Big E Entertainment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- West Springfield, Mass. -- July, 2008
BIG E 2009 ENTERTAINMENT
The 2009 entertainment line-up at The Big E® features great shows from Country to Rock 'n Roll and Oldies to R&B at the 6,000-seat Comcast Arena Stage and the Court of Honor Stage, sponsored by Comcast.
ON THE COMCAST ARENA STAGE:
The site for the Fair's major concerts with seating for 6,000, this venue provides a large open-air location for performances by top-name talent on weekends during the Fair.
SUGARLAND - SOLD OUT
Friday, October 2 - 8 p.m. - Tickets $45 and $35
The Academy of Country Music's (ACM) 2009 Duo of the Year, Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles, headline at The Big E®. The twosome has taken home numerous Country Music Association and American Music awards. Their Mercury Nashville debut, Twice the Speed of Life, was certified Double Platinum, and in 2005 they received the Breakthrough Favorite New Artist award at the American Music Awards. They took home an Academy of Country Music (ACM) Award in 2006 for the Top New Duo/Vocal Group. In 2007, they won the Country Music Association's Vocal Duo of the Year honor. They added ACM honors for Single Record of the Year and Song of the Year for their single, "Stay." They will thrill audiences with new hits and award-winning style. Matt Nathanson will open the show.
Free concerts on the Comcast Arena Stage:
Charice, Friday, Sept. 18 at 8 p.m.
Charice has amazed audiences around the world with her larger than life voice and vibrant personality. She began on Little Big Star, a show loosely patterned after American Idol, which premiered on Filipino television in 2005. She did not actually rise to global fame until a guerilla marketing campaign featured her on the popular video website youtube.com in 2007. She has astonished viewers of the Ellen DeGeneres Show, Oprah and Good Morning America and has sung with renowned stars Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli. Charice boasts a wide range of genres and boasts an enormous, mature voice that knocks the socks off of anyone listening.
Foghat, Saturday, Sept. 19 at 8 p.m.
British rock band, Foghat, shook up the blues-rock scene in the 70s with their dominating electric and electric slide guitar. Out of their five gold albums came hits "Fool For The City," "I Just Wanna Make Love To You" and "Slow Ride," which is featured on today's ever popular Guitar Hero 3. While band mates have changed throughout the years, today, Charlie Huhn and Bryan Bassett join original members Craig MacGregor and Roger Earl to rock fairgoers with their Classic hits.
An Evening with Boyz II Men, Sunday, September 20, 7 p.m.
Boyz II Men will bring smooth, trademark harmonies and a polished stage act to The Big E® singing their GRAMMY award-winning hits "End of the Road" and "I'll Make Love to You. They also garnered a GRAMMY for Best R & B Album (II) and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals ("One Sweet Day" with Mariah Carey) and were nominated for Best R & B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals ("Ribbon in the Sky") and Best R & B Album (A Journey through Hitsville USA) at the 51st GRAMMY Awards. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has called Boyz II Men the most commercially successful R&B group of all time, included their album, Cooleyhighharmony on the RIAA Top 100 list, and given them the RIAA Diamond Award for the album, II, which sold over 10 million copies.
Lane Turner, presented by GAC, Friday, Sept. 25 at 8 p.m.
From honky-tonk tunes to emotional ballads, this rising Country star has developed a strong fan-base in the U.S. and Canada. Turner's popularity -- he was runner-up in 2008 on The Next GAC Star -- has been strengthened by the release of three singles, "Always Wanting More (Breathless)" in 2004, "Let You Go" in 2006 and "Little Book of Matches" in 2008 from his debut album, King of Pain. Born and raised in West Texas, Lane Turner finds inspiration in the storytelling and simplicity of life found in classic songs by legends like Conway Twitty, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson...and the Rock and Roll of Elvis.
Little Big Town, Saturday, Sept. 26 at 8 p.m.
Little Big Town is one of the premier Country bands in the country. Selling over a million copies of their first album The Road to Here, Little Big Town has seen chart topping days with the smash hits, "Boondocks," "Bring It On Home," "Good As Gone" and "A Little More You." Their newest compilation of songs comes in the form of A Place To Land, produced by Capitol Records Nashville. The foursome has had a variety of award nominations at the Grammy Awards, the Country Music Association Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards and the CMT Music Awards and has toured with Country superstars Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride, George Strait and Keith Urban.
