​Bob Dylan, Chris Isaak, Big Time Rush, Selena Gomez & the Scene, Blake Shelton, Weezer, Bill Cosby, Kansas, B.B. King, and more--the 2011 OC Fair may be themed "Let's Eat!" but it has a pretty stellar music lineup, maybe one of the best in recent years.
Super Pass holders may purchase terrace seats for certain concerts at a 2-for-1 price this year as well.

After the jump, the complete lineup.

More >>

Andrew Youssef/OC Weekly

​The OC Fair's lineup is pretty stellar this year; aside from Bob Dylan, performers include Weezer (Aug. 4), Huey Lewis & the News (Aug. 7), Montgomery Gentry (Aug. 10) and Kansas/Blue Oyster Cult (Aug. 11). What, no B-52's?
More >>

​The Orange County Fair broke attendance records with 1.5 million visitors for the run that ended Sunday.

• Orange County Fair Breaks Attendance Record

The concurrent concert series in Pacific Amphitheatre also broke a record, selling out nine of its shows.

Find out the top 5 shows based on ticket sales after the jump.
More >>

Mark Stouffer ​

​Train
July 18, 2010
OC Fair

It's hard to feel sorry for Pat Monahan, lead singer for the San Francisco-based Train. Sure, the band may have peaked 10 years ago, when its Drops of Jupiter--fueled in large part by the inescapable titular song--sold more than three million copies. But Train has kept rolling since and actually posted an impressive comeback last year with the release of its fifth album, Save Me, San Francisco, and the hit song Hey, Soul Sister.

But even if the band hadn't reinvigorated itself as a commercial presence, no one should shed tears for its front man. The guy looks like a 30something Rob Lowe, possesses mad vocal talent and, based on his performance last night at the Orange County Fair, he may be the most joyful fucker on the face of the planet.

More >>

Martina McBride is performing at the OC Fair this year

​For those who got their first official taste of the OC Fair this weekend, we hope that our little take on this year's must-see (and must-miss) live shows was helpful. But in case you haven't read it yet--or it's found it's way to the the bottom of your birdcage--we'd like to remind you about the best and worst way to spend your money at the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa this week. Of course, this only relates to the live music...how you decide to cut years off your life in the food lines is you own damn business. More >>

Within the steel-studded cannon of heavy metal gods, there are a few essential names etched at the top of the list for eternity. And while their order of importance remains a serious topic of debate by any metal head with a joint, a couch and a half-hour to kill ,one thing is for certain, Judas Priest will always be on that list. As one of Britain's most legendary sonic exports, Priest's aura and legacy have inspired countless bands to follow in their foot steps. Today is another reason to celebrate the talents of vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton, bassist Ian Hill and drummer Scott Travis as the band releases their fifth live album.

A Touch of Evil:Live is the first live release with Halford since the band reunited  back in 2003 and encompasses 11 mostly rare live tracks from the band's 2005 and 2008 tours. It was also a reunion between the band and producer Tom Allom who last worked with the band on the 1988 studio album Ram It Down (suggestive title much?).

As it hits stores today, you'll want to make sure to grab a copy and get the full blood curdling, guitar-shredding experience of songs like "Between the Hammer and the Anvil" and time honored classics like "Pain Killer", though the album does seem to focus less on the band's smash hits and more on rare material that real fans tend to fiend after. While you're here check out the godliness of the band's pyro-filled trailer for the new live album and DVD. Hopefully it gets you pumped enough to buy tickets for their August 5 show at Pacific Amphitheater in Costa Mesa as part of the OC Super Fair. That's right, Priest at the Fair, better get your tickets ASAP.

OMG. Fairs and Kelly Clarkson, two of my favorite things, together at last on July 23. What a day.

The lineup for acts for this year's OC Super Fair is shaping up, and if you like nostalgia, well, this is the event for you! Other than Ms. Clarkson, it's pretty much all oldsters: Hearts, Moody Blues, Duran Duran (awesome, yes, but still old), etc. Sure, it's a fair, what do you expect, blah blah blah, but some of my best music memories came from the Arizona State Fair: Bob Dylan in 2002 (OK, he's as old as it gets), Beck in 2005 and, in one of the more fantastic oddities, Pet Shop Boys in 2006.

Here's the lineup as of now, all shows on sale through Ticketmaster now except for Anita Baker; pre-sale on that begins tomorrow. All shows at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa. This is actually KC's second OC show this year; she's also playing KIIS-FM's Wango Tango on May 9 at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater.
More >>