New York Ag Connection - Country Superstars Big & Rich to Perform at State Fair

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Country Superstars Big & Rich to Perform at State Fair
New York Ag Connection - 04/19/2018

Big & Rich will make their first visit to Chevy Court at 8 p.m. Aug. 31 during the 2018 Great New York State Fair, Acting Fair Director Troy Waffner announced Wednesday. Country rapper Cowboy Troy will join Big & Rich as a featured artist for the show. Free concerts at Chevy Court, which drew more than a quarter million people in 2017, complement Central New York Rising, the region's comprehensive strategy to grow the economy.

"Big & Rich love a good time and so do we. This is going to be a party and I know Chevy Court's going to be a rockin' place to be. We're proud to be able to bring artists of their stature to our fairgoers and hope they all have a great time," said Waffner.

The Chevy Court stage is the home of up to 26 national touring acts each year. A diverse 2017 lineup, including performers and groups such as Migos, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Earth Wind & Fire, The Beach Boys and Three Doors Down drew 264,600 fairgoers. Chevy Court won two Syracuse Area Music Awards in 2017 as People's Choice for Favorite Venue for Live Music and Favorite Festival or Music Series. The Fair was nominated for Fair of the Year by the International Entertainment Buyers association, the trade organization for live entertainment industry professionals. Free concerts at Chevy Court are sponsored by Chevrolet.

Big & Rich are America's Technicolor cowboys, brothers-in-arms in service to the creed that great music has no boundaries. Individually, John and Big Kenny are first-rate musicians, songwriters, producers, entertainers--and now the creative force behind their own label imprint, Big & Rich Records. Together, they are one of the most truly original musical forces ever unleashed on a welcoming world.

Big & Rich is comprised of Big Kenny and NBC's "The Celebrity Apprentice" winner John Rich. The multi-platinum hit duo have garnered multiple Grammy, ACM, CMA and CMT Music Award nominations. Their previous release, "Gravity," helped propel them to new heights, producing three back-to-back smash hit singles with "Look at You," "Run Away With You," and "Lovin' Lately," featuring Tim McGraw. The country superstars' first studio album, "Horse of a Different Color," includes their hit infectious single, "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)." Other hits include "Comin' to Your City," "8th of November" and their No. 1 hit, "Lost in this Moment." Meanwhile, "Comin' to Your City" is nearing a decade as the theme song for ESPN's "College GameDay.

Wednesday's announcement complements "Central NY Rising," the region's comprehensive blueprint to generate robust economic growth and community development. The State has already invested more than $4.7 billion in the region since 2012 to lay the groundwork for the plan -- capitalizing on global market opportunities, strengthening entrepreneurship and creating an inclusive economy. Today, unemployment is down to the lowest levels since before the Great Recession; personal and corporate income taxes are down; and businesses are choosing places like Syracuse, Oswego and Auburn as a destination to grow and invest in. Now, the region is accelerating Central NY Rising with a $500 million State investment through the Upstate Revitalization Initiative, announced by Governor Cuomo in December 2015. The State's $500 million investment will incentivize private business to invest well over $2.5 billion -- and the region's plan, as submitted, projects up to 5,900 new jobs. More information is available here.

The New York State Fair, operated by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, runs from Aug. 22 to Sept. 3. The Fair's mission, reflected in its theme, "FIND YOUR GREAT," is to showcase the best of New York agriculture while providing top-quality entertainment.

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