One summer day back in 2005, my family and I decided to go to the Alameda County Fair in Alameda, California. I knew that it would be a day filled with lots of fun, sun, rides, and memories. Little did I know, my memories and music taste were about to change for the better.
After around 6 hours of walking around the fair, my 10 year old self could no longer keep up. The day had been spent making the most of the unlimited ride wristband, going to the petting zoo, and eating the different fair snacks. Since both my 5 year old brother and I were exhausted, we decided to sit down at the bleachers in front of a small stage, to recharge before making the most of our last few hours at the fair. My parents, brother, and I were the only ones at the bleachers, accidentally making us the audience for the performer that was soon about to come out.
The lights started to shine towards the middle of the stage. I heard the guitar strumming and all of a sudden a girl with dark skin and dark curly locks came out with a bright smile. “Hello, my name is Miko Marks, I hope you guys are ready for some country music!”
Miko Marks explained that she was originally from Mississippi (later moved to San Francisco) and that she would be playing the music off of her first album “Freeway Bound” that had been recently released.
At first, to be completely honest, I was bored because I wasn’t used to hearing ballads and country music. I listened respectfully, and although I didn’t know the music, somehow I had been captivated. After performing a few songs off her album, she proceeded to sing a song called “Mama”, which was the song that changed everything for me. I had never heard of her or her music, but she had an inviting aura around her and her chorus was catchy.
For the rest of the show, I had a smile on my face and nodded my head to the music. I questioned why other people weren’t stopping to listen to her music, she was so good! Some people would stop and listen for a song, and then proceed to enjoy the fair. All I knew was that I was glad my brother and I had been really tired because it led us to enjoy her music.
After the show, she came up to us. I felt like the star, but it should have been the other way around! She told us we were the cutest little things. We took a picture with her and she gave me her guitar pick. She had albums and merchandise for sale, and since she had been so kind to us, I think we might have felt obligated to pick up her cd, but at the same time we had enjoyed her music, so we ended up buying one.
From that moment on, I would carry my Miko Marks cd everywhere I went and soon started to venture out to other country music. My mom started sharing her love of Kenny Rogers and my dad his love of Johnny Cash, and I started finding other artists that I liked. If it wasn’t for the warm Miko Marks’ encounter and her song “Mama”, I would not have found my appreciation for country music.
This is a really sweet story! It demonstrates one of the things I love the most about country music: how friendly people are (usually). I’d never heard of Miko Marks before but I can see why her music would have captivated you. I’ve found that a lot of my friends have also been captivated by country music as kids, partially because it is often relatively kid-friendly and our parents are much more willing to give us CDs with country music. Personally the first country CD I listened to as a kid was Dixie Chicks Wide Open Spaces, but unfortunately I never had the pleasure of seeing them live or meeting them. I’m glad you were able to meet Miko have such a positive experience.
I can definitely relate to where you’re coming from. I didn’t like country at first, but I was somehow “forced” into giving it a try and ended up liking it. I really liked how you got your first taste of country at a fair. I guess the combination of you being tired and Miko Marks happening to be there turned out just fine. I honestly haven’t heard of Marks but after listening to Mama, I’ll definitely check it out. Thanks for sharing! It was a fun read, and I’m glad you somehow found your way to country.