A cool twofer of '70s rock and one of the headliners from last year's Soundset hip-hop festival have been added to the almost-complete 2019 lineup for the Minnesota State Fair grandstand:
ZZ TOP & CHEAP TRICK (Thursday, Aug. 29): That lil' ol' band from Texas is marking a big, old milestone this year, celebrating 50 years together and still boasting all three original members, with guitarist Billy Gibbons, bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard. The Houston-reared trio of "Sharped Dress Man," "Legs," "La Grange" and "Tush" fame has been a mainstay at casinos in recent years, including Treasure Island Casino, where it helped inaugurate the new amphitheater last year. Midwest heroes Cheap Trick also regularly hit the gambling circuit nowadays, including an electrifying set already this year at the Mystic Lake Showroom.
Tickets go on sale Friday at noon for a reasonable $39-$49 via etix.com, 800-514-3849, or the State Fair box office, which will open Friday at 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
LOGIC (Monday, Sept. 2): Last seen in town also at the State Fairgrounds performing to about 30,000 fans at the end of last year's Soundset, the 29-year-old Maryland rapper follows fellow Soundset alumni Macklemore, G-Eazy and Wiz Khalifa graduating from an underground indie-rapper to a Top 40 act deserving of a headlining slot at the Great Minnesota Get-Together. And like Macklemore, he's done so with a batch of positive songs preaching meaningful messages to his young fans, particularly the 2017 hit with Alessia Cara and Khalid, "1-800-273-8255," named after the phone number for American National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The real-life Sir Robert Bryson Hall II has a twofer novel and album combo in the works, both titled "Supermarket."
Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. for $43-$55. The plaza level for this concert will be all standing general-admission tickets (no seats).
Here's the rest of the State Fair grandstand concerts announced so far: Hootie & the Blowfish with Barenaked Ladies (Thursday, Aug. 22); Why Don't We (Friday, Aug. 23); Trace Adkins & Clint Black with special guest Terri Clark: Hits. Hats. History. Tour (Sunday, Aug. 25); Tommy James and the Shondells and Happy Together Tour 2019 (Monday, Aug. 26); "Weird Al" Yankovic (Tuesday, Aug. 27); Daryl Hall & John Oates with G. Love & Special Sauce (Wednesday, Aug. 28); Lionel Richie (Friday, Aug. 30); Brandi Carlile with Mavis Staples (Saturday, Aug. 31) and the MSF Amateur Talent Contest Finals(Sunday, Sept. 1).
