Country Hunk Pleases The Gals At Puyallup Fair -- Billy Ray Cyrus

Billy Ray Cyrus last night at the Puyallup Fair.

Screams pierced the cool night air at the Puyallup Fair last night, and they weren't all coming from the roller coaster.

A capacity crowd of mostly women yelled their lungs out and stomped their feet for Billy Ray Cyrus all through his two-hour show at the fair's remodeled grandstand, which now has a fancy new name, the Northwest Concert Center.

They screamed when he turned and wiggled his backside, which was often; they screamed when he undid his ponytail and let his hair down; they screamed when he took his shirt off; they screamed whenever his face flashed on the two new video screens; they screamed at everything.

All that screaming was more for Billy Ray's dark good looks and his Chippendale dance moves than for his music. Not too long ago, he and his five-piece group were the house band at a West Virginia club, and that's what they still sound like - an experienced bar band with a variety of dance tunes, cover songs, a patriotic number, a little humor and lots of teasing.

"Doncha think it's a little cool to take my shirt off?" Billy Ray drawled in response to repeated cries of "Take it off!" He finally peeled off the shirt, only to reveal a sleeveless T-shirt underneath, which stayed on.

When he wasn't singing, he constantly bounced on his feet, like a prizefighter waiting for the bell. He was a bundle of energy, moving back and forth across the enlarged stage, sometimes reaching out to grab the dozens of bouquets thrust toward him.

When he spoke, he was a Southern gentleman. "It sure is an honor for a boy from Flatwoods, Kentucky, to be here at the Puyallup Fair tonight," he said at the start of the show - and pronounced "Puyallup" correctly!

"Achy Breaky Heart," the little-bit-country, little-bit-pop song that catapulted him to fame this summer - it was No. 1 for five weeks in a row - was a highlight. Twice. It was about the fourth song into the set, and also the long closing number, with much audience participation - in fact, the ladies stopped screaming long enough to sing the whole song, a cappella.

Billy Ray and band did most all the tunes from their one LP, "Some Gave All," which has been No. 1 in Billboard for 15 weeks. Featured were the current single, "Could've Been Me," and the next single, "Wher'm I Gonna Live?" He dedicated that to his ex-wife, saying she inspired the song when she threw him out of the house.

Filling out the set were a number of cover songs, including the country classic "Rolling In My Sweet Baby's Arms" and a rather tame version of Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll."

Even remodeled, the old grandstand seemed much the same, and sounded the same when people stomped their feet - like rolling thunder. The new, wider stage allows more seating on the infield. And for this act, they needed it.