A product of a decade of deep friendship, Little Big Town has produced an intense countrified sound. Catch their unique, shared, vocal intensity onstage and live.
Jamey Johnson, Sunday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m.
After years of songwriting and producing for other Country stars, Jamey Johnson has begun to sing, record and perform his own. His first album is titled That Lonesome Song where fans will hear a compilation of original songs that boast a unique sound and crafty lyrics. The album also features "In Color," the song that won him the 2009 Academy of Country Music (ACM) Song of the Year honor. Fans will find an array of emotions in his work, from the serious songs "Angel" and "That Lonesome Song" to the comedic songs "Mowin' Down the Roses" and Women." Johnson also tells the tale of his life and covers some songs that have influenced him over the years. Johnson has come a long way and is making his mark on the Country music world.
Bret Michaels Rock of Love Tour, Saturday, October 3 at 8 p.m.
Star of the VH1 hit television series "Rock of Love," Bret Michaels has rocked out as the lead singer/songwriter of the band Poison for 22 years, securing 15 Top 40 hits including the popular "Every Rose Has Its Thorn." Branching out, Michaels started his own film company, released 3 solo albums since 2003 and also won a 2008 BMI Award for his hit "Go That Far." The long storied and captivating Rock star, reality TV show host and mega-personality has longevity and adaptability readily seen on his edgy reality TV show "The Rock of Love Tour." The show has garnered high praise and ratings among many critics and has since convinced VH1 to order a second season. His performance promises to be the can't-miss show of the year in which something evocative and unforgetful is bound to happen.
Seether, Sunday, October 4, 7 p.m.
The South Africa-bred, L.A.-based hard rock band, comprised of guitarist and principal songwriter Shaun Morgan, drummer John Humphrey and bassist Dale Stewart, grabs the audience's attention with epic riffs, thunderous rhythms and conscience-invading choruses. Seether's debut album, Disclaimer, was certified Gold the first time out by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on the strength of radio favorites including "Fine Again" and "Gasoline." A reworked version of that album (Disclaimer II) went Platinum when a new rendition of the ballad "Broken" became a Top 20 pop hit. "Remedy," from their 2005 Platinum album, Karma and Effect, topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart for eight consecutive weeks.
ON THE COURT OF THE HONOR STAGE - sponsored by Comcast
(In front of the Coliseum)
Stars of the Peking Acrobats, daily at 11 a.m., 1 & 6:30 p.m. - This popular group of talented acrobats returns to the stage to wow audiences with their feats of unimaginable talent in balance and agility in three shows daily. Since 1986, they have been performing mind-boggling tricks that involve much flexibility and control. Trick-cycling, tumbling, somersaulting, and gymnastics stir the audience with excitement. They have been featured on "Ellen's Really Big Show" hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, "That's Incredible" and "ABC's Wide World of Sports." Chinese acrobats follow a tradition, training to refine and improve the original folk art from the Ch'in Dynasty bringing new tricks and feats with each new generation.
Richard Street, former lead singer of The Temptations, Sept. 18 - 21, 3 & 8 p.m. - This former lead singer of Motown's legendary Temptations brings original hits of The Temptations along with other classic songs from the golden years. He was with the group during their best years performing lead vocals on some of their greatest hits such as "Superstar," "Papa was a Rollin' Stone," and "Masterpiece." In his 22 years as a member of the group, Richard performed hundreds of shows as they visited over 40 countries worldwide. Among the awards Richard has received are three Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards and an NAACP Award. He was also there when The Temptations were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.
Terry Sylvester, formerly of The Hollies, Sept. 22 - 26, 3 & 8 p.m. - Terry Sylvester performs hits from The Hollies, such as "Carrie Ann," "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" and "The Air That I Breathe." In addition, Terry brings to the stage songs and stories from his early days at the Cavern Club when he collaborated with the Beatles and other popular groups of the 60s and 70s.
"Mack the Knife" The Life of Bobby Darin, Sept. 27 - 30, 3 & 8 p.m. - Chaz Esposito stars as Bobby Darin, performing the classic hit songs of the talented performer and icon of the 50s and 60s. Chaz Esposito will dazzle the audience with his rendition of Bobby Darin, singing Darin's famous hit "Mack the Knife." Other Bobby Darin classics include "Splish Splash," "Dream Lover," "Beyond the Sea," "Things," "You're The Reason I'm Living" and "If I Were A Carpenter."
Thelma Houston, Oct. 1 - 4, 3 & 8 p.m. - Thelma Houston brings her hits, including the chart-topping "Don't Leave Me This Way," to The Big E®. That Gold Record classic gave Thelma the distinction of being the first solo female artist at Motown to win the Grammy Award for "Best R&B Female Vocal Performance". She has also been inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame in New York City and honored as an "Apollo Legend," on the syndicated hit TV show, "Showtime at the Apollo." Never skipping a beat, the multi-talented singer, songwriter, actress and international performer gets audiences grooving to the R&B rhythm of her show. With over 21 albums to her credit, she shows no signs of slowing down and continues to bring audiences to their feet with her dynamic, energetic show.
OTHER ENTERTAINMENT INCLUDES:
Sea Lion Splash, sponsored by NewAlliance Bank, at the north end of the Avenue of States, Monday - Friday, noon, 3:30 & 7:30 p.m. with additional shows on Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 a.m. - A big hit at the 2008 Big E, Sea Lion Splash brings back the comedic sea creatures of the deep as they splash their way into the hearts of fairgoers of all ages. The only traveling sea lion show in the United States has an environmental theme and features the sea lions trained by Surfer Joe to balance, catch and retrieve objects along with sing, dance and give handshakes. Interact with the sea critters during their comedic act and also have your picture taken with the stars after the show! The icons of the show are rescued sea lions that could not be returned to the wild due to injury or age and now have a permanent home.
007 James Bond Spiral Stunt Car Exhibit, sponsored by Uncommon USA - For the first time ever, the creator of the famous spiral car stunt from the iconic movie "Man with the Golden Gun," starring Roger Moore, brings his personal collection, including the red AMC Hornet, to The Big E® for all to see. The Big E® is especially honored to host this exclusive exhibit to continue the great tradition behind the mythos of James Bond.
The stunt was executed successfully in one take on location in Thailand. In contrast, many others had tried and failed and the jump was deemed physically impossible by many physicists. Yet Jay Milligan, the mastermind behind the stunt was able to prove them wrong and set a new standard for stunts and special effects in action films with this new and breathtaking stunt.
The car, artifacts and memorabilia are included in the collection and the "secret" of the jump remains with Milligan, who will be at the exhibit on Opening Day, Sept. 18. Stop by and view this very special and unique exhibit commemorating a landmark stunt in the film community.
Jessie and James, Sept. 18 - 26, 11 a.m., 2 & 6:30 p.m. (no 11 a.m. show on Sunday, Sept. 20) on the Storrowton Village Gazebo, sponsored by Big Y World Class Market® - This husband and wife duo, combine humor and audience participation, taking the stage with their Mutts Gone Nuts. From Las Vegas to Tokyo, this unique show has entertained at the White House and for many audiences at Dolly Parton's theaters in Myrtle Beach and Orlando. Known for their slapstick, unicycle and tightrope routines, this comedy dog act features six rescue dogs. This show barks fun!
Hilby, Sept. 27 - Oct. 4, 11 a.m., 2 & 6:30 p.m. on the Storrowton Village Gazebo, sponsored by Big Y World Class Market® - Hilby, known worldwide as the Skinny, German Juggle Boy, captures his audience in hilarious and magical moments by showcasing his impeccable timing and extreme circus skills. Atop all sorts of unicycles, Hilby will juggle anything from marshmallows, potato chips, electrical powered hedge trimmers and Velcro - yes Velcro. This is one superb show complete with a side dish of zany comedy for Gazebo gazers to witness.
The Big E® takes place Sept. 18 - Oct. 4, 2009 in West Springfield, Mass. For tickets and more information visit www.TheBigE.com or call The Big E® Info Line at 413-205-5115.
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Editor's Note: All press releases and photos are available on TheBigE.com/media.