Photo by Mike Lamb The Whitesidewalls perform inside the Hoop Barn Wednesday during opening night of the Lyon County Fair. The Whitesidewalls played a variety of 1950s rock ‘n roll music after the Southwest Cattleman’s Association held its steak fry at the same location.

MARSHALL — As soon as Pat Brown stepped off the stage at the Hoop Barn at the end of the first set during the Lyon County Fair Wednesday night, two fans approached him.

“We love you guys,” one of the men said.

The crowd packed under the Hoop Barn seemed to share that raving endorsement of the musical show of ’50s rock ‘n’ roll by The Whitesidewalls.

The 117th Lyon County opened up with music, but lots of good food, 4-H judging and carnival rides. By 7 p.m., servers at the annual Southwest’s Cattleman’s Association Steak Fry gave out the last baked potato and had just a few steaks left. By that time, the music was just getting started.

A small crowd enjoyed All That Noise performing at the grandstand for the fair kick-off concert. And the fun continued in Hoop Barn with the performance by the The Whitesidewalls.

“The crowd is just great,” Brown said before jumping back on stage for the second set. “But this is the way these county fairs are. It’s just great. A lot of response about the music.”

Brown’s stage name is Hound Dog. He’s been playing ’50s music since age 21 when he starting a garage band in 1972 back in Wisconsin. Today, the band consists of four other musicians who play everything from 1954 to 1964.: Swanee, Rocky Beaumont, Gino Gambucci and Bobby Maestro. Not only did they sing, but they were very animated with their arms and even a few jumps in the air.

“We put on a little bit of show. Give them something to watch as well as listening,” Brown said. “I think people actually see better than they hear sometimes. So we could be out of tune, but they can see us smiling. And that smiling is not faking it. We have a good time. We always do.”