Fair leaps with top musical acts

Young Chang

COSTA MESA -- Huey Lewis & The News, the Indigo Girls, Martina McBride

and the B-52’s will make a splash at the Orange County Fair this summer,

officials said. The fair, to be held July 12 through July 28, announced

its musical and entertainment lineup Friday.

Steve Beazley, deputy general manager of the fair, said the

entertainment mission was the same as years past in that they wanted

diversity. This year’s fair theme is “Leap into the Fair.”

“Knowing full well that the classic rock genre works well at the fair,

this year we went into mariachi, into soul with the Neville Brothers, and

a kind of alternative [style] with Save Ferris and the O.C. Supertones,”

he said. “We try to hit as many musical genres as we can.”

Shows this summer will happen at two locations. While entertainers

performed on the Arlington Theatre (recently renamed the latimes.com

Theater) last year, this year the entertainers will also spread into a

new venue at the Grandstand Arena.

Huey Lewis will open the 110th annual fair’s concert series July 12

with sounds that hark back to their early ‘80s hits. Wild Child, with

lead singer Dave Brock, will perform a tribute to the Doors on July 13,

and Linda Ronstadt will follow the next night with the Mariachi Los

Camperos for a dose of Latin flavor.

“There are a couple surprises,” Beazley said of the lineup. “And Linda

Ronstadt is one of them. She’s not really on tour this year, but we had

made inquiries . . . a couple other venues stepped forward and so it’s

almost like a small tour was created.”

Country performer Martina McBride will follow Ronstadt on July 15, and

the Indigo Girls will celebrate 20 years of singing together on July 16.

The Neville Brothers will perform their mix of Caribbean, soul, jazz

and yet more sounds July 17; the B-52’s will offer a blast to the past on

July 18; and Save Ferris, a popular Orange County band, will perform July

19.

On July 20, the Fab Four will pay tribute to the Beatles, Keith Urban

will perform July 21, the Christian group O.C. Supertones will follow

July 22, rock band the Guess Who will bring back old hits July 23, and

Styx, another popular rock band, will liven up the stage July 24.

Boz Scaggs will perform his pop-jazz hits July 25, Heart will offer

hard-rock tunes July 26, country star Collin Raye will perform July 27,

and Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd will close the concert series July

28.

Entertainers to perform include Carrot Top and “Weird Al” Yankovic on

July 17 through July 19 and July 22 through July 26, respectively, for

the fair’s Comedy Series.

The two performers have each entertained at the fair a few years ago,

but they are the exceptions to the rule.

“We made a conscious effort,” Beazley said. “We didn’t want to do any

repeats because we believed there was enough talent on the road.”

-- Young Chang writes features. She may be reached at (949) 574-4268

or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .