“The Great American Way May Fair” has been a Pottsville tradition for a long time. It did not begin in 1976 as you have been led to believe. It actually had its start in 1809. According to my book, Pottsville History For Pathetic Numskulls, Maria Pott set up the first funnel cake stand on South Centre Street to celebrate the arrival of spring in her new city. That first event was rather primitive. While the fair only had the funnel cake stand and a mule ride, the highlight was to be the stage debut of the city founder, John Pott. Apparently the entrepreneur attempted a mid-life show business career. Trying to shake his stuffy, German businessman image, the city father was introduced under the name of hip name of Pott Daddy. His musical numbers included a rousing “Working in a Coal Mine,” “Last Train to Pottsville,” and the finale, “Sixteen Tons.” It was billed as his “ Big Suit Tour” with the deliriously eccentric singer wearing his now legendary oversized suit. As it was extremely hot that day, Mr. Pott supposedly removed both his suit and shirt and threw himself into the city’s first mosh pit, which was shocking in those days. Little is known of the members of his back-up band, but Pott Daddy’s own guitar pyrotechnics were cutting edge. The pyrotechnics consisted of lumps of smoldering anthracite coal. His guitar was used as an object of rage as he smashed it against an architecturally historic building. I think it was the old Weiss building. However, his audacious performance ended The Big Suit Tour, his musical career, as well as the Fair itself. The phrase, “Going to Pott,” was coined after his performance and it refers to “someone who is going downhill or has seen better days.” The Fair did not resume again until 1976, and, since that year, all Pottsville men take off their shirts at the festival and proudly display their pasty white chests out of reverence for the city founder. It is lucky for humanity that John Pott kept his trousers on the first fair day! As a footnote, his oversized suit is on display at the Historical Society during its summer long exhibit of “The One Hundred Most Shocking Moments in Schuylkill County History.” Try and catch it, if you have a chance.
The contemporary Fair has more musical variety than there are bumpy city streets. The current Mrs. Trout and I have differing musical tastes but that is no problem. She enjoys the Swiss yodelers, while I really like my country music. I dress for the occasion and wear my finest, shiny belt buckle. I polish it for days before the fair begins. Women who dig country music apparently appreciate a man’s shiny belt buckle. I don’t know why though. Last year there was a great duet that sounded incredibly like Owens and Jennings. No, not Buck Owens and Waylon Jennings. I mean Bill Owens, a former County Prothonotary and Peter Jennings, the ABC newscaster. The group that brings the Trouts together is The Pottsville Kiltie Tribute Band that features performances of the legendary all female bagpipers’ greatest hits. During their heyday, the Kilties were better than The Spice Girls, Courtney Love, Salt N Pepper, and The Notre Dame Bagpipe Band all rolled into one. Maybe most of you don’t remember “The Kilties.” I do, I was present on January 30, 1969 when they gave their impromptu farewell performance on the rooftop of the Necho Allen Hotel. Some say that they played eleven bagpipe songs to the curious crowd of onlookers before dispersed by the city police. But others say that they only played one cover set of “Ina Gada Da Vida.” To this day, no one is sure, as bagpipe music all sounds annoyingly the same. Its sort of like rap music without words – monotonous, yet hypnotic.
My daughter, Santana Trout, loves ^)(^ -“The Band formerly known as Third Brigade.” This musical group has a long history. Can you believe that they have played since the days of the Civil War? That means that they have been together longer than the Stones. Yet, to get a hipper imagine, they recently changed their name to just an unpronounceable symbol. I am not sure how that is going to work out. I liked the name “Third Brigade Band.” Lastly, Mammy Trout can’t get enough of the Three Pennsylvania Dutch Tenors. This awesome trio is known for performing the bawdy songs of 2 Live Crew in the authentic dialect of southern Germany. That includes Ich So Hornig and all of the others. The Tenors will perform in front of the Senior Center and hopefully Mammy will behave herself. Last year the coal and iron police, who act as Fair security, had to drag her off the stage. If you haven’t been to the fair, then you haven’t lived.
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