Do You Want The FULL Schedule Of Music At The Mississippi Valley Fair? Here It is!

LOCASH

Wednesday, August 4th.

Creating a sound that fuses modern Country and classic heartland rock with an edgy vocal blend, Wheelhouse Records’ LOCASH is the Country music duo made up of singer-songwriters Chris Lucas and Preston Brust; natives of Baltimore, Maryland, and Kokomo, Indiana, respectively.

With two albums and eight charting singles to their credit, LOCASH broke out in 2015 with their gracious GOLD-certified hit, “I Love This Life,” followed by the flirtatious GOLD-certified #1 smash, “I Know Somebody” – their first trip to the top of the Country radio airplay charts – and 2017’s fun-loving romantic anthem “Ring on Every Finger.” All three singles were part of their album, THE FIGHTERS, which was released in the summer of 2016 to Top 15 success. In 2017, they earned their first round of awards show recognition, nominated at the ACM Awards for New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year, the CMT Music Awards for Duo Video of the Year (“I Know Somebody”), and the CMA Awards for Vocal Duo of the Year. The 2019 ACM Duo of the Year nominee released their latest album (and first with their new label BBR Music Group/BMG), Brothers on March 29, 2019 with their lead single, “Feels Like A Party” reaching Top 25. Their current single, “One Big Country Song,” is currently climbing the charts.

Shinedown

Thursday, August 5th.

Multi-platinum, record-breaking band Shinedown – Brent Smith [vocals], Zach Myers [guitar], Eric Bass [bass, production], and Barry Kerch [drums] – has sold more than 10 million albums and 10 million singles worldwide, earned 13 platinum and gold singles, 5 platinum and gold albums, 15 #1 Active Rock hits, and amassed more than 1.5 billion total streams.

Each of Shinedown’s 25 charting singles on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs Chart has reached the Top 5 – an unparalleled achievement – and they hold the record for most Rock Airplay Top 10s ever. Recent hits “GET UP,” “MONSTERS” and “DEVIL” bring their total to 14 #1s on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs Chart, the second most in chart history, and the title track and current radio single “ATTENTION ATTENTION” is quickly climbing at rock radio. The story that unfolds on their latest album ATTENTION ATTENTION (Atlantic Records) reveals a personal, poignant, and powerful body of work and is an enduring statement about the resolve of the human spirit – touching on themes such as mental health, overcoming struggles,  not being afraid to fail and the importance of our human connection with one another. Speaking to the human spirit in a time of need and inspired by Shinedown bassist Eric Bass’ struggle with clinical depression, “GET UP” quickly became a crossover hit and a beacon of light for listeners around the globe, with its urgent and universal message of hope, empathy and encouragement. ATTENTION ATTENTION has received major media acclaim from the likes of Live with Kelly & Ryan, Huffington Post, Forbes, Salon, Billboard, Consequence of Sound, Buzzfeed, Grammy.com, Parade, Popdust and more, and landed them a slot in 92Y’s prestigious talk series, 92Y Talks, in NYC. Shinedown’s distinct mix of explosive rock ‘n’ roll spirit, thought-provoking lyrics, melodic sensibility and cinematic flourishes colors ATTENTION ATTENTION, which has racked up more than 286 million global streams, simultaneously hit #1 on Billboard’s Alternative, Top Rock and Hard Rock Albums Charts, debuted Top 5 on the Billboard 200, and led to two iHeart Radio Music Award nominations for Rock Artist of the Year and Rock Song of the Year.  Hailed for their high-octane live shows, Shinedown continues to engender diehard love from millions of global fans and has racked up countless sold-out tours and festival headlining sets as well as numerous national television appearances. The band is playing to sold-out arenas in the U.S. and overseas on their ATTENTION ATTENTION World Tour, backed by their biggest, most eye-popping production yet and propelled by the undeniable power of front man Brent Smith’s voice.

Old Dominion

Friday, August 6th.

Back when Matthew Ramsey was a teenager, and falling increasingly ever more in love with music, nothing was so exciting to the blossoming singer-songwriter as hanging in a garage with his buddies and jamming out until a fully fleshed song revealed itself.

“That was just such an amazing feeling,” the Old Dominion frontman recalls with childlike wonderment. So infectious was that feeling and practice to Ramsey that he’s carried it with him to the present day: “It’s so incredible be able to sit in your room with your instruments and your bandmates and feel that chemistry and follow it wherever it goes,” the singer says of the tight-knit way he and his globe-dominating band —which includes singer-guitarist-songwriter Matthew Ramsey, guitarist-songwriter Brad Tursi, bassist Geoff Sprung, keyboard-guitarist Trevor Rosen and drummer Whit Sellers —have forever believed that at the heart of their massive success lies their collaborative spirit and, to that end, have crafted each of their acclaimed albums and chart-dominating singles as a truly cohesive unit.

It’s certainly proved a winning method: since breaking onto the country music scene in 2014, Old Dominion —recently recognized as the “Group of the Year” at the 2019 ACM Awards —have notched seven Number Ones at country radio, surpassed one billion on-demand streams, singles “No Such Thing As A Broken Heart” and “Written in the Sand” earning platinum certifications and “Hotel Key” earning a gold, from their gold certified sophomore album Happy Endings,. and headlining arenas and amphitheaters across the globe on their super-successful “Happy Endings” and current “Make It Sweet” tours.

Pitbull

Saturday, August 7th.

As much as the music of Pitbull defines a generation and soundtracks a global movement, the words and actions of the man born Armando Christian Pérez exemplify a commitment to inspiring both personal and universal revolution.

As much as he elevated himself out of the streets and on to the international stage, he also heeded the call to grow from an entertainer to an ambassador of change. As much as listeners proudly recite the words to “Time Of Our Lives” or “Give Me Everything,” they also fervently quote his equally unforgettable aphorisms turn a negative into a positive and dale! — his signature phrase that encapsulates Pitbull’s belief that anything is possible.

As a result, he entrenched himself at the forefront of cultural, social, political, and popular conversations, bringing his brand of inspiration, influence and impact worldwide.

Igniting his career in 2001, he utilized the platform around him to effect change from day one. As such, his hometown of Miami bestowed the keys to the city upon him in 2009. In order to uplift communities nationwide, he helped launch Sports Leadership Arts and Management (SLAM!) during 2013 as a tuition-free public charter option for middle and high school students with the first location in Little Havana. It eventually grew to 10 schools across the country, boasting a 100% graduation rate and a 97% rate of graduates who go onto college. The Miami school even hosts a national radio broadcast run 24/7 on SiriusXM. During 2018, he was invited to address the United Nations General Assembly in recognition of World Water Day on behalf of Clean Water Here. The organization recognized him as the 2018 World Water Champion. The 2019 International Achievement Summit honored Armando in the arts alongside music legends Judy Collins, Van Morrison, Smokey Robinson, Steven Tyler, Buddy Guy and Andrew Lloyd Weber, in addition to honoring Nobel Peace Prize and Pulitzer Prize winners for their accomplishments.

Delivering his message of positivity in groundbreaking fashion, he realizes a lifelong dream to inspire others with his story by joining forces with the world’s #1 life and business strategist Tony Robbins for speaking engagement all over the world. Building on this partnership, he and Robbins teamed with Learning Tree founder Bill Zanker to create the fitness chain GRIT BXNG.

At the same time, Pitbull extends his musical legacy in 2019 with a Latin opus entitled, LIBERTAD 548. Thematically, it reflects his penchant for breaking down barriers of all kinds, culture and genre, alike. The title references the courageous rescue of 548 Cubans who Pitbull’s father, Armando Sr., helped reach libertad (freedom) as part of the 1980 Mariel Boatlift. The album includes the red-hot Latin-powered hit “No Lo Trates” with Daddy Yankee & Natti Natasha and “3 To Tango.” He continues to push himself as an artist, coming together with none other than Blake Shelton on the country swing of “Get Ready,” among a blockbuster tracklisting.

The full-length album will be released independently under his own Mr. 305 Records, LIBERTAD 548 represents the next chapter for one of the most prolific runs in the history of the music business. Over the course of ten full-length albums, Pitbull’s single sales have exceeded 80 million and YouTube views burgeoned past 15 billion by 2019. In addition to hundreds of gold and platinum certifications internationally, he has performed to concert audiences worldwide. Recognized for his talents, he has garnered GRAMMY® and Latin GRAMMY® awards. Moreover, superstars of all stripes and styles have sought him out for collaborations, including Jennifer Lopez, Chris Brown, Shakira, Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin, and Kesha, to name a few. A consistent headliner, he has not only performed for millions of fans worldwide, but he also took the stage at Planet Hollywood in 2015 for his Time Of Our Lives Las Vegas Residency, which ultimately resulted in multiple return engagements every year until its climactic close in 2019. In addition to the United States, his sold-out world concert tours have taken him to North and South America, Europe and the Far East. He has also completed headlining tours in China and Japan. Along the way in his journey, he has co-headlined with Enrique Iglesias, toured with Britney Spears in the U.K. and Europe, and spoken to thousands as part of Tony Robbins’ motivational seminars.

Craig Morgan

Sunday, August 8th.

Craig Morgan has many homes. As a man of faith, he has refuge in his Church. As a father and husband, he’s at home with his family outside Nashville. And as an Army veteran, he has a respected role within the United States military.

On his latest album, God, Family, Country, Craig pays tribute to all three of those pillars while returning to the record label with whom he scored his first Top 10 single. That song’s title? “Almost Home.”

After 20 years as a chart-topping country music singer, songwriter and live performer, Craig returns to Broken Bow Records to release his first new music in nearly four years. But God, Family, Country, his ninth studio album, is a little different. It combines five new songs with some of the most powerful tracks he recorded for Broken Bow from 2002 to 2008, including “That’s What I Love About Sunday,” “Almost Home,” and “God, Family, Country.” It’s past hits mixed with future signatures. And it’s all Craig Morgan.

But Craig today is much different than the guy who released country-radio classics like the four-week Number One “That’s What I Love About Sunday,” the smash party anthem “Redneck Yacht Club,” and their fellow fan favorites “International Harvester” and “Little Bit of Life.” He still has an unquenchable spirit and joy for life, but he and his family have also known great loss: the death of their son Jerry in 2016. Instead of snuffing out Craig’s artistry, however, the unimaginable tragedy led to him writing his most stunning song to date, “The Father, My Son and the Holy Ghost.” The achingly personal ballad topped the iTunes all-genre sales chart in September and is the centerpiece of both God, Family, Country and of Craig’s story itself.

“We’ve never had a song like this. If you put ‘Almost Home,’ ‘What I Love About Sunday’ and ‘Tough’ all together, they didn’t have the emotional impact that this song is having,” Craig says. “It’s a very tough song to sing, and sometimes I can’t even look at people when I perform it, but it’s amazing to know what God has done, and how He has used something so traumatic in my life for good.”

Along with “The Father, My Son and the Holy Ghost” — which he wrote and produced himself — God, Family, Country features two other tracks written by Craig.

“Going Out Like This” is a high-energy love song that found Craig collaborating with his bandleader Mike Rogers, guitarist Korey Hunt and his stage manager Sam Banks, a budding songwriter. Mike, Korey and Sam were already writing the track when they asked Craig for his help; by that night’s show, they were playing it live. “A lot of relationship songs are either bubbly and funny, or they’re negative. This one talks about how love can be tough, but you just don’t give up,” says Craig, who has been married to wife Karen for 31 years. “It was just songwriters sitting down and coming up with a great idea.”

For “Sippin’ on the Simple Life,” he teamed with a pair of active duty Army Airborne Rangers for an impromptu writing session. “These two guys came up to me after a show in Washington, D.C., and said, ‘We want to write a song with you tonight.’ I joked with them and told them it doesn’t work that way!” Craig recalls. But after realizing they weren’t kidding, he and Mike sat down with the servicemen, ordered drinks, and brought their idea to fruition — just before they deployed to Afghanistan. “I thought, ‘This is a tailgate drinking song,’ and I fell in love with it. I called them and told them I’m putting it on the record. They lost their minds.”

Craig saw a bit of himself in those soldiers — he too began writing songs when he was in the Army and even met Garth Brooks during that time. “Except I never said, ‘Hey, Garth, I have a song!’” he says. “These guys had the guts to do what I didn’t.”

Be it the seeds of an idea or fully realized composition, Craig has always recognized a good song when he hears one. On God, Family, Country, he offers his version of Gavin DeGraw’s “Soldier.” “I heard Gavin sing that and thought, ‘Dang, that is my song,’” Craig says. “It truly exemplifies the personality and the character of a soldier and I just had to record it.”/p>

He was just as drawn to “Whiskey,” a song about regret and self-medication that he first heard when the song’s co-writer Anthony Smith posted a demo to Facebook. “Lord I hate the taste of whiskey, but I drink it anyway,” goes the chorus.

“At different points in our life, different songs have different meanings,” Craig says. “Shortly after Jerry died, I was at a crossroads. I’ve had friends who drank through heartaches and there were times when I thought, ‘If I could just get drunk, I’ll be OK at least until tomorrow.’ I didn’t take that road, but I feel like this song will speak to the people who have.”

It’s also 100 percent country, and calls to mind the best of Craig’s radio hits. He’s grateful for the support that the format has shown him and is excited for his friends at country radio to hear the new music. A member of the Grand Ole Opry, he’s gearing up for an extensive headlining tour and will also offer fans a glimpse into his private life with the new TV series Craig’s World, airing on the Circle Network.

But it’s all united by God, Family, Country.

“This album is based on everything that’s happened in my life and my career,” Craig says. “I feel like I have some of the most quality songs I’ve ever recorded, and there is a new energy here. After all I’ve been through, I’m at one of the most inspired places I’ve ever been.”