NORWICH – Those who’ve never had a chance to experience pop-country superstar Garth Brooks live and in concert will have an opportunity to witness the next best thing on Wednesday at the Chenango County Fair, when the Greg Allan Band takes to the stage for a special Garth Brooks Tribute, at 7 p.m. in the grandstands.

Allan, a Sherburne-Earlville graduate, performs 12 to 15 shows each year, backed by a six piece band and offering up some of Brooks’ greatest hits, including chart toppers such as “Thunder Rolls,” “The Dance” and “Friends in Low Places.”

Said the guitarist and singer, “I’m a huge fan of Garth’s and we have a ball with it; it’s a lot of fun and we just have a good time.”

The idea for the tribute show came about purely by accident, said Allan. At a solo acoustic show in Poughkeepsie, performing in front of an audience of more than 5,000, Allan received a standing ovation following his rendition of “The Dance.” The show’s promoter convinced the singer that he looked and sounded so much like Brooks that he should put together a tribute band. The rest, as they say, is history, and the Greg Allan Band has been performing Brooks’ hits ever since.