Rock Your A** Off At the Missouri State Fair Friday August 12

In what's shaping up to be, in my opinion, one of the best concert lineups in a long time the Missouri State Fair wants you to rock your a** off on Friday, August 12.

Taking the State Fair Grandstand on Friday, August 12 at the Missouri State Fair will be Tesla. Tesla's well known for their hard rock hits "Modern Day Cowboy," "Little Suzi," their monster ballad "Love Song,"  and their cover of the Five Man Electrical Band song "Signs." Tesla last graced the Missouri State Fair grandstand with a show on August 14, 2015.

GRAMMY award-nominated band Fuel will open for Tesla. Fuel has numerous top 10 Billboard rock hits and received a significant amount of  MTV airplay around the turn of the century. The band's most well-known songs include "Shimmer," "Bad Day," and "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)," which went to #2 on the rock charts and climbed to #30 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Tesla/Fuel concert on Friday, August 12, is the fourth show announced for the Missouri State Fair. And they join a strong lineup that includes: Trace Adkins and Lonestar on opening night Thursday, August 11, Casting Crowns with We Are Messengers on Tuesday, August 16, and ZZ Top on Wednesday, August 17.

This leaves three-weekend shows that still need to be announced: Saturday, August 13, Friday, August 19, and Saturday, August 20. Along with a Thursday night slot on August 18. The fair usually schedules truck & tractor pull events in the grandstand on the first Sunday and Monday of the fair.

I think it's a safe bet to expect a couple of big Country music acts to fill at least two of the three weekend open nights. Yet, Tesla and ZZ Top performing during the same year definitely gives the concert lineup a little bit of rock energy it hasn't had during my time covering it. It also adds a little bit of unpredictability to how the lineup will be fleshed out beyond two big Country music acts which are arguably the concerts the Fair is known for.

I would also add if you like the lineup that's being put out there this year. Support it. Maybe Tesla isn't your favorite hard rock band, or maybe Casting Crowns isn't the Christian rock act that's a must-see for you. But the best way to keep Christian rock on the bill, or have the Fair continue to diversify its lineup with more rock or whatever that you like is to support the shows in that genre.

Tickets for the Tesla/Fuel show are $40 for track seating and $30 for grandstand seating. Tickets go on sale for all shows through Etix on Tuesday, June 28 at 9:00 AM CDT. All tickets are reserved. Prices do not include fair admission or convenience charges. The Missouri State Fair Box Office will begin walk-up sales at noon on June 28 while tickets remain.