When folks start talking about the Illinois State Fair, the conversation often drifts to all the live music going on all over the grounds. From the big-time touring acts at the Grandstand to area cover bands getting a hot spot at the beer tents to the numerous performances on several stages scattered throughout the fairgrounds, it wouldn't be the Illinois State Fair without live music. This year is no exception, as a long list of performers – more than 100 different acts on several stages over the 10 days of the fair – is definite proof. And as the description supplied by the fair organizers on the official website says, "a wide variety of shows and talents are in store for you," and yes, indeed they are.
Village of Cultures
This space, not far from the southeast entrance on the corner of Sangamon Avenue and Peoria Road and an easy jaunt from the main gate as well, hosts a variety of acts in a permanent gazebo. With plenty of shaded seating on benches surrounded by trees – a welcome commodity on the fairgrounds – along with food and beer vendors in small buildings with a name of country on it, this area, a fixture for decades, is usually bustling with fairgoers.
The idea here is to "experience many cultural groups as they showcase the traditions of their countries," as described on the ISF website. This goal is achieved with several Springfield-based bands and groups from around the Midwest performing songs and dances of a particular culture.
A good example would be the Waterloo German Band (from Waterloo) and the Heidelberg German Band (from Quincy) who return year after year dressed in traditional outfits to play popular folk songs originating from, you guessed it, Germany. Other acts include Celtic music and performances from St. Andrew's Dancers, Skibbereen, Central Illinois Irish Dance and Def Leprechaun; Brazilian and Latin styles from Samba Llamas and Jose Gobbo Trio; American traditional folk from The Dulcimer Guy, Peaches and Bacon and Prairie Wind Flute Ensemble; Cajun-styles from Zydeco Voodoo Band and Le Travaillant – you get the picture. Many other bands flavor the scene with blues, Americana, soul, jazz and more. A good variety of cultures are definitely represented at the Village venue.
Beer tents
It was back in the mid-1980s when beer tents again became a part of the State Fair experience. Since that time, they've ebbed and flowed, but always remained a good source of entertainment, as well as welcomed exposure and income for Springfield-based bands. Just as the major beer companies have merged. leaving only a few players, our purveyors of libations are down to a Busch Light, Coors Light and a Miller Lite tent. Each venue hosts three bands a day on weekends, plus two most weekdays, with not a lot of repeats.
Popular area groups such as Off the Wall, Captain Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters, Brushville, Lick Creek, Branded, Brandy Kristin Band and Captain Quirk do take to the stages a couple times each. The currently very hip tribute band concept makes a splash with Elvis Himselvis, Damned Torpedoes, Decade of Decadence, Folsom Prison Five and Brat Pack paying homage to certain artists or eras of music.
Original music doesn't get played here much at all, but these venues are about having fun hearing the songs you've already heard while indulging in the popular beers you've tasted before. Maybe someday the craft beers and original bands will get their own spot, but not this year. In the meantime, be prepared for tried-and-true set lists from our many familiar area cover groups.
Stages around the grounds
Be on the lookout for temporary and permanent stages around the grounds that include a wide variety of musical acts and other types of entertainers going all day and into the night. The Apex Stage near the Grandstand showcases up-and-coming younger acts along with seasoned performers including Astrofix, Isaiah Christian and the Rebel Saints, The Baked Potatoes, Whiskey Raccoons, Naughty & Nice and many others (and here you might hear original tunes).
At the south end of the Reisch Pavilion (Food-a-Rama to us old-timers) you'll find the Grand Central Stage with a quite diverse lineup, including well-known acts as "spotlight artists." These include acts such as Marshall Tucker Band, Gin Blossoms, Kylie Morgan and The Steel Woods along with area groups such as The Lovelorn, Elderly Brothers, Aileana Rawlins Band and Colin Helton Band. And this is another good venue for those ubiquitous tribute acts with these recognizably named groups showing up to imitate songs made famous by others such as Beatlemania Magic, Zepparella, Feeling This and Taylor Made.
Lincoln Stage
The always-popular Lincoln Stage, with seating and shade along with a quite varied and interesting selection of entertainment acts, delivers music this year by Shuga Beats, Land of Lincoln Chorus, Catfish Willie Band, Cactus Ranch, Kasey Burton, Rock & Roll Sisters and many others. A couple of long-running, favorite State Fair music events happen every year here.
