Little Big Town to Headline Opening Night of the 90th Annual State Fair of West Virginia

LEWISBURG, WV (03/06/2014)(readMedia)-- State Fair officials have announced a portion of the 2014 State Fair grandstand talent lineup with Little Big Town set to kick off the 90th Annual State Fair on Friday, August 8, 2014.

Concerts announced today will go on sale March 28th, 2014 at 10:00 a.m.:

Friday, August 8th, 8 pm Little Big Town - It takes a perfect storm to make a great album – an audacious mix of tension and release, passion and calm, love and violence. Hallmarks associated with all true forces of nature, these mighty attributes were exactly what Little Big Town had in their corner as they blew into the studio in late February for the whirlwind recording session that produced their strongest work yet, their aptly titled fifth album, Tornado. LBT didn't set out to break any land speed records in the studio. However, considering that the majority of Tornado took just seven days to record, that's exactly what the recording process felt like to Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet and Jimi Westbrook, a group famous for their trademark four-part harmonies. The elements that would produce Tornado started brewing earlier this year. After doing a bit of soul-searching, the band realized they were ready for a change. Despite a solid 13-year career during which they've sold 1.5 million records, racked up multiple Grammy, CMA and ACM nominations, and crafted Top 10 country hits ("Boondocks" and "Bring It On Home" from their platinum 2005 album The Road to Here, and "Little White Church" from their acclaimed 2010 release, The Reason Why), LBT was feeling a little too secure in their time-tested way of doing things in the studio. The entire band shares co-writing credits with Lori McKenna on the yearning ballad "Your Side of the Bed," an evocative For a band of Little Big Town's stature, experience and esteem, this level of transparency and the decision to take the road less traveled into the studio are bold moves - ones they're proud to have taken. "I read a quote recently that said you should do something everyday that scares you – it's good for you," Phillip says. "Well, at the beginning we were scared and nervous. But we would have never dreamed that it would come together so beautifully." Indeed, both gorgeous and fearsome, Tornado is nothing short of a force of nature.

Saturday, August 9th, 8 pm Chris Tomlin - Under a vast, October sky, standing on stage before tens of thousands deep in the heart of Africa, Chris Tomlin felt right at home. Even all those miles removed from the familiar, Tomlin detected

the steady, burning light that's universal and uniting. He's aware that no matter where in the world, we all seek connection, to know that we're part of a grander narrative, a special story in the exquisite design of creation. For that reason Tomlin has dedicated his life career to a singular pursuit: to bring people closer to God. Building a career is just fine, he says, but nothing compares to building bridges through music that lead to hope, healing and higher ground. "I have to put out songs that bridge the gap," Tomlin says, putting the emphasis on "have to" as though his musical life depended on it. "I want to write songs that people sing to God. There's nothing wrong with a three-minute pop song, but I want these songs to be special to the church. There's more of a laser focus on that than ever." Yet Tomlin also embodies something rare in popular music. On his latest disc, Burning Lights, he not only hits the mark for deep substance, but also delivers lean, muscular songs that exert a magnetic pop pull. True to its title, Burning Lights shines like a sonic supernova, yet never loses its human scope and beating heart in the process. That's because Tomlin-after ten No. 1 radio singles, a GRAMMY® Award and eight additional nominations, 21 Dove Awards, one platinum album and four gold discs-touches the hearts of listeners like no other. On the one hand, he's achieved global scope that moved TIME magazine to proclaim him "likely the most often sung artist anywhere." It's estimated that more than 40 million men, women and children sing Chris Tomlin songs each week.

Thursday, August 14th, 8 pm - With ten multi-platinum albums and sixteen Top 30 hits, Foreigner is universally hailed as one of the most popular rock acts in the world with a formidable musical arsenal that continues to propel sold-out tours and album sales, now exceeding 75 million. Responsible for some of rock and roll's most enduring anthems including "Juke Box Hero," "Feels Like The First Time," "Urgent," "Head Games," "Say You Will," "Dirty White Boy," "Long, Long Way From Home," and the worldwide #1 hit, "I Want to Know What Love Is," Foreigner continues to rock the charts more than thirty years into the game. Juke Box Heroes, a new compilation of digitally recorded Foreigner hits, spent over twenty weeks in the Billboard Top 200 in 2013. The 2008 No End in Sight album re-entered the Billboard Top 200, joining Juke Box Heroes in July 2013. Additionally, Juke Box Heroes spent most of 2013 in the Nielsan SoundScan Top 200 Catalog chart. It rose to #4 in that chart in September, an astonishing feat that allowed Foreigner's catalog sales that week to eclipse those of AC/DC, Aerosmith, The hRolling Stones, Queen, Van Halen and most of their Classic Rock peers (Source: Nielsen SoundScan Top 200, September 2013). This first part of 2014 will see Foreigner touring throughout the USA & Canada befroe departing for a spirng international tour, during which Foreigner will play in Israel, Belgium, France, England, Scotland, Ireland and the Bahamas!

Saturday, August 16th - Buckin' B' Bull Ride and The Swon Brothers - Buckin' B Cattle Company brings it's hard-driving, exciting Bull Riding event back to the fair and riders will once again compete for points in their quest to win the SEBRA (Southern Extreme Bull Riding Association) National Finals. Buckin' B Cattle Company, was formed by Waynseburg, PA l native and award-winning bull rider Matt DeJohn, has won the SEBRA Producer of the Year award for years 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011. The Swon Brothers are an American country music duo from Muskogee, Oklahoma, consisting of Zach Swon and Colton Swon. In 2013, they finished in third place on the fourth season of NBC's The Voice. Before coming to "The Voice," Zach and Colton have spent the prior few years performing around their home state and releasing their CDs on their own label which have been well-received among their ever-growing fan base. Songs like the irresistibly catchy "Oklahoma Lovin'" and the bluesy, soulful, "This Close To Gone," not only show off their diverse vocal strengths, but also their ability to pen gripping lyrics that resonate with audiences from young to old. Their strong brotherly bond is undeniable in their performances as they good-naturedly rib and tease each other onstage and trade off on tunes."

State Fair CEO Marlene Jolliffe stated, "We have additional announcements coming and are looking forward to our 90th Celebration. We hope to start a new harness racing tradition this year when we feature two evenings of "Twighlight Racing" from 5:30-7:30 followed by Free Concerts on Monday, August 11th (The Tams) and Wednesday, August 13th "Homegrown Night with Colton Pack and Wyatt Turner". Evening races open Harness Racing to new audiences who work and don't have the opportunity to attend during the day."

Ticket prices and details on how to order can be found at www.statefairofwv.com. Tickets will be available via Etix at www.statefairofwv.com or by calling 1-800-514-ETIX (3849) Monday through Friday 9 am - 6 pm or Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The 2014 State Fair themed "Blue Ribbon Traditions", is scheduled August 8-16, 2014. The State Fair of West Virginia, with a $13.8 million dollar economic impact on the state of West Virginia, is a 501 © 3 non-profit corporation committed to the traditions of agriculture, family entertainment, and education. For more information, please visit www.statefairofwv.com, or follow fair events on Facebook and Twitter.