The Alaska State Fair has been upping its game in recent years, attracting not just the usual classic rock acts for Fair-days concerts, but more contemporary groups with a broader audience appeal. Last year, chart-topper Colbie Callait made an appearance, along with country-rocker Uncle Kracker and the usual suspects of past-their prime rockers like Queensryche and Foghat.
This year follows suit, with pop-rockers Creed headlining a group of big names. Creed became worldwide stars in the late 1990s with No. 1 hits like "Higher" and "With Arms Wide Open" spurring their album "Human Clay" to Diamond status, meaning it had sold 10 million or more copies.
Creed isn't alone in the massively-successful department when it comes to the other acts at this year's Fair, either: classic rockers STYX, who have seen numerous albums go platinum and beyond, known for hits like "Come Sail Away" and "Mr. Roboto." Joining STYX in the classic rockers department are George Thorogood and the Destroyers, known for songs like "Move it on Over," and "Who Do You Love?" which were big hits in the late 1970s. Both bands have undergone lineup changes over the years.
For those wanting to rock a little harder to a more contemporary band, heavy pop-rockers Theory of a Deadman will perform songs like "Bad Girlfriend" in a style that's remniscient of fellow Canadian act Nickleback.
But don't worry -- if you prefer a more low-key concert experience, The Avett Brothers should fit the bill nicely. The folk act from North Carolina are probably best-known for their song "I and Love and You," -- the lyric "We are headed north" is sure to garner big cheers from the Alaska audience at the Borealis Theater -- though they've enjoyed a decade-long career mostly under the radar.
Rounding out the lineup are superstar country singer Jo Dee Messina, who became big after her 1996 self-titled debut album saw the song "Heads Carolina, Tails California" reached number 2 on the Billboard country charts. More recently, the titled-in-the-way-only-a-country-song-can-be "My Give a Damn's Busted" became a No. 1 country single off her 2005 album "Delicious Surprise."
One act is so new that they may be unfamiliar to many folks. Hot Chelle Rae, a pop act based in Nashville, released their first album in 2009, but didn't see mainstream success until last year, when folks may have caught their single "Tonight, Tonight" being performed live on television on New Year's Eve or the 2012 NFL Pro Bowl.
The last act isn't musical, but is immensely popular in his own right: comedian and ventriliquist Jeff Dunham is perhaps best known for his "Achmed the Dead Terrorist" bit, featuring a back-and-forth with Dunham and a skeletal militant puppet who repeatedly threatens to kill the comedian. It's one of the most-viewed videos of all time on YouTube, with almost 150 million views.
The full lineup, ticket prices, and the times and dates of each show can be seen at the official Alaska State Fair website. Which shows are you interested in?
Contact Ben Anderson at ben(at)alaskadispatch.com