Megan Moroney shot beyond the stars and the moon, proving that she is country music’s next biggest thing.
On the third night of the Iowa State Fair, Moroney performed to a standing room only crowd of 16,371 people at her headlining show at the Grandstand, part of the second leg of her “Am I Okay? Tour.” It was a far cry from her first appearance at the Iowa State Fair just two years ago, that time at the Susan Knapp Amphitheaterfree stage.
An Academy of Country Music award-winner, Moroney performed an hour-and-a-half set, filled with singalong anthems, stories of her life, and sincere thanks to her die-hard fans.
Megan Moroney performs at the Iowa State Fair Grandstand on Aug. 9, 2025.
Kameron Marlowe sets the stage with heartfelt country vibes
Kameron Marlowe, a previous “The Voice” contestant and the “best voice in Nashville,” as Moroney proclaimed later in the evening, opened the night.
The rising country star donned a denim-on-denim look and delivered a 45-minute set of good old-fashioned country music with a rock n’ roll twist. He started the night with “Tennessee Don’t Mind” from his sophomore album “Keepin’ The Lights On,” a heartfelt song with a double meaning about the state he now calls home.
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By the second song in the set, “Over Now” from his debut album “We Were Cowboys,” the band started experiencing technical difficulties with the audio system, taking a quick pause to recover, with issues carrying into the next song. However, the problems did not persist, and Marlowe and the band carried on, stronger than when they started.
The strong ensemble continued with Marlowe’s deep voice, carrying the audience through a tour of his growing discography, sharing new songs like “Fire on a Hillside” and his latest single “Seventeen.” Sandwiched between the new songs came a crowd pleaser — Marlowe’s rendition of Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” which the crowd sang loud and proud.
Throughout the night, Marlowe continued to deliver renditions of his top hits like “Burn Em All, “Girl On Fire,” and even slower songs like a solo version of his duet with Ella Langley, “Strangers.”
All of Marlowe’s songs are infused with a rock edge, blending crisp guitar riffs. The standout instrumental breaks from his band help carry the vivid storytelling of his lyrics to the finish line as if Marlowe is daring listeners not to boot scoot to his music, and the audience couldn’t resist not to.
Countdown to Megan Moroney’s set proves to be worth the wait
As soon as Marlowe stepped off the stage, the stage seemingly transformed into a country music theatre for Moroney with a large platform and two grand staircases.
As the crew worked hard on the transition, the audience enjoyed the preshow playlist, screaming to classic hype-up songs like The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside” and other Iowa State Fair Grandstand act, Rascal Flatts’ irresistible “Life is a Highway.”
But the audience responded best to Hannah Montana’s “Best of Both Worlds,” the last song of the preshow, with fans dancing and singing as if it were the main attraction and others rushing back from the merch line to their spots, anticipating the arrival of their own blonde country pop star.
At 9:15 p.m., phone lights lit up the Grandstand to catch on camera the opening sequence of the show, featuring moon landing imagery and a countdown to blast off as Moroney opened with “Man on the Moon.”
The served as the final single before the release of her second album and the name of the tour “Am I Okay?”. A track with a ’90s country aura filled with bold lyrics set the tone for an electric night, followed quickly by “Indifferent,” that had the audience screaming the lyrics to as if they had written them themselves.
“Iowa State Fair, how are we doing, y’all? I’m so happy to be back,” Moroney said. ” … We came here two years ago. Thank you so much for coming back for me. I get asked every year (where my) favorite show and place to play is, and in 2023, it was the Iowa State Fair. Thank you for your enthusiasm back in 2023, (which) gave me so much confidence.”
It is hard to believe that Moroney ever lacked confidence as she belted out her songs, often playing from behind an acoustic guitar during the 18-song set.
From beginning to end, the night became a cathartic singalong, with fans shouting back lyrics that traced Moroney’s coming-of-age story. From fending off haters in songs like “Bless Your Heart” and “I’m Not Pretty,” to navigating lackluster situationships in “No Caller ID” and “Sleep on My Side,” and finding meaning in the mundane moments and grappling with feelings of life is moving for everyone else in “Hair Salon,” showing that there is more behind the effervescence of her pop panache.
“Thank you so much for singing every single syllable,” Moroney said.
Megan Moroney performs at the Iowa State Fair Grandstand on Aug. 9, 2025.
Moroney had the audience in the palm of her hand. If she told the audience to wave their arms, they did, creating a summer breeze that was seemingly absent until that moment.
The audience brought out their phone lights, covering her during the slower and more subdued song “Girl in the Mirror,” after sharing the story of how the song came to be and encouraging the audience to never dim themselves for a partner.
It would be too easy to compare Moroney to her industry peers — some calling her the “country Sabrina Carpenter” for her cascading blonde hair, cheeky innuendo-laced lyrics, and charismatic stage presence. But she’s proving to herself and listeners everywhere that she is on the verge of a breakout earworm hit — one that could win over those who claim not to like country music.
“I just wanted to thank y’all one last time for literally everything. Thank you for buying the tickets tonight, for streaming my music, for buying merch … I don’t get to do this without y’all and that is not something that I’ll ever forget,” Moroney said. “It’s crazy what we’ve done together in two years, from the free stage to the energy in here tonight … I want to encourage any dreamers here tonight that have a dream that feels that big to go for it, because I’m glad I did, and I’m really glad to be here.”
Though Moroney is still a rising star and her first release only goes back to 2021, she gave the hardcore fans what they wanted and performed her first release “Wonder” and treated them to “Tennesse Orange,” her first chart topping song. She ended the night on a high note, with the title track “Am I Okay” and confetti snowing on the general admission pit.
Fireworks lit up the night sky during the final song, but her voice, stronger than ever, harmonized with the crowd, drowning out the fireworks. If you weren’t paying attention, it would have been easy to miss the grand display.
Next up at the Iowa State Fair Grandstand is rapper Pitbull on Sunday.
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State Fair Grandstand: Megan Moroney returns a country pop star
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