Thorogood, Lonestar among Rock County 4-H Fair acts
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JANESVILLE--George Thorogood and Lonestar are among the acts that will take the stage at the 85th Rock County 4-H Fair in July.
The fair released its nearly complete entertainment lineup Monday, and all the acts bring recognizable hits or songs playing on the radio, said Julie Johnson, chairwoman of the entertainment committee.
“We try … to get something that will appeal to all ages, a couple genres of music, and hopefully there's something for everybody,” she said.
Classic rocker Thorogood and his longtime band The Destroyers will bring their “40 Years Strong” tour to kick off the opening night, Tuesday, July 22. Their hits include “Who Do You Love,” “I Drink Alone,” “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer,” “Move It On Over” and “Bad To The Bone.”
The rest of the acts are:
--Wednesday, July 23: The Swon Brothers with Danielle Bradberry
Brothers Zach Swon and Colton Swon are a country music duo from Muskogee, Okla. In 2013, they finished in third place on the fourth season of NBC's “The Voice.” Newly signed to the Arista Nashville record label, the brothers returned to “The Voice” in December to perform “Later On,” the first taste of their upcoming album, according to their website.
Joining them will be 17-year-old Danielle Bradbery, who is the youngest winner ever of “The Voice.” The Texas native released her first single “Heart of Dixie” to country radio in July.
--Thursday, July 23: Scotty McCreery
In the last two years, McCreery has become one of country's hottest new stars, with album sales topping 1.6 million. The winner of season 10 of “American Idol,” McCreery's debut album “Clear As Day” became the best-selling country solo album released in 2011.
--Friday, July 25 (Senior citizen day): Lonestar
The hit country band Lonestar has reunited with original lead singer Richie McDonald and will mark its 20th anniversary with a new album and tour. The band's hits include “Amazed,” “My Front Porch Looking In,” “I'm Already There,” “Smile,” “Tell Her” and “What About Now.”
--Saturday, July 26: The fair board is finalizing details with a musical act and hopes to announce it in the coming weeks, Johnson said.
All shows Tuesday through Saturday are at 8 p.m.
--Sunday, July 27: Wisconsin Horse Pullers at 10 a.m. This is the third year the group will bring its pull to the fair, and Johnson said it's a great family event that's been growing.
Organizers still are working on what kind of entertainment act will take the stage Sunday night.
Only time will tell how big of a draw the acts will bring, Johnson said, but organizers are “hoping that people are happy and that it's a big success.”
She said the fair faces competition from bigger festivals in the region, and sometimes acts can't be booked within a certain distance of another show.
Last year's record-setting attendance was a perfect storm of awesome weather and two country acts hitting it big at the time of the fair, she said.
Florida Georgia Line helped set a single-day record of more than 30,000 fairgoers, coming to town with the No. 1 song on the country charts. Two days later, teen heartthrob Hunter Hayes, who had a song at No. 2, was the headliner.
The entertainment committee starts booking acts in October and November.
“Part of it is a little luck—that you hope you pick the right one, and they'll draw a crowd for us,” Johnson said.
Fans will have to buy additional tickets, which help with crowd control, for some of the acts this year, but the fair board has not decided which ones, she said. The price hasn't been set, either, she said, but it “definitely will be very reasonable.” That information will be released in the next few weeks.