Contributed by Dean Phipps
The Alaska State Fair is pleased to announce the first 10 performers confirmed for the 2016 AT&T Concert Series at the Borealis Theatre. Tickets for the following shows go on sale Friday, April 8 at 6 a.m:
•Home Free: Thursday, August 25, 7 p.m. The season 4 champions of NBC’s “The Sing-Off” return to the Fair with more of their homegrown country style! Fans of this country vocal band will enjoy Nashville standards, country-dipped pop hits, and humorous originals.
•X Ambassadors: Friday, August 26, 7 p.m. This guitar-driven quartet weaves in elements of soul and hip-hop to deliver unapologetically hard rock, with songs like “Superpower,” as well as soulful, moody pop like “Unsteady” and the Top 5 Alternative radio hit, “Renegades.”
•The Band Perry: Saturday, August 27, 7 p.m. Since being catapulted into the spotlight with the No. 1 hit “If I Die Young,” sibling trio The Band Perry has become one of the hottest acts in recent history. With a fiery, rock and roll-influenced country sound, their string of hit singles includes the platinum “You Lie,” Country No. 1 “All Your Life,” and their latest single, “Live Forever.”
•Old Dominion: Tuesday, August 30, 7 p.m. Called “A 2015 Band to Watch” by Billboard and Rolling Stone. Old Dominion got its big break with the debut single and Top 10 hit, “Break Up with Him.” The five members, all talented singers, songwriters and musicians, bring a spirited take on modern country music, as heard in their RCA Nashville debut, Meat and Candy, released last year.
•Thousand Foot Krutch: Wednesday, August 31, 7 p.m. Since hitting the scene in 1997, this prolific rock and roll band has released six studio albums, one live album, and two remix albums, including 2012’s The End is Where We Begin, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hard Rock chart, and 2014’s Oxygen Intake featuring the single, “Born this Way.”
•G-Eazy: Thursday, September 1, 7 p.m. Described as “hip-hop’s James Dean,” and dubbed “The Young Elvis” by Billboard, Bay Area rapper. G-Eazy is well on his way to becoming a star. Since his 2011 breakout, Endless Summer, G-Eazy was named “Best New Artist of 2013,” headlined two nationwide tours, and released two albums, including These Things Happen, which topped the Billboard Hip-Hop/R&B and Top Rap Albums Charts.
• Volbeat: Friday, September 2, 7 p.m. Imagine if “Elvis’s third cousin had gotten out of juvenile detention, started hanging out with Johnny Cash and Gene Vincent and the first thing they got their hands on was a Slayer album and you’ll have an idea of what Volbeat sounds like. The Danish quartet’s pioneering sound blends rockabilly, early rock and roll, and heavy metal, as heard on their five chart-topping, gold- or platinum-certified albums.
• Randy Houser: Saturday, September 3, 7 p.m. Randy Houser’s career is hot, following the release of his new album, Fired Up, featuring the country artist’s fourth No. 1 single, “We Went,” as well as “Song Number 7,” which the New York Times predicts will be “One of the best country songs of this year.” The song joins “How Country Feels,” “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight” and “Goodnight Kiss” in the Mississippi native’s library of No. 1 hits.
• Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo: Sunday, September 4, 6 p.m. With Top 10 hits including “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” “Love Is a Battlefield,” “We Belong” and “Invincible,” four-time Grammy winner Pat Benatar is inarguably one of the most beloved female rock and roll icons of all time. Together with professional musician, producer, arranger, songwriter (and husband) Neil Giraldo, Benatar’s 35-year career includes more than 25 albums – including two multi-platinum, five platinum and three gold – as well as 19 Top 40 singles.
• Andy Grammer: Monday, September 5, 3 p.m. Andy Grammer has come a long way from a hustling street performer to multi-platinum-selling recording artist. He followed his first two singles, “Keep Your Head Up” and “Fine By Me,” with the hit “Back Home” and the three-time platinum single “Honey I’m Good.” Fans will also recognize Grammer from appearances on The Voice, American Idol, and Dancing with the Stars.
Additional information on the 2016 line-up, including ticket prices, bios, photos and performance samples, is available on the Fair website, alaskastatefair.org.
Tickets go on sale to the public next Friday, April 8 at 6 a.m. There are four easy ways to buy:
• Online at alaskastatefair.org and print at home. Convenience fees apply, and Fair admission is additional.
• On the Fair’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/alaskastatefair.
• On a mobile phone. Convenience fees apply, and Fair admission is additional.
• The Borealis Box Office during the Fair. No convenience fees at the Fair box office. Fair admission additional.
The final two concerts will be announced on the Fair blog, Facebook page and website! Interested fairgoers can also sign up to receive email or mobile concert updates on the Fair website.
For more information, please visit alaskastatefair.org or contact Dean Phipps, Fair director of marketing and communications, at dean@alaskastatefair.org or (907) 746-7153.