Merle Haggard
TOUR/PRESS 2014
Keith Urban
Show Caption
The Minnesota State Fair’s Grandstand will open the season with a bang. The first three nights — Def Leppard, Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood — are sold out and pave the way for more country (Alan Jackson, Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson), classic rock (Lynyrd Skynyrd), R&B (Patti LaBelle) and State Fair traditions (the Happy Together Tour, “A Prairie Home Companion”). The staff even plugged a last-minute hole in the schedule, replacing “All About That Bass” hitmaker Meghan Trainor (who canceled her tour due to vocal issues) with pop group R5.
Here’s a look at what’s on tap for this year’s Great Minnesota Get-Together:
DEF LEPPARD: Resilient British rockers Def Leppard return to the State Fair for the fifth time, and they’re bringing Styx and Tesla along for the ride. Formed in 1977, the group went on to dominate the ’80s with a trio of multi-platinum albums (“High ‘n’ Dry,” “Pyromania,” “Hysteria”) and a dozen hits, including “Photograph,” “Rock of Ages,” “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak,” “Animal,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and “Love Bites.” The group has said they’ll release a new album this year, their first since 2008’s “Songs from the Sparkle Lounge.”
See also: Foreigner’s Lou Gramm plays two nights of free shows Sept. 2 and 3 at the Leinie Lodge Bandshell, while Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd headline the Grandstand Sept. 3 with Collective Soul.
KEITH URBAN: A newcomer to the Grandstand, 47-year-old Keith Urban has been a consistent presence on the country charts since his first hit, 1999’s “It’s a Love Thing.” He has since landed at No. 1 with 15 singles, including the 2011 hat trick of “Without You,” “Long Hot Summer” and “You Gonna Fly.” Urban’s most recent album, 2013’s “Fuse,” generated five Top 10 smashes, including “We Were Us” (with Miranda Lambert) and “Raise ‘Em Up” (with Eric Church). Urban also served as a judge on “American Idol” for the past two years and will return in January for the show’s final season.
See also: The first country star to emerge from “Idol,” Carrie Underwood, will fill the Grandstand Aug. 29 with support from Native Run. Over at the free Leinie Lodge Bandshell, Terri Clark (“You’re Easy on the Eyes,” “Girls Lie Too”) holds court Aug. 29 and 30.
R5: Four teenage siblings and a friend formed R5 in 2009 and built a following for their self-released EP “Ready Set Rock” via YouTube. That budding success drew the attention of Disney’s Hollywood Records, which signed R5 in 2012. Their debut single for the label, “Loud,” earned some airplay in the U.S. as well as England and Japan. A full-length album, “Louder,” followed along with extensive worldwide touring. The group is back on the road this summer in support of their sophomore album, “Sometime Last Night.”
See also: Now in its fifth year at the Grandstand, the Happy Together Tour gathers a half dozen pop acts from the ’60s on Aug. 31. The lineup boasts the Turtles, the Association, Mark Lindsay (of Paul Revere and the Raiders), the Grass Roots, the Cowsills and the Buckinghams.
PATTI LABELLE: Philadelphia native Patti LaBelle began singing in church at 10 and, by 12, earned her first solo. In the ’60s, she found her first minor success with the vocal group the Blue Belles, but her career didn’t really take off until the early ’70s and a group name change to LaBelle. The song “Lady Marmalade” hit No. 1 and by 1977, LaBelle was a solo act. Her biggest hits include “If Only You Knew,” “New Attitude,” “Own My Own” and “Stir it Up.” LaBelle, 71, has also won two Grammy Awards. Motown funk band the Commodores open.
See also: For some homegrown R&B, check out Sonny Knight and the Lakers Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 at the International Bazaar.
THE AVETT BROTHERS: North Carolina bluegrass band the Avett Brothers and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band headline an evening sponsored by 89.3 The Current that replaces the MPR station’s previous Minnesota-based lineups. The Current was one of the first Twin Cities radio stations to spin the group, who went on to play the Basilica Block Party and their own outdoor mini-festival at Somerset (Wis.) Amphitheater. The Avett Brothers are signed to mega producer Rick Rubin’s American Recordings and Rubin has produced their last three albums as well as their next one, due out late this year or in early 2016.
See also: MPR also takes over the Grandstand Sept. 4 for “A Prairie Home Companion” with Garrison Keillor and guests the Steep Canyon Rangers, Christine DiGiallonardo and Jearlyn and Jevetta Steele.
MERLE HAGGARD AND KRIS KRISTOFFERSON: Now 78, country music legend Merle Haggard returns to the Grandstand for the first time since 1972. He’ll be joined by actor/musician Kris Kristofferson and opener Sturgill Simpson. Known for his influential hits “Okie from Muskogee” and “The Fightin’ Side of Me,” Haggard remains a strong force in country and, in the new century, has recorded for acclaimed indie label Anti and Capitol Nashville. In June, he released “Django and Jimmie,” his sixth collaborative album with Willie Nelson. It earned rave reviews and hit No. 1 on the Billboard country chart.
See also: Grandstand favorite Alan Jackson returns to the State Fair for the eighth time Aug. 30 with support from Brandy Clark. Rootsy Minnesotans fill the lineup for the free Schell’s Stage, including Charlie Parr (Aug. 27 and 28), Crankshaft and the Gear Grinders (Aug. 29 and 30), Becky Buller (Aug. 31 and Sept. 1) and the Cactus Blossoms (Sept. 6 and 7).
— Def Leppard with Styx and Tesla; 7 p.m. Aug. 27; sold out.
— Keith Urban with Kelsea Ballerini; 7:30 p.m. Aug. 28; sold out.
— Carrie Underwood with Native Run; 7:30 p.m. Aug. 29; sold out.
— Alan Jackson with Brandy Clark; 7:30 p.m. Aug. 30; $40.
— The Happy Together Tour; 8 p.m. Aug. 31; $21.
— R5; 7:30 p.m. Sept. 1; $30.
— Patti LaBelle with the Commodores; 7:30 p.m. Sept. 2; $45.
— Lynyrd Skynyrd with Collective Soul; 7:30 p.m. Sept. 3; $42.
— “A Prairie Home Companion”; 7:45 p.m. Sept. 4; $32-$25.
— The Avett Brothers with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band; 7:30 p.m. Sept. 5; $45-$35.
— Minnesota State Fair Amateur Talent Contest Finals; 7:30 p.m. Sept. 6; free.
— Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson with Sturgill Simpson; 7:30 p.m. Sept. 7; $35.
— For more information, call 651-288-4427 or see mnstatefair.org.
Pop music critic Ross Raihala can be reached at 651-228-5553. Follow him at Twitter.com/RossRaihala.
