Country duo Dan + Shay to bring 'high energy' show to SEMO District Fair

Newcomers to the country music scene Dan + Shay will perform on the grandstand at the SEMO District Fair.

"Our live show is very, very high energy and a lot of fun," Dan Smyers said. "We try to hype the crowd up, especially in the summertime."

The duo will take the stage on the grandstand at the SEMO District Fair at 8 p.m. Sept. 16.

Smyers, 28, said he met James Shay Mooney, 23, by chance in December 2013 at a party at Smyers' Nashville, Tennessee, home.

Smyers said they sang a couple of songs together at the party -- in part to impress girls who were there -- and the two got together to work on music the next day.

"We wrote two songs the first day," he said.

Smyers said the two combined their talent in a somewhat natural way.

"Nobody told us we needed to be a duo or needed to link up. It just happened," he said. "I guess that's the kind of thing that happens in Nashville."

Both artists had moved to Nashville to pursue dreams of becoming country music stars.

The duo had released its album, "Where It All Began," on the Warner Records label in April 2014..

"It's very new, and it happened really fast," Smyers said.

The week their song "19 You + Me" made its debut, it reached the No. 1 spot on Billboard's country chart.

The song is a nostalgic love song inspired by summer trips to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Smyers took while he was growing up in Pennsylvania.

Since the duo's breakout hit, they have toured throughout the U.S. and Canada, opening for country music headliners such as Blake Shelton, Hunter Hayes and Keith Urban.

Their current tour, "Just the Right Kind of Crazy," will take them once again around the U.S.

Their music was inspired by listening to country music.

"We grew up listening to Rascal Flatts and Kenny Chesney," Smyers said. "We love Shania Twain and big production shows like that."

Concertgoers can expect a big production show from the Dan + Shay performance, too.

Social media, he said, has contributed a lot to the success of the duo.

"We've got a young, aggressive fan base, and we appreciate it," he said. "We hope people will continue to share our music."

Smyers said he wants Dan + Shay fans to have the same experience he always enjoyed when he went to concerts.

"I grew up going to shows, and I loved meeting the musicians," he said.

Talking with fans is one of his favorite parts of performing.

"I love meeting the fans and hearing their stories," Smyers said.

He said fans should "be prepared for a lot of energy and a lot of fun. Come on out. We'd love to meet you."

The singers are happy to pose with fans for photos, Smyers said.

Smyers said the secret to success is simple.

"Hard work and a little bit of luck will get you somewhere," he said.

Dan + Shay will take the stage at 8 p.m. Sept. 16 on the grandstand at the SEMO District Fair.

Pertinent address:

Arena Park, Cape Girardeau, Mo.