Rochester-based indie band Joywave has announced they will play the New York State Fair at the Chevy Court Stage on Sept. 3 at 6 p.m.
Formed in 2010, Joywave started when lead vocalist, Daniel Ambruster, was writing and recording music in his parents’ basement. They gained traction with a series of online mixtapes that blended their original songs with material from other artists. The group’s debut studio album, How Do You Feel Now? peaked at #3 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Album chart, where their second album, Content, also cracked the Top 10. In 2014 they released the popular hit “Dangerous” with Big Data, and their most recent record Cleanse features a series of songs that explore life in the early 2020s.
Their infectious brand of indie rock and electronic elements has led them to perform at major festivals including Lollapalooza and Coachella. They have toured with Bastille, The Killers, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Bleachers, Foals, and more, and also appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Watching Joywave’s performance is included with the price of Fair admission.
New York State Fair Lineup
Chevy Court
Aug. 23 at 1 p.m.- Chubby Checker
Aug. 23 at 6 p.m.- Salt-N-Pepa
Aug. 24 at 6 p.m.- Quiet Riot
Aug. 26 at 1 p.m.- Peppa Pig Live! Peppa Pig’s Adventure
Aug. 26 at 6 p.m.- Julio Iglesias Jr.
Aug. 27 at 1 p.m.- The Prodigals
Aug. 27 at 6 p.m.- Matt Stell
Aug. 28 at 1 p.m.- Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone
Aug. 28 at 6 p.m.- Anne Wilson
Aug. 29 at 1 p.m.- Tommy James and the Shondells
Aug. 29 at 6 p.m.- Bret Michaels
Aug. 30 at 1 p.m.- Danielle Ponder
Aug. 30 at 6 p.m.- Chapel Hart
Sept. 1 at 6 p.m.- The Fray
Sept. 2 at 12-9:45 p.m.- JAMS Funk Fest Featuring: Brick (6:45 p.m.) & Dazz Band (8:15 p.m.)
Sun. Sept. 3 at 1 p.m.- Disney Junior Live On tour: Costume Palooza
Sept. 4 at 12 p.m.- The High Kings
Suburban Park
Aug. 23 at 2 p.m.- Steven Page
Aug. 23 at 8 p.m.- Lainey Wilson
Aug. 24 at 8 p.m.- Theory of a Deadman
Aug. 26 at 8 p.m.- George Thorogood and the Destroyers
The New York State Fair has announced that Skid Row will close out the Fair on Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. at the Suburban Park Stage.
Founded in 1832 by a group of local farmers for agriculture and local fairs, The Great New York State Fair did not become a musical showcase until the 1950s and 1960s, when the fair began gearing towards entertainment.
Touring in support of their newest album, The Gang’s All Here, Skid Row will play through new songs as well as the fan favorites that first put them on the map, like “18 and Life,” “Youth Gone Wild,” and “I Remember You,” as well as new singles too, including “Tear it Down,” “Time Bomb,” and “The Gang’s All Here.” The band features original members Rachel Bolan (Bass), Dave “Snake” Sabo (Guitar), and Scotti Hill (Guitar), with Rob Hammersmith (Drums), and the newest member and longtime fan of the band, Erik Grönwall (Lead Vocals), a Swedish Idol winner (2009).
All shows, including Skid Row, are included in the New York State Fair admission.
New York State Fair Lineup
Chevy Court
Aug. 23 at 1 p.m.- Chubby Checker
Aug. 24 at 6 p.m.- Quiet Riot
Aug. 26 at 1 p.m.- Peppa Pig Live! Peppa Pig’s Adventure
Aug. 26 at 6 p.m.- Julio Iglesias Jr.
Aug. 27 at 1 p.m.- The Prodigals
Aug. 27 at 6 p.m.- Matt Stell
Aug. 28 at 1 p.m.- Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone
Aug. 28 at 6 p.m.- Anne Wilson
Aug. 29 at 1 p.m.- Tommy James and the Shondells
Aug. 29 at 6 p.m.- Bret Michaels
Aug. 30 at 1 p.m.- Danielle Ponder
Aug. 30 at 6 p.m.- Chapel Hart
Sept. 1 at 6 p.m.- The Fray
Sept. 2 at 12-9:45 p.m.- JAMS Funk Fest Featuring: Brick (6:45 p.m.) & Dazz Band (8:15 p.m.)
Sun. Sept. 3 at 1 p.m.- Disney Junior Live On tour: Costume Palooza
Sept. 4 at 12 p.m.- The High Kings
Suburban Park
Aug. 23 at 2 p.m.- Steven Page
Aug. 23 at 8 p.m.- Lainey Wilson
Aug. 24 at 8 p.m.- Theory of a Deadman
Aug. 26 at 8 p.m.- George Thorogood and the Destroyers
The New York State Fair has a stellar lineup of musicians coming this summer, including rapper and actor Ludacris performing on Thursday, Aug. 31 at the Suburban Park Stage.
Founded in 1832 by a group of local farmers for agriculture and local fairs, The Great New York State Fair did not become a musical showcase until the 1950s and 1960s, when the fair began gearing towards entertainment. Just announced, Ludacris will perform at the Fair along with a number of other great artists and bands. He will recently reprise his role as Tej in the Fast & Furious franchise’s newest film, Fast X, due out May 19. Beginning his career as a rapper, Ludacris has been nominated for twenty Grammy awards, winning three over the years including “Best Rap/Sung Collaboration” for the song “Yeah!” in 2005, and both “Best Rap Song” for “Money Maker” and “Best Rap Album” for Release Therapy in 2007.
He has sold more than 24 million albums worldwide, and spent a solid 15 years at the top of the charts for hits including “Stand Up,” “Get Back,” and “My Chick Bad.” More recently, Ludacris created the Netflix animated series Karma’s World, geared toward children ages six to nine years old, following the story of a young Black girl who is finding her voice and using it to change the world. “Ludacris has as much heart as he does star power, and we’re really lucky to be able to have him join us this summer,” said Interim Fair Director Sean Hennessey. “We think fairgoers will be excited too! Recently, feedback from fairgoers has indicated to us that they’d like to see us book more rap artists, and we’re happy to deliver! When you think about music and pop culture going back to the early 2000s, Ludacris has been a part of so many moments.”
The Aug. 31 performance will be his second appearance at the NYS Fair, playing to more than 30,000 people at Chevy Court in 2018. The Fair starts Wednesday, August 23, and continues through Labor Day, Monday, September 4. All concerts within the Chevrolet Music Series are free with admission to the Fair.
The Great New York State Fair 2023 lineup has been announced with a wide variety of genres, including rock, pop, and more. The 2023 season will kick off on Aug. 23 and wrap up on Sept. 1, Labor Day.
Founded in 1832 by a group of local farmers for agriculture and local fairs, The Great New York State Fair did not become a musical showcase until the 1950s and 1960s, when the fair began gearing towards entertainment. Last year artists that performed at the State Fair included Foreigner, City Girls, 24KGoldn, and more, with some new faces making their State Fair debuts, like Coin and Lizzy McAlpine.
Foreigner at the State Fair 2022, photo by Perri Sage
The biggest names tend to go on the Chevy Park stage, but recently the New York State Fair announced that after two years of confusion the name will be changed to Suburban Park, still at the same location.
Chevy Court Stage- Free Admission
Chubby Checker- Aug. 23 at 1 p.m.
Chubby Checker will be making his fifth performance at the Fair, and second in as many years. He is best known for “The Twist,” the first number-one song of all time from Billboard’s Hot 100, but also for releasing hits throughout the 60s, 70s, 80s, and beyond with “The Hucklebuck,” “Slow Twistin’,” “Limbo Rock,” and more. Checker is set to take the Chevy Court Stage at 1:00 p.m.
Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone– Aug. 28 at 1 p.m.
Herman’s Hermits are an English rock group formed in 1964 in Manchester and fronted by singer Peter Noone. They make their return to the Chevy Court stage at 1 p.m. to play through their catalog of hits, including “I’m Henry the VIII I Am,” “I’m Into Something Good,” and “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter.”
Tommy James and the Shondells-Aug. 29 at 1 p.m.
Tommy James and the Shondells have been featured in more than 60 films and 50 television shows, and continue to be covered by artists spanning multiple genres, including Billy Joel Armstrong, Carlos Santana, Cher, and more. Chevy Court audiences can look forward to hearing hits including “MONY MONY,” “Crystal Blue Persuasion” and “Crimson and Clover,” as they take the stage at 1 p.m.
Bret Michaels-Aug. 29 at 6 p.m.
Bret Michaels gained fame as the frontman of the rock band Poison who has sold over 50 million albums worldwide and 15 million records in the United States alone. His iconic smash hits include “Every Rose Has Its Thorn,” “Nothin’ But A Good Time,” “Talk Dirty to Me,” his cover of “Your Mama Don’t Dance” and more. This will be his third appearance at the Fair, most recently performing at Chevy Court in 2017 as a solo artist, and played the Grandstand with Poison and Cinderella in 2002.
The Fray- Sept. 1 at 6 p.m.
The Fray formed in 2002 when high school friends Isaac Slade (lead vocalist and pianist) and Joe King (vocals, guitar) ran into one another in a Denver guitar shop. After adding Ben Wysocki (drums) and Dave Welsh (lead guitar), the band landed on a name by asking people to write down ideas on pieces of paper. They burst onto the pop scene with their hits “How to Save a Life,” “You Found Me,” and of course, “Over My Head (Cable Car),” and earned a spot on Billboards’ Artists of the Decade list.
Theory of a Deadman are multiplatinum rockers, best known for “RX (Medicine),” “Bad Girlfriend,” “Not Meant to Be,” and other hits. They were launched into the scene in 2002 because of their unique sound, resurrected in their eighth studio album Dinosaur, out March 17. This will be their third performance at the Great New York State Fair, playing at Chevy Court in 2012 and 2019.
REO Speedwagon- Aug. 28 at 8 p.m.
REO Speedwagon was formed in 1967 and fronted by iconic vocalist Kevin Cronin since 1972, known for their relentless touring as well as for jump-starting the flourishing rock movement in the Midwest. From 1977 to 1989, REO Speedwagon released nine consecutive albums all certified Platinum or higher, and sold 40 million records overall. The landmark Hi Infidelity album, which contained the massive hit singles “Keep On Loving You” and “Take It On the Run,” spent 15 weeks in the Number 1 slot in 1980.
Tyler Hubbard- Aug. 29 at 8 p.m.
Tyler Hubbard is best known as a former member of the Nashville-based duo Florida Georgia Line. After that duo went on hiatus in 2021, Hubbard began recording as a solo artist and released his highly anticipated debut album last month. Hubbard’s debut solo song, “5 Foot 9” is his 20th Number One hit, and right now, “Dancin’ In The Country” continues to climb the Country Top 30 and Billboard Top 200 music charts. This will be his third time performing at the Fair and his first time performing solo.
J.I.D.- Sept. 1 at 8 p.m.
Critically acclaimed rapper J.I.D. has been hailed as “one of rap’s best storytellers,” by Rolling Stone and his most recent album topped several big “Best of 2022” lists. He made his way onto the rap scene in 2015, steadily gaining momentum and amassing new fans after every new project. His collaboration with Imagine Dragons yielded “Enemy” and propelled J.I.D to global fame.
Yung Gravy and bbno$- Sept. 3 at 8 p.m.
Yung Gravy first got popular with the release of “Mr. Clean” on Soundcloud in 2016. Then, in the span of six years, he accumulated such accolades as three platinum and four gold singles. He contributes a unique blend of musical styles that harken back as far as the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, utilizing samples like “Mr. Sandman” by The Chordettes, “Careless Whisper” by George Michael, and, most recently, “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley, in his song “Betty (Get Money).” bbno$ is a rapper, singer, and songwriter, best known for his viral single, “Lalala” released in 2018, and more recently, “Edamame.”
The Great New York State Fair 2023 edition will also have different areas where you can go experience a wide variety of cultures. Located between the Center of Progress Building and the Art and Home Center, you can visit the Pan-African Village to learn about New York’s African-American history while you listen to music with African roots. The Latino Village will feature music, food, and more pertaining to that culture. There will also be Talent Showcases and more.
