown pride, and summer tradition all meet on one stage.
The Stephenson County Fair runs July 21–25, with Friday Fair Fest taking place in the grandstand Friday evening.
