Grandstand rollout begins
Tuesday, Feb 21, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Mostly underwhelming…
Hot off its 2016 record breaking Grandstand lineup, the Illinois State Fair is excited to announce five of the eleven headlining acts for the 2017 fair.
Chase Rice will be the headlining act on the Grandstand stage on Friday, August 11th. Chase Rice is a singer/songwriter who has toured the world with the likes of Kenny Chesney and Dierks Bentley. While he may be best known for his hit songs “Ready Set Roll,” and “Everybody We Know Does,” Chase Rice is also a talented songwriter. Rice co-wrote the song “Cruise” which was recorded by Florida Georgia Line and was dubbed the best-selling country digital song of all time in the United States in January 2014.
On Wednesday, August 16th the legendary group Alabama will perform on the Grandstand stage. The band broke a record that may never be duplicated by any musical genre by releasing 21 straight number one singles. The trio has 43 number one singles to their credit, nearly 200 industry awards, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and an exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame. The band, while still cranking out hits, has inspired many of today’s brightest stars, including Kenny Chesney, Luke Bryan, Ed Sheeran and Jon Bon Jovi. Fairgoers of all ages will enjoy singing along with Alabama classics such as “Song of the South,” “I’m In a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why),” and “If You’re Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band).”
Opening for Alabama on Wednesday, August 16 will be Neal McCoy. The veteran county music performer has 15 studio albums, 34 singles, and multiple humanitarian awards to his credit. McCoy has been on 15 USO Tours around the world and to this day states this act as one of his crowning achivements. He is best known for songs like, “No Doubt About It,” “Wink,” and “Billy’s Got His Beer Goggles On.”
Also scheduled to perform at the 2017 Illinois State Fair is singer/songwriter/dancer Jason Derulo. The 27-year-old has already sold over 50 million singles worldwide and has worked alongside a variety of artists ranging from Demi Lovato to Snoop Dogg. Jason Derulo is best known for his songs “Talk Dirty,” “Whatcha Say,” and “Want to Want Me.” In addition, Derulo was honored in 2011 as BMI’s Songwriter of the Year. He has penned hits for artists such as Lil Wayne, Pitbull, Sean Kingston and others. Derulo will perform in Springfield on Thursday, August 17th.
Building on the successes from last year, the Illinois State Fair is bringing another heavy metal band to the Grandstand. On Saturday, August 19th fairgoers will have the opportunity to see Five Finger Death Punch perform on the Illinois State Fair’s biggest stage. The band recently wrapped up an Arena Tour where fans raved about the band’s over-the-top production value and crowd pleasing sets featuring songs like, “I Apologize,” and “Wrong Side of Heaven.” The band is also a supporter of the Badge of Honor Memorial Foundation often raising funds to help survivors and departments of officers who have been killed in the line of duty.
Closing out the 2017 Illinois State Fair on Sunday, August 20th will be Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, John Mellencamp. The iconic classic rocker has been cranking out hits and performing in front of live audiences for the last 40-years. While most known for songs like “Paper in Fire,” “Small Town,” and “Pink Houses,” Mellencamp was among the founding members of Farm Aid. The annual event, co-launched by Willie Nelson and Neil Young, helps make people aware of the issues facing farmers and how those issues impact the entire nation.
I saw Mellencamp twenty years ago. He was already on the senior circuit by then. Jason Derulo is a bit too poppy for my taste, but, he’ll probably sell mad amounts of tickets (his “Talk Dirty” video has almost 373 million YouTube views), as will some of the others.
But it looks like I’ll be experiencing most of my live State Fair music at the beer tents. Again.
- Curl of the Burl - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 11:49 am:
Five Finger Death Punch is awful. If the State Police thought they had their hands full during last year’s Volbeat show then just wait until FFDP plays. I predict at least one knife fight.
- Juvenal - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 11:55 am:
Awful, awful, awful.
You know it is awful when you are introducing artists based on famous people they know.
- illini - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 11:58 am:
Totally agreeing with Rich - the beer tents are the place to be, but I might drive the 3 hours to attend the Mellencamp concert.
- v - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 11:59 am:
I would come down for John Prine, a former mail carrier in Oak Park.
- Keep Rockin! - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:00 pm:
Five Finger Death Punch is going to be great! Springfield use to have a ton of hard-rock shows put on by WQLZ in the 2000s that always sold out.
- Chicago Cynic - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:01 pm:
Jason who?
- e - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:03 pm:
Two references to Kenny Chesney? This is supposed to be a good thing??
- T Sowell - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:04 pm:
let’s hope the Fair is a profitable one. Unpaid bill shave been a problem with vendors…
http://newschannel20.com/news/local/illinois-state-fair-bills-still-unpaid
- Nick Name - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:06 pm:
Pathetic
- morningstar - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:07 pm:
@ v - agreed. Two votes for John Prine.
- crazybleedingheart - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:08 pm:
Rauner really hustling after that Hillary vote, LOL.
- very old soil - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:18 pm:
John Prine will be in St. Louis March 10
- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:20 pm:
I might go one more round with Mellencamp, just because of Farm Aid.
- Hon. Don Gerard - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:24 pm:
John Prine - another case of an individual finding success after choosing to ditch his union/gov’t job and exercise his right-to-work!
- Henry Francis - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:26 pm:
Five finger death punch sounds like the rebranding of the turnaround agenda.
- @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:31 pm:
tl;dr- If you like the music playing while you pump gas at a truck stop, you’ll love this grandstand lineup!
– MrJM
- A Jack - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:38 pm:
Mellencamp’s music, like most music from that time period has been overplayed. I liked it way back when, but I cringe now at the sound of it. But I can see the appeal for the farm crowd.
- Anon - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:43 pm:
Funny side note about the Volbeat concert at the fair last year. I was on the track area and there was at least one, if not several “undercover” officers in the crowd. He was pretty easy to pick out as he looked angry the entire time and never paid any attention to what was happening on stage. Continually looking around the crowd.
- Red rider - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:44 pm:
What ever happened to the attendance count? Another loss for the state and venders. To hot,to cold to dry, to wet, to late
To much to get in to see nothing.
- Flapdoodle - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:45 pm:
>>most of my live State Fair music at the beer tents
- Flapdoodle - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:51 pm:
Don’t know what happened there, but it was supposed to be
>>most of my live State Fair music at the beer tents
- Red rider - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:55 pm:
No budget no fair, where did you get the cash to pay these guys in advance?
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 1:00 pm:
A Jack: c’mon man. Cherry Bomb!? Was and still is the bomb.
- Red rider - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 1:10 pm:
Why not get Sara Paylen to talk that should get a few laughs, now that we are a red state.
- Finally Out - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 1:21 pm:
Have to agree with Rich, hope the beer tents have some good music because I won’t be in the grandstand, unless something good is added.
Red Rider: What makes you think they are paid in advance?
- A guy - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 1:45 pm:
===But it looks like I’ll be experiencing most of my live State Fair music at the beer tents.===
And wishin’ there was a Med Mar tent instead. lol
- ChrisB - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 1:52 pm:
@Chicago Cynic
That might be the most understated joke of the week. At least I hope it was. Bravo sir.
- Texas Red - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 1:57 pm:
==No budget no fair==
Just as the Constitution protects pensions so the Fair also shall not be diminished or impaired. it is called the State Fair Act…
“The state is required by statute to hold a state fair. The department uses the Illinois & Du Quoin State Fair as a vehicle to aid in the promotion our state’s number one industry, agriculture.”
Sen. Bill Brady says it’s all spelled out in the State Fair Act.
- Old Shepherd - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 2:16 pm:
The bread and circuses approach only works if the circuses are worth watching.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 2:34 pm:
So that’s four “never heard of him/them,” one “don’t care” and one “Is Jack & Diane still a thing?”
Meh. Methinks I’ll stay in Chicago and darn some socks.