life
ROBINSON’S RAMBLINGS
Stephen Andsager, Kyle Brown, Amy Toomsen Chellis and John Robinson. Photo by Vance Heflin.
Right Place/Wrong Time WASHOUT AT THE BOONE COUNTY FAIR.
BY JOHN DRAKE ROBINSON
S
ometimes a brush with greatness
Your child’s big ballgame. Washed out. A
the fair. The event guaranteed to attract
can be a glancing blow. You
weekend at the lake, spent indoors with a
thousands of fans to drive several miles
want things to go perfectly.
hard rain drumming on your cabin roof.
north of Columbia to the new Boone
An autograph for your son. A signed
The biggest washout of my life was a
County Fairgrounds, which had just
cookbook by Martha Stewart. Face time
night at the Boone County Fair, when
relocated from midtown Columbia to
with Oprah.
fair weather turned most foul. In the
the spacious acreage near Prathersville.
immortal words of Mac Rebbenack, “I
That night’s musical headliner, New
traffic. Scheduling conflicts. And Mother
Was in the Right Place, But It Musta Been
Orleans blues legend Dr. John, was
Nature’s favorite curveball: rain.
the Wrong Time.”
scheduled to play at 8 p.m. The opening
But real life can get in the way. Snarled
Rain can ruin a picnic. Or a day at the county fair. Or a concert. You remember the big rainouts. A beautiful outdoor wedding. Drenched.
It was three decades ago, but the
act was a local band called The Mudbugs,
memory burns as hot as a lightning bolt.
purveyors of a self-described honky
The stage was set for a glorious Saturday
swamp swing. Infectious dancing music.
night concert, the musical highlight of
It was a perfect fit to warm up the crowd
INSIDE COLUMBIA JULY/ AUGUST 2021 49
