* As I’ve already said, the grandstand lineup for this year’s Illinois State Fair isn’t bad at all. But you gotta check out some of the lineup for the DuQuoin State Fair…
DWIGHT YOAKAM ($35, $30)
Saturday, August 25 - 7:30 pm
The Du Quoin State Fair kicks off it’s concert series with Dwight Yoakam. With his stripped-down approach to traditional honky tonk and Bakersfield country, Dwight Yoakam helped return country music to its roots in the late ’80s. Like his idols Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and Hank Williams, Yoakam never played by Nashville’s rules; consequently, he never dominated the charts like his contemporary Randy Travis. Then again, Travis never played around with the sound and style of country music like Yoakam. His Hits include: “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, “Fast As You”, “Honky Tonk Man”, “Guitars, Cadillacs”, “Little Sister”, “I sang Dixie” […]
THE ELI YOUNG BAND and THOMPSON SQUARE ($35, $30)
Wednesday, August 29 - 7:30 pm
It’s a crazy-good story. The Eli Young Band-four musicians who met during their college days in Texas-is now 11 years into a career built on touring without a single lineup change. That dedication is paying off big-time as the band enjoys a crazy new level of success. EYB received their first platinum record for “Crazy Girl” and have sold over 1.5 million downloads of the track. “Crazy Girl” is a perfect introduction to Life At Best, a 14-track album that takes the band’s wide-ranging multi-genre influences and distills them into a focused, engaging vision: edgy country with hints of heartland rock bands such as Tom Petty and classic Eagles.
Thompson Square isn’t a real place, exactly. It’s the musical territory staked out by the husband-and-wife duo of Keifer and Shawna Thompson, an exciting and unpredictable area where country meets rock, rough meets smooth and one vagabond heart finds a harmonious common ground with another. And now the rest of us get to discover that magical place, starting with the chart-topping duo’s self-titled debut album.Their #1 Platinum+ radio smash, “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not,” is a fitting introduction to the Thompsons’ natural chemistry and spirit of buoyant romance. “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” spent five consecutive weeks at #1 on the Country Digital Soundscan chart and 12 consecutive weeks as the #1 Country Ringtone. […]
MERLE HAGGARD ($45, $35)
Friday, August 31 - 7:30 PM
The word “legend” usually makes an appearance at some point when discussing Merle Haggard. It’s an acknowledgment of his artistry and his standing as “the poet of the common man.” It’s a tribute to his incredible commercial success and to the lasting mark he has made, not just on country music, but on American music as a whole. Haggard found his songs at the top of the charts on a regular basis. Immediately embraced by country fans, he also earned the respect of his peers. In addition to the 40 #1 hits, Haggard charted scores of Top Ten songs. He won just about every music award imaginable, both as a performer and as a songwriter, and in 1994 was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. His body of work easily places him beside Hank Williams as one of the most influential artists in country music. That’s quite an accomplishment for the boy who was once officially branded “incorrigible.”
* Whoa. The Hag is coming to DuQuoin? Yes!!! Man, I love that guy…
* And, oh, baby, I’ve been a Dwight Yoakam fan forever…
* The Eli Young Band’s “Crazy Girl” is just about everybody’s favorite country hit. But I also love this tune, which has a definite John Hiatt influence…
* We now have two attacks on suburban mosques since Congressman Joe Walsh made his hysterical comments about radical Muslins last week. Again, I’m not saying at all that the incidents are related to Walsh’s big mouth, but it does show you why prudent political leaders know they need to keep a civil tongue in their head…
Two suburban Islamic institutions apparently were the targets of weekend incidents that caused property damage and raised concerns among Islamic leaders that the attacks were intended to harm worshippers.
On Monday, David Conrad, 51, of Morton Grove, was ordered in court to undergo an anger management evaluation and to stay away from members of the local Muslim Education Center, at which he is alleged to have fired a high-velocity air rifle Friday evening. No one was hurt during the shooting in the north suburb, but about 500 people were in the building observing evening prayers for the holy month of Ramadan.
Meanwhile, police in west suburban Lombard were trying to determine the origin of a soda bottle filled with household chemicals that apparently was thrown at an Islamic school Sunday night, also during Ramadan prayers. The crude, homemade explosive scared worshippers because of its loud noise but did not injure anyone, Lombard police said.
Islamic community leaders called for federal authorities to step in, saying they do not consider either case isolated. They believe Muslims were targeted in the past because of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, said Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Chicago Office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
* And Walsh premiered a new “soft side” TV ad during the closing ceremony of the Olympics. Rate it…
* From an accompanying fundraising appeal…
While Tammy is spending all of her resources going negative with baseless lies and shameless attacks, I will be focusing on a positive campaign of real solutions that will help get this country back on the right track. But I need your help getting that message out there.
