Black Hills Energy Concert Series

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It’s not “Just A Dream,” the Central States Fair is beyond excited to announce that Diamond Selling, Multi-platinum, Grammy award-winning rap superstar, entrepreneur, philanthropist, actor and music mogul, Nelly will kick off the Central States Fair concert series on Thursday, August 24.
Nelly has continually raised the bar for the entertainment industry since stepping onto the scene in 2000 with his distinctive vocals and larger-than-life personality. “Cruise,” his collaboration with Florida Georgia Line, received Diamond status and Nelly is one of only seven rappers to achieve this honor.
Nelly entered the spotlight with the release of “Country Grammar” in 2000. This album spent seven weeks at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and generated the massive hits “Ride With Me”, “Country Grammar”, and “E.I.”. Nelly’s momentum continued with the 2002 release of Nellyville. The album debuted at #1 on top of scoring Nelly his first two Grammy Awards for “Hot in Here” and “Dilemma” [feat. Kelly Rowland].
“What a way to kick of the Central States Fair Concert Series.” says Fair Manager Ron Jeffries. “We are always excited to bring a new genre of music to the fair, and Nelly will lead a whole new audience to our grandstands and the fair experience.”
In addition to Nelly as a performer, Ellie Mae - newcomer from NBC’s the Voice and Team Blake will also be performing. As a songwriter, Ellie Mae writes what she knows: country life, family, love and loss and Coors Light. She is currently embarking on her first national tour in 2023.

The Central States Fair is pleased to welcome Chase Rice to the stage on Friday, August 25. With more than 2.4 million albums sold and over 2.5 billion total streams, plus a legion of passionate fans at his high-energy concerts across the globe, Chase Rice has established himself as a powerful force in Nashville and beyond. With the critically acclaimed album I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go To Hell crafted in his rural Tennessee home-turned-studio available everywhere now, Rice’s sound continues to evolve to reflect the realities of his life; from emotional reckoning to an admiration of the Western way of life. In addition to hits like his triple-Platinum, two-week chart-topper “Eyes On You,” Platinum-certified No. 1 “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen. (feat. Florida Georgia Line),” Platinum-certified top 10 hit “Lonely If You Are” and more, fans will also hear all 13 songs on the new album, included his latest single, the crowd-favorite “Bad Day To Be A Cold Beer.”

Joining Rice will be Matt Koziol. The deluxe version of his debut album, Wildhorse (Barrel Aged) just released in March, producing chart topper “Work All Day” featuring Drake White.
“Friday night will be a great night for country music fans”, says Fair Manager Ron Jeffries. “Dancing in the dirt is about to take on a whole new meaning with these high energy entertainers!”
Chase Rice with Matt Koziol joins Sawyer Brown as part of the Central States Fair grandstand concerts, with more announcements yet to come.

The Central States Fair is pleased to welcome Sawyer Brown to the stage on Saturday, August 26.

Sawyer Brown is a trailblazing country act known for chart-topping songs like "Step That Step”, "Some Girls Do", and "Thank God for You”. With 20 albums and 51 Billboard Hot Country charting songs, Sawyer Brown established itself as a leader of ‘80s and ‘90s country, but the band still puts on one of the most entertaining shows in music nearly 40 years later!

“This is exactly the type of grandstand entertainment we look for”, says Fair Manager Ron Jeffries. “Sawyer Brown puts on a great, upbeat show for the entire family!” The band’s live shows are legendary. Having been described as “the Rolling Stones of Country Music,” the band bounds onto the stage night after night, delivering its own unique brand of high-energy entertainment, and the band remains a constant favorite at fairs, festivals, theatres, and casinos.

“We love getting to hear the stories of where people have seen us play—and the number of times they’ve seen us play,” drummer Joe Smyth says. “For some, we’re their weekend getaway—they’ve seen us all over the country. But we never lose sight of the fact that on any given night, it’s going to be the first time someone’s seen us—and that’s exciting. We want that show, that night, to live up to everything they hoped for when they came to the show. Couldn’t ask for better motivation.”

The Central States Fair Concert Series continues to expand with the addition of Neal McCoy to the line-upon Saturday, August 26 with Sawyer Brown.

Neal McCoy has released fifteen studio albums, breaking onto the music scene with back-to-back number 1 singles “No Doubt About It” and “Wink” from his platinum-certified album No Doubt About It. His commercial success continued with two more platinum albums and a gold album, as well as seven top ten hits. His Albums kept coming with XXI co-produced by Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, Pride: A Tribute to Charley Pride, You Don’t Know Me and Neal McCoy’s Favorite Hits.

Ticket holders are in for a treat with a special appearance by South Dakota’s own Rowan Grace, fresh off her top ten finale on The Voice to kick off the evening for Neal McCoy and Sawyer Brown.

“Neal McCoy has been a fair favorite for years”, says Manager Ron Jeffries. “His spirit and energy on stage is infectious! This combo will indeed make Saturday night one for the books!”