On the first Saturday of the fair promptly at 11 a.m., the state fiddle and banjo contests happen. A teenage Alison Krauss used to regularly take home the blue ribbon here many years ago. Be sure to check out the new (and older) generation of players now in attendance, for who knows who's going next to the big time.
On the last day of the fair (it's a Sunday, of course) enjoy the 32nd annual Powerlight Fest featuring live music based on Christian beliefs, where the music might sound secular, but the lyrics go the praise way. This year the big-name act is Jordan St. Cyr with Adelaide, Rare of Breed and the Afters filling out the bill at this highly attended and supported event.
Artisans Building
Not listed with the "free entertainment areas" on the fair website (because to get in you need to spend $10 for six tasting tickets and a complimentary stemless wine glass), the Illinois Wine Experience uncorks all-Illinois wine, all the time in the air-conditioned Artisans Building south and west of the Coliseum. Hosting acoustic singer-songwriters doing occasional cover songs (Thursday through Sunday to start the fair and Friday through Sunday on the last weekend), you can sip your Illinois wine and listen to Dave Littrell and Micah Walk, Ivas John, OAT (Owen Irwin, Amy Battles and Tom Irwin), Ben Bedford, Dan Hubbard and Stuart Smith in the intimate confines of this fairly new venue at the fair.
The Strolling Piano
We now must mention The Strolling Piano on our list of live music on the grounds. It's evoked on the fair website as bringing "the gift of music to all ages and genres, as it gracefully glides through the fairgrounds filling the air with music, song, and laughter." So if you happen to see a rolling, mobile piano with a real, live person performing, consider yourself fortunate, as you're experiencing the ISF's Strolling Piano in action. Maybe ask for Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag" as a request or Mozart's "Piano Sonata #11," Madonna or perhaps even a Lady Gaga hit. It's all about the fun.
Grandstand
Now we've come all this way to get to the Grandstand shows and just maybe it's worth the wait. No other part of the State Fair seems to create such controversy as the choices booked for the Grandstand year after year. There's always lots of competition with other state fairs, along with regular outdoor festivals thriving in the late summer season, but most folks would agree that generally the acts have been more in tune with the populace in the last few years. Just remember, you still have to pay to get into the fair even though you purchased a grandstand ticket (made that mistake before?) and if you're aiming for a front row spot on the track near the stage, the doors generally open an hour before show time.
You'd be hard-pressed to find a better lineup in the recent resurgence of the relevance of Grandstand acts in the last couple of years, so hang on to your hat and see what's coming. None other than world-renowned, superstar Keith Urban with support act Mackenzie Porter kicks off the first Friday, then it's the one-and-only, fabulously famous, metal maniacs Mötley Crüe with Phil X & The Drills on Saturday. Next the award-winning, Americana singer-songwriter and recent movie actor, Jason Isbell, along with his rocking 400 Unit, with Ashley McBryde opening, make Sunday night a very memorable one.Take a rest on Monday and get ready for Jordan Davis on Tuesday, known for his 2021 "Buy Dirt" duet with Luke Bryan, with Ashley Cooke hitting first, then prepare for one of the most influential and successful rap/pop/hip-hop artists in music history when Lil Wayne takes his place in front of the track on the Grandstand stage on Wednesday night. Here come the ever-popular Jonas Brothers on Thursday with opener Deleasa, as the JBros keep at it making the music work out. There's lots of chatter about The Smashing Pumpkins being back on tour, and why wouldn't there be? PVRIS, fronted by Lynn Gunn, holds down the support slot for this Friday concert. Some band called "USAC Bettenhausen 100" (that's a joke, son) is on the track Saturday afternoon warming up the field for super-duper, superstar Miranda Lambert with Gavin Adcock opening on Saturday night. Shaboozey brings to the stage what some have described as "hip-hop grit to country" and takes on Sunday night all by his lonesome to close out the 2024 ISF Grandstand season.
Now all that's left is for you to check out the State Fair website schedule for all the acts listed and see the many others there as well, then make your plans to experience some live music on the grounds. Sounds fair enough, don't you think so?
Tom Irwin is a local musician and singer-songwriter who has played the state fair in many different venues, including opening for Willie Nelson and Family in 2001 at the Grandstand with his band the Hired Hands. He writes Now Playing, a weekly music column for Illinois Times and will celebrate 24 years of doing so this August.