By Michael Swanger michael@dmcityview.com

Classic rock and country acts like Foghat (left) and Lady Antebellum (right) can be found at the free stages at the 2008 Iowa State Fair, Aug. 7-17.

Iowa State Fair announces acts at free stages

Room for improvement remains, but the lineup for the free stages at the 2008 Iowa State Fair that runs from Aug. 7-17 is slightly better — though no less predictable — than those from previous years. Some of that success can be attributed to fair officials’ decision to scatter oldies acts that once headlined the annual Rock ‘n Roll Reunion show at the Grandstand across four free stages. The presence of oldies and classic rock acts like Foghat, Rare Earth and Lou Christie is sure to bulk up the attendance at those sites, as will the showcase of popular Iowa bands at the Anderson Erickson Dairy Stage, featuring familiar acts like The Nadas and The Blue Band, as well as Fair rookies The Envy Corps.

For more information, visit http://www.iowastatefair.org.

• Anderson Erickson Dairy Stage — The Nadas (Aug. 7-9), The Envy Corps (Aug. 10-11), Eve 6 (Aug. 12), Hairball (Aug. 13-14), The Blue Band (Aug. 15-16), Foghat (Aug. 17).

• Anne and Bill Riley Stage — The Blenders (Aug. 7), Ridgeway and Johnson Escape and Illusion Show (Aug. 8-9), Riverbilly (Aug. 10-11), Santana original lead singer Gregg Rolie (Aug. 12), hypnotist Roan Diamond (Aug. 13-15), Lou Christie (Aug. 16), Rare Earth (Aug. 17)

• Budweiser Stage — Ron Dante of the Archies (Aug. 7-8), The Crystals (Aug. 9-10), John Ford Coley (Aug. 11-12), Hot Rod Chevy Kevy and the Blues Brothers Show (Aug. 13), Terry Sylvester formerly of The Hollies (Aug. 14-15), Elvis impersonator Travis LeDoyt (Aug. 16-17).

• Susan Knapp Amphitheater — Lady Antebellum (Aug. 7), James Otto (Aug. 8), Candy Coburn (Aug. 9-10), Chuck Wicks (Aug. 11), Jason Brown (Aug. 12-13), Luke Bryan (Aug. 14), Country Gold (Aug. 15), Carolina Rain (Aug. 16), Pat Green (Aug. 17)

• Hy-Vee Fun Forest Stage — Bob the Builder Live Performance, Tropical Illusions (Aug. 7-17).

Scene notes

For a good time, call on Tommy Tutone of “867-5309” fame who plays a free show Thursday at Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino’s Finish Line Show Lounge. The concert will start at about 10 p.m. following the horse races. … The Bellville Outfit, a six-piece group that plays a mix of gypsy, swing, country and jazz, performs Thursday at 10 p.m. at the Vaudeville Mews. Tickets are $7. … The Westminster Fine Arts Series at Westminster Presbyterian Church hosts Hernick and Bock’s “The Apple Tree,” a musical comedy based on “The Diary of Adam and Eve” by Mark Twain. The production will be presented Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free. A reception will follow each performance. … Here’s a good way to get kids hooked on opera: Peanut Butter & Puccini, a family opera adventure that includes a backstage tour, kid-friendly opera performance and a sandwich, will be hosted by the Des Moines Metro Opera on Thursday and Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at the Blank Performing Arts Center at Simpson College in Indianola. Visit www.desmoinesmetroopera.org for details. … A reminder that the JuneJam month-long series of Christian concerts continues this week with performances by Lori and Phil at Jordan Creek Town Center and Divine Intervention at the Norwalk Aquatic Center on Thursday; Remnant Blues Band at the Brenton Plaza Riverwalk Stage, Open Road at Blank Park Zoo and Robin Jons at the Being There Coffeehouse on Friday; and Tim Cooper and Friends at Adel’s Kinnick-Feller Park, GUMP and others at the Grimes Sports Complex and Vance Lambert at Mars Cafe on Saturday. For a complete lineup, visit www.myspace.com/junejamiowa. … Pop-rockers The Josh Davis Band will release their five-song EP, “Mix Tape,” during their show Friday at People’s Court at 9 p.m. Tickets are $7. … Local jazzers the Max Wellman Quartet play Saturday at the Vaudeville Mews where they will be joined by Kansas City trumpeter Sam Wells. Patrick Mullen will open at 7 p.m. with an acoustic set followed by the band at 9 p.m. Admission is $5. … Geek alert: The U.S. Air Guitar Championships will be held Saturday at 9 p.m. at the House of Bricks. Tickets are $12. Visit www.usairguitar.com. … The first annual Beaverdale Live! street party features a performance on Saturday by Faculty Lounge. The free event will be held from 7 to 11 p.m. and includes a beer garden. … Local hard rockers Facecage, Mindrite, Destrophy and Marcato play People’s Court on Saturday at 5 p.m. Tickets to the all-ages show are $12 through IowaTix.com. Facecage, by the way, is recording its second album with Corey Taylor of Slipknot once again producing. … Kansas City singer-songwriter Kristie Stremel headlines the Gay Pride concert at the House of Bricks on Sunday at 9 p.m. The Honeybees and Betsey West join the bill. Admission is $6. … Little Mojo is headed back to New York City to play a second showcase on Tuesday for Universal Records and a few other major labels at the Mercury Lounge. The duo spent some time during the winter writing and recording new songs. The band returns home to play the Des Moines Arts Festival on June 28 at the U.S. Cellular Stage. … A correction on the June 22 Peter Mayer concert listed in our Summer A&E Guide — the show will be held at First Christian Church, not the First Federated Church. … More bands have been added to the 80/35 music fest on July 4-5. They include: Diplomats of Solid Sound, Rock Plaza Central, Neva Dinova, Pieta Brown, GaiDen Gadema, MooseKnuckle, David Zollo and The Body Electric. DJs added include Al Brown, Flatform, DJ Flash, and TouchNice. ... Here’s your chance to help out a local musician. Folk music singer-songwriter Scott Stilwell admits he isn’t the rock festival type, but credit him for entering the Last Band Standing Competition where the winner lands a spot on stage at the Lollapalooza festival to be held Aug. 1-3 at downtown Chicago’s Grant Park. Because really, what’s more Lollapalooza than a 40-something folk singer wearing sandals? To vote for Stilwell, go to the Web site, www.sonicbids.com/lollapalooza08/BandProfile … The Black Crowes play the Val Air Ballroom Dec. 11. Tickets, $36.50, go on sale Sept. 19. … With the demise of its best cheerleader, No Depression magazine, the alt-country movement of the ’90s is all but dead [too bad it never took hold in Des Moines]. But one sure-fire indicator of a genre riding off into the sunset is when mainstream folks wax nostalgia by compiling “Best of” lists to honor it [see infomercials on late night television for disco and classic rock]. The Web site for Gibson guitars (www.gibson.com) released its Top 5 Essential Alt-Country albums, which includes: 1) Uncle Tupelo’s “Anodyne,” 2) Son Volt’s “Trace,” 3) Whiskeytown’s “Strangers Almanac,” 4) Wilco’s “Being There,” 5) The Jayhawks’ “Hollywood Town Hall.” Good choices, though it would seem such a list would be incomplete without Wayne Hancock’s “Thunderstorms and Neon Signs,” and let’s not forget about BR5-49, The Derailers, Lucinda Williams, Hank III, Junior Brown, etc. …. I could go on and on. Discuss. CV

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