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Before a sea of cowboy hats and trucker caps, the first guitar chords of Megan Moroney’s 2023 song “Lucky” sounded out to the audience. The notes ascended into the tune’s classic honky-tonk rhythm and overhead lights illuminated the stage, signaling Moroney’s presence. As she emerged in a coral-colored mini tutu dress, knee-high cowboy boots and a beaming smile, fans erupted into cheers of joy and excitement.

On Aug. 26, the Great New York State Fair hosted award-winning country music star Megan Moroney for a one-night live performance at Suburban Park. Drawing a crowd of 47,000 attendees from across the northeast, it was the second-largest turnout in the park’s history, according to the fair’s media.

“She speaks to my heart, and I just love her so much,” said Renee, a concert-goer from Pennsylvania, who did not share their last name. “She just makes me happy, it’s hard to explain.”

Moroney performed songs from her 2022 EP “Pistol Made of Roses,” 2023 album “Lucky” and 2024 sophomore album “Am I Okay?” Monday’s show concluded a nearly five-month run alongside Kenny Chesney on the “Sun Goes Down 2024 Tour” at Gillette Stadium the evening before.

After an electrifying introduction, Moroney grabbed a bedazzled microphone and matching acoustic guitar to sing “I’m Not Pretty,” a conversation-like, upbeat track about her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend’s fascination with Moroney.

“Somewhere out there my ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend scrolled through my Instagram / Tearin’ me down passin’ the phone around like there’s nothing better to talk about,” Moroney sings in the chorus. “Zoomin’ out, zoomin’ in, didn’t realize it I’m the queen of mean girl committee / But hey, whatever helps, keep on telling yourself I’m not pretty.”

During Moroney’s performance, many attendees shouted her lyrics while laughing and dancing. Other fans were hoisted atop others’ shoulders to hold up signs reading “Omg…Am I Okay?”

The Georgia native is no stranger to telling her truth as her songs seem as though they are straight from her diary. Her tracks are laced with contagious flirty and feminine lyrics, yet appeal to anyone struggling with love, relationships or self-assurance.

“Her better songs about guys, I put myself in their shoes,” said Tyler Merrick, a fan from Rochester, NY. “Obviously I feel like most guys who are here probably have somewhat of a crush on her. But I put myself in those guys’ shoes and feel the emotions through that song that way.”

Accompanied by a drummer and guitarists who wore shirts reading “Emo Cowgirl Country,” Moroney performed melancholic fan favorites like “Georgia Girl” and “Hair Salon” – a song she said put her on the map because it was the first one she heard played on the radio.

Renee and her friends traveled four hours from their home state to see Moroney perform at the Fair. One friend, Max, who also did not share her last name, said Moroney has been her favorite artist for over a year and that finally seeing her perform brought her to the verge of tears.

“Two things you should know about me is I write my own songs and I have horrible taste in men,” Moroney said before “Sleep on My Side,” the 11th track on “Lucky.” Moroney calls out her mismatched personality with a guy who is “far from Mr. Right.” She showed her personality by smiling, posing and pointing at crowd members, nailing the song’s iconic line “It’s good that we’re so different, but when the day is done / I sleep on my side and you sleep with everyone.”

In a heart-to-heart moment with fans, she sat on an elevated ledge of the stage for an intimate performance of “Hope You’re Happy.” At its end, she exited the stage, welcoming a brief instrumental interlude, then re-entered holding a bouquet of blue flowers and waving to the crowd. This moment embodied the “beauty queen” she sings of in her autobiographical song “Miss Universe” from “Am I Okay?”

Jordan Kowalski, a fan from Westfield, MA, said the performance’s atmosphere at the fair was nostalgic and meaningful for her.

“I grew up by the Big E, which is a big state fair in Massachusetts, so it meant a lot to me to come out to the New York State Fair and see Megan Moroney and be around friends and be around something that kind of reminds me a little bit of home,” Kowalski said.

As Moroney began to wind down her set with “Girl in the Mirror,” she shared that though she considers herself a strong, confident woman, she still sometimes has moments of defeat, especially in toxic relationships.

“The girl in the mirror, she’s lost her damn mind / She’s gotten too used to cryin’ all the time / He puts her down, she puts him pedestal high / The girl in the mirror, she’s lost her damn mind,” Moroney sang.
Moroney closed her show by dancing across the stage for her lively performances of “Tennessee Orange” and “Am I Okay?” For many fans, it was a moment of unity over a shared love for Moroney’s music.

Published on August 27, 2024 at 11:23 pm