May 9:
WAR
It
wouldn’t seem right to kick off the fair proceedings without this influential Long
Beach soul/funk/rock institution and unofficial fair “house band.” Singer and
keyboardist Lonnie Jordan, a founding member, continues to lead the charge. Fans
should expect to hear most of WAR’s biggest early-to-mid-1970s hits, including
“Why Can’t We Be Friends,” “Low Rider,” “Spill the Wine,” “The World is a
Ghetto,” and “The Cisco Kid.”
May 10:
Banda El Recodo, Banda Los Recoditos
Together since
1938 and founded in Sinaloa, Mexico, Banda el Recodo is a nine-time Latin
Grammy winner, known for its eclectic Latin dance, swing, classical and jazz-inflected
sounds. The longest-serving member is music director/clarinetist Luis Alfonso
Lizarraga, who joined in 1990 – a year after a vocalist was first added. The
group has performed at the White House, recorded with Juan Gabriel and seen
their music featured in the films “Babel” and “Rocky Balboa.”
May 16:
Brad Paisley, Avery Anna
Country
superstar Brad Paisley (pictured above) emerged on the Nashville scene in the late ‘90s. Since
then, the West Virginia native has amassed five platinum albums and more than a
dozen chart-topping singles including “Mud on the Tires,” “Ticks,” “Old
Alabama,” “Water,” “Then” and “We Danced.” Among the genre’s finest electric
guitar players, Paisley performed at the recent “Concert for Altadena” benefit
and is serving as a guest mentor on this season’s “American Idol.” He also helps
run The Store, a Nashville non-profit pantry kitchen, with actress/wife
Kimberly.
May 17:
The Driver Era, Almost Monday
The Driver
Era’s Ross and Rocky Lynch were previously in boy band R5 alongside two other Lynch
brothers (Ross is also an actor, with Disney Channel series and film credits during
the 2010s). “A Kiss,” “Malibu,” “Afterglow” and “Low” are among the pop/rock
duo’s most streamed Spotify songs. They sold out the Greek Theatre in 2023 and
have put out four studio albums.
May 23:
Common Kings, Sammy Johnson
Last year,
Common Kings opened for Shaggy; now the reggae/rock band is back to headline.
The musicians, all with Polynesian roots, came together while studying at
Orange Coast College. Having released two albums since 2017, the four-piece can
claim Meghan Trainor and Matisyahu as collaborators.
May 24:
Zapp, Evelyn “Champagne” King
Another returning
group is electro-funk group Zapp, which came to prominence during the early
‘80s. Late frontman Roger Troutman’s talk box-enhanced vocals helped propel its
Booty Collins-produced debut album and signature song “More Bounce to the
Ounce” toward the top of the R&B charts. Other hits included “Dance Floor,”
“I Can Make You Dance,” and “Computer Love.” Other Troutman family members now carry
on the Zapp tradition.
May 30:
Jeff Dunham
One of
America’s best-known ventriloquists for decades, Dunham is widely recognized
for characters such as Peanut, Walter, Bubba J, Seamus, and others. The standup
comedian and actor has a new Discovery Channel series in a completely different
realm, “The Cars That Drove Us.”
May 31:
Ramon Ayala
The Grammy-winning
Mexican “accordion king” began his career in the 1960s and pioneered modern
conjunto music. Ayala, still on a farewell tour, is known for hits with Los
Bravos del Norte like “Mi Piquito del Oro,” “La Rama de Mezquite,” and “Chaparra
de Mi Amor.”
Tickets include same-day fair admission.
A version of this article originally appeared in a special section in SoCal News Group (SCNG) newspapers on April 26.
Brad Paisley photo courtesy of LACF/Schmidt PR
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