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llinois State Fair offering Jett, pop, country, a little ZZ and more
from: thetelegraph.com
by VICKI BENNINGTON
SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois State Fair has never lacked for big name, exciting entertainment - and 2008 is no different.
With genres ranging from country to pop, parody to hard edged rock, musical tunes, classical and good old rock 'n' roll, performers will fill the air with music in the capital city on dates from Aug. 8 to Aug. 17, on the Grandstand stage at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
Fergie, aka. Stacy Ferguson, appears Friday, Aug. 8, with hits from "The Dutchess," her first solo album, like "London Bridge," "Fergalicious" and "Glamorous." "Big Girls Don't Cry," from the same album, was her first worldwide No. 1 single, and is her most successful to date, receiving a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Ferguson launched her solo career after singing with the group Black Eyed Peas, and intends to remain with the group as well, alternating between the two. Last year, she won the American Music Awards Pop or Rock Favorite Female Artist.
On Saturday, Aug. 9, Alfred Matthew Yankovic, better known as "Weird Al" will perform his parody takes on songs we all know and love, as well as original comedic numbers. Yankovic has won several Grammy Awards, including Best Comedy Recording for "Eat It," a parody of Michael Jackson's "Beat It."
Sunday, Aug. 10, is a big night with two icons of entertainment. Huey Lewis and the News brings on its own brand of rock 'n' roll. Originally based and playing in San Francisco, the group was inspired by British pub rock and 1960s R&B and rock and roll.
Hits like "The Heart of Rock Ôn' Roll," "I Want a New Drug," "It's Hip to Be Square" and "The Power of Love" became anthems of a sort for many people in the 1980s.
Though Lewis was a bit of a "braniac" in school, scoring a perfect SAT mathematics score and entering Cornell University to pursue engineering, he soon found he preferred music. Lead vocals, harmonica and songwriting have been his forte throughout theÊ tenure of Huey Lewis and the News and have served him pretty well.
Over the years, Lewis has also pursued a desire to act, appearing in several movies and television shows. In 2006, he made his Broadway debut in the six-time Tony award-winning musical "Chicago," starring as attorney Billy Flynn. Most recently, Seth Rogen approached Lewis to come up with a theme song for the upcoming movie, "Pineapple Express," to be released in August.
JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS bring a harder turn to the evening of Aug. 10, with Jett wielding her white Gibson Melody Maker guitar belting out hits like "I Love Rock ÔN' Roll" (Yes, she was the original), "Crimson and Clover" "Bad Reputation" and newer songs from her 2006 album "SINNER." "I Love Rock ÔN' Roll" was number one on the Billboard charts for seven weeks in a row in 1982, and is Billboard's No. 28 song of all time.
Sometimes called the "Godmother of Punk" and the "Original Riot Grrrl," or even "The ranking girl Elvis," Jett knew from an early age that she was a rocker at heart. She quit high school when she was 15 to jumpstart her career in rock and roll, but didn't ignore her education. She studied on the road, achieving her GED and continues to pursue education on her own even today.
She was a founding member of The RUNAWAYS, a band of teenaged girls that achieved success in the 1970s. She later partnered with songwriter and producer KENNY LAGUNA to form BLACKHEART RECORDS, a partnership that still exists.
Laguna said that both he and his wife, Meryl, recognized the strength of character and extreme talent that Jett exhibited even as a teen. Not only did she have (then and now) strong lead vocals, she played guitar and was (and is) an excellent songwriter.
Meryl Laguna lent Jett her experience in fashion and helped develop the image that became Jett's signature look, bridging the gap somewhere between punk and high fashion with a little bit of studs and leather.
The birth of BLACKHEART RECORDS was in fact, spawned by need, Laguna said. Jett's first solo album was released in Europe but stateside couldn't find a label to produce a hard-rocking young female.
"Joan came up with the idea to just do it ourselves," Laguna said. "So that's what we did." Ê
The two used their own money to produce the "JOAN JETT" album. Laguna said - as stated in the recent Cadillac videos - they set up their own system of independent distribution, sometimes selling the albums out of the trunk of his Cadillac at the end of each concert.
The BLACKHEARTS band was also formed with the addition of three new members, and the record label began to produce other artists, too. In 2004, Jett and Laguna produced, "No Apologies" by The Eyeliners after signing them, and in 2005, discovered and signed punk rockers The Vacancies.
Jett has also appeared in several movies and television shows, including the July 13 episode of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" episode titled "Reunion." A version of her song, "Bad Reputation," appeared on the soundtracks of the films "Shrek" and "10 Things I Hate About You." The father and son motorcycle-building reality show "American Chopper" uses "Bad Reputation" as the show's intro music. In 2003, Jett was named in the Rolling Stone greatest 100 guitarists of all time.
"Joan is great and she is usually not happy when I talk about what she does for charity," Laguna said. "She doesn't want it surrounded by publicity, but she does so much, I like to talk about it."
Jett and Laguna have been consistent supporters of the United States Armed Forces, touring for the USO for more than 20 years. They are also involved in many other philanthropic endeavors, and are particularly supportive of many children's charities.
Laguna said Jett adapts her show for the audience she's playing for.
"She's non-stop rock Ôn' roll with a bit of punk, but when she does a state fair like this, the show is definitely ÔDisney-approved' for all ages," Laguna said. "She's always very good about that kind of thing."
And a Jett show always includes the hits.
"I feel very strongly about always playing the hits. I've been to see bands where they don't play the songs you expect to see, and it's really disappointing," she said during a previous interview with The Telegraph.
A different style of music - no less impressive - will come to the stage Monday, Aug. 11, with a free concert presented by the Illinois Symphony Orchestra. Led by Karen Lynne Deal, music director and conductor, the concert will include a variety of uplifting favorites.
One's a little bit country and the other's a little bit rock 'n' roll on Friday, Aug. 15. ZZ Top and Brooks & Dunn may seem like an unlikely combination, but after the two groups got together to put a country twist on several of the rock band's classics for "CMT Crossroads," the idea of touring together was born. Ronnie Dunn leads vocals on "She Loves My Automobile," while Kix Brooks moves up front to sing "Rough Boy."
ZZ Top takes charge on "Gimme All Your Lovin'" and "La Grange," but the songs assume a country flavor with backing from Brooks & Dunn, and the duo's ensemble of fiddle, guitar and steel players. Brooks & Dunn signature tunes such as "Boot Scootin' Boogie" and "Hard Workin' Man" take on more of a rock edge, laced with blues-groove guitar from ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons.
Natasha Bedingfield one of the United Kingdom's biggest female pop stars, now enjoying international success, will perform on Saturday, Aug. 16. Her hits include "Pocketful of Sunshine," "Soulmate" and "Unwritten," the latter for which she received a 2007 Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
She told The Telegraph earlier this year that interaction with the crowd is her favorite part of touring. "That's what a gig's all about. It's about connecting, interaction and me singing my songs, feeding off the energy of the crowd. It's an incredible experience. You get a great adrenaline buzz from it," Bedingfield said.
Also on August 16, "High School Musical" fans will be dazzled by the movie's star, Vanessa Hudgens who plays Gabrielle Montez. Hudgens began in musical theater when she was just 8 years old and hasn't stopped since. She is currently filming "High School Musical 3: Senior Year," to be released in October. She recently completed filming in "Will," a moive about two high school girls who form a bond through their love for music. This summer Hudgens is also completing her second album.
Trace Adkins with Trent Tomlinson will take the stage Sunday, Aug. 17. Adkins hit the country music scene in 1996 with "Dreamin' Out Loud," since then charting more than 20 singles on the country music charts. Number 1 hits include "Ladies Love Country Boys" and "You're Gonna Miss This."
Singer and songwriter Trent Tomlinson says his songs "are real-life situations with kick-ass guitar," adding, "It's open a beer, sit in a lawn chair, let's have a party country," while saying, "I have the ability to love you, to understand, and at the end of the day all that matters is Mama and Daddy and going to heaven."
Other Grandstand events include Illinois harness racing Aug. 8, 9, 11, 12, 13 and 14. The USAC Silver Crown Series Auto Races will be held on Saturday, Aug. 16. Feature event begins at 1:30 p.m. The Grandstand presents the ARCA Super Series Auto Races at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 17.
Tickets for each auto race are $25 on the day of the events. Reserved tickets are $20 per adult, $10 per child and can be purchased by calling (217) 764-3200. All musical shows begin at 8 p.m. with the exception of ZZ Top and Brooks & Dunn, which starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets vary by performer and seating - from $10 to $38. The Illinois Symphony concert is free. Tickets for other Grandstand concerts and auto races may be purchased through Ticketmaster at (800) 827-8927, at Ticketmaster.com or through the Grandstand Ticket Office at (217) 782-1979.
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