Trio of country music acts to hit the stage

For more than a year, somewhere in the wings, a small group of Iola-based volunteers has been preparing the way for the largest concert to hit Allen County in at least a generation. Well, it’s finally here — the mikes go live in two days.

Frankie Ballard, the Nashville-based rocker, will bring his chiseled jaw, country-blues swagger, and electric guitar to the Davis Athletic Fields in Iola on Saturday. Ballard’s performance will be preceded by two other nationally recognized country music acts, singer-songwriter Wade Hayes and vocal ensemble Ricochet, a lineup guaranteed to transform the nighttime gig into one of the most star-stuffed musical events to tickle the eardrums of southeast Kansas in a very long while.

Though buckets’ worth have been sold so far, tickets to the Saturday evening show are still available. Forty-dollar passes will be sold at the gate for those who aren’t able to secure their standard-issue, $30 pass by Friday.