Everything is better F-R-E-E!
Well I was making summer plans
What’ll it be?
A weekend getaway
Or day at the beach.
Too bad I didn’t know that the fair was in town
Because I definitely would’ve been Kentucky bound!
F-R-E-E that spells free, the 2011 State Fair Baby!
Saw these artists on my TV
Seeing them in concert would be so crazy
So instead of goin broke and lookin whack
It’s time for the Kentucky State Fair
And the free concerts are back!
Get a taste of every musical genre at the Kentucky State Fair this year, for free! Rock, pop, hip-hip, bluegrass, alternative, country and praise music will keep fairgoers of any age entertained each night. The following concerts are free with paid admission to the Kentucky State Fair:
Ted Nugent – Thursday, August 18
As lead guitarist for rock supergroups Amboy Dukes and Damn Yankees, Ted Nugent had several hits including “Journey to the Center of the Mind” and U.S. Top 100 hit “High Enough”. In 1995, he released his first solo album, “Spirit of the Wild”. Nugent has released more than 34 combined band and solo albums, and has sold a total of 30 million records.
Boyz II Men − Friday, August 19
This popular R&B group, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies, exploded onto the scene in the 1990s. Boyz II Men are considered the most successful R&B group of all time based on record sales, selling more than 60 million albums worldwide. Their most well-known hits include “I’ll Make Love to You” and “One Sweet Day” featuring Mariah Carey.
Candlebox with Cowboy Mouth − Saturday, August 20
Candlebox was a big part of the alternative rock movement in the 90s. Touring with the likes of Aerosmith Godsmack and Metallica, to name a few. Their hit songs include “You”, “Far Behind” and “Cover Me”. Describing themselves as New Orleans rock n’ roll, Cowboy Mouth has released nearly a dozen records and has toured with bands such as Hootie and the Blowfish, Barenaked Ladies and Sister Hazel.
The Oak Ridge Boys with special guest the Grascals – Sunday, August 21
Appearing at more Kentucky State Fairs than any other entertainment act in history, The Oak Ridge Boys have made jamming to their classic hit “Elvira” a Fair tradition. This year will be their 35th consecutive performance. The Grascals, whose hit “Me and John and Paul” won Song of the Year from the International Bluegrass Music Association in 2005, will open.
Tenth Avenue North with Francesca Battistelli – Monday, August 22
Tenth Avenue North brings praise and rock together as a contemporary Christian band from West Palm Beach, Fl. The band has had much success on the Christian circuit with songs “By Your Side” and “Love is Here”. New York City-bred and Grammy Award nominated Christian artist Francesca Battistelli’s hit single “I’m Letting Go” invaded Christian radio stations in 2008.
Joe Nichols with Phil Vassar − Tuesday, August 23
Joe Nichols, a country music artist from Arkansas, has released seven studio albums and produced fourteen Top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including “Brokenheartsville,” “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off” and “Gimmie That Girl”. Phil Vassar began his career as a songwriter but took to the microphone with “Artista Nashville” in 1999. Since then, he has produced five hit singles on the Billboard Country Singles charts including “Just Another Day in Paradise” and “In a Real Love”.
The Happy Together tour with The Turtles featuring Flo and Eddie, Mark Lindsay, The Association, The Buckinghams, and The Grass Roots- Wednesday, August 24
Mark Volman, known as “Flo”, and Howard Kaylan, who affectionately goes by “Eddie”, were two of the original founding members of the Top 40 rock group “The Turtles”. Together, they have rolled out several classic hits including “Happy Together” and “Lady Blue”. Mark Lindsay is best known as the singer for the Paul Revere & the Raiders. But his solo success began with “Arizona”, sold over one million copies and “Silverbird” which made the Billboards Top 100 Charts in 1970. The Association, a pop band from California, had numerous hits at or near the top of the Billboard charts in the 1960’s including “Along Came Mary” and “Never My Love”. The Buckinghams, formed in 1966 and went on to become one of the top selling bands of 1967 with hits like “Kind of a Drag,” “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” and “Don’t You Care”. The Grass Roots achieved one platinum album, two gold albums, and one gold single in their career. Between 1967 and 1972, the band set a record for being on the Billboard charts for an astounding 307 straight weeks.
John Michael Montgomery with special guest Lorrie Morgan − Thursday, August 25
This Kentucky born artist’s ability to relate to fans has made his career into one of the most envied in country music. With a list of hit singles including “Life’s A Dance”, “I Can Love You Like That” and “Little Girl”, one would be hard-pressed to find a Kentuckian who hasn’t heard the deep baritone voice of John Michael Montgomery. Lorrie Morgan charted her first U.S. single, “Trainwreck of Emotion” in 1989. Since then, she has charted more than 25 singles on the Billboard country singles charts including three No. 1 hits “Five Minutes,” “What Part of No” and “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength.”
The Carnival of Madness Tour featuring Theory Of A Deadman and Alter Bridge, Black Stone Cherry, Adelitas Way, and Emphatic − Friday, August 26
Theory of a Deadman formed in 2001 and has been at the center of the rock scene ever since. The Canadian quartet charted 5 top 10 hits on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, including their No.1 hit “Bad Girlfriend”. Alter Bridge, recorded their first album, “One Day Remains” in 2004, and it instantly reached gold status. Adelitas Way from Las Vegas broke into mainstream radio in 2009 for their song “Invincible”. The bands second album, titled “Home School Valedictorian” was released in June and included their new hit single, “Sick”. Edmonton, Ky. rock band Black Stone Cherry has charted six singles from two albums on the Mainstream Rock Tracks charts since forming in 2001. The band has toured with AC/DC, Def Leppard and Whitesnake. Emphatic is an upstart rock band from Omaha, Neb. founded by lead guitarist/songwriter Justin McCain and is fronted by vocalist Patrick Wilson. The band released their debut album, “Damage” in July.
Luke Bryan with Candy Coburn – Saturday, August 27
Georgia native and country music star Luke Bryan took the country world by storm in 2007 with his chart-topping single “All My Friends Say”. In 2009, Bryan released his second album, “Doin’ My Thing” which included hits such as “Do I” and “Rain Is a Good Thing”. Candy Coburn has shared the stage with many notable artists including Miranda Lambert, Brooks and Dunn and Lady Antebellum. In 2009, she released “Pink Warrior” in association with the Susan G. Komen Foundation in support of the fight against breast cancer.
All concerts are held at 8 p.m.* at Cardinal Stadium, gates open at approximately 6:30 p.m. For more information, please visit our website www.kystatefair.org.
*The Carnival of Madness concert will begin at 6:30 p.m. gates will open at approximately 5:30
