Jon Batiste radiated joy at his Sept. 18 appearance at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup.
As a sun-drenched September day was overtaken by twilight, the brightest star of the night appeared on stage. True to his New Orleans roots, Batiste opened the night with “When the Saints Go Marching in” and purple, green, and gold lights. Suddenly, it felt like there was so much NOLA energy in the air that the sweet scent of cotton candy from the midway seemed like it had a hint of beignet.
Batiste is an eight-time Grammy Award-winning virtuoso — a singer, songwriter, composer, pianist, saxophonist, and melodica aficionado. He has been playing piano since age 11, leading to his career as a prolific artist and former bandleader of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” The Washington State Fair stop was part of his 2026 summer tour following the release of his 9th album, “Big Money.” Joining him onstage were Nêgah Santos, Max Townsley, DeSz, Joe Saylor, and Nick Clark.
In his cuffed Levi’s, patent leather shoes, and simple black tee, Batiste and his band brought the contagious spirit of joy that he’s known to exude. The crowd was not only immersed in Batiste’s genre improvising music, they were also given dance lessons. He taught concertgoers the proper moves for “Big Money” and gave a bonus refresher on proper soul clapping…