WAR
Friday, Sept. 5
8 p.m.

It’s all out WAR at the L.A. County Fair! They are back with an exciting opening to the 2008 L.A. County Fair. WAR is an American original, a permanent part of America’s pop cultural landscape. With 80 million records to their credit, 17 gold, platinum and multi platinum album awards and 12 Top 40 hits, WAR’s rock-funk-Latin-jazz and R&B will bring down the house. Get ready for hits “Why Can’t We Be Friends,” “All Day Music,” “Slippin’ into Darkness,” and “Low Rider.” Don’t miss the first and most successful musical crossover phenomenon that forever fused these musical genres, while transcending racial and cultural barriers with a multi-ethnic line-up, a musical melting pot and an enduring influence that has permeated our everyday lives.

Sugarland
Saturday, Sept. 6
8 p.m.

SOLD OUT
Country music’s newest hot duo and Academy of Country Music Award winners for best new duo/group, single and video of the year “Stay,” Sugarland makes their debut at the L.A. County Fair opening weekend. The chart-topping singer/songwriter team of Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush will have the crowd yelling for more with hits like “Baby Girl,” “Something More,” “Just Might (Make Me Believe)” and “Down in Mississippi (Up To No Good).” In the two years since the Top Five single “Baby Girl” put Sugarland on the map, they’ve sold nearly three million copies of their debut album Twice the Speed of Life, received an American Music Award for Favorite Breakthrough Artist, a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, six CMA nominations and coast to coast tours and appearances on national TV. The dynamic duo expects their sophomore album to be released in the fall.

The Doobie Brothers with special guest
Grand Funk Railroad

Sunday, Sept. 7
8 p.m.

The Doobie Brothers
A music group known for blues based songs with a rock edge, often with lush vocal harmonies. An assemblage of musicians specializing in country based rock featuring instrumentation such as violin and finger-picked acoustic guitar combined with electrical instruments and drums. A musical entity recognized for incorporating sophisticated jazz stylings into “popular hit” songs. A “rock” band, origins circa 1970, with a reputation for exciting live performances and skillful musicianship. All of these have been used to describe the Doobie Brothers, one of rock & roll’s most recognizable and successful bands of all time. Having sold more than 50 million records worldwide, including hits “China Grove,” “Long Train Running” and “Black Water,” the Doobies defy categorization.. “Listen to the Music” and so much more.

Grand Funk Railroad
One of the ‘70s most successful hard rock bands, playing with a loud simple take on the blues-rock-power trio sound and strong working class appeal. They scored a big hit No. 1 single with “We’re an American Band,” and they’ll raise the roof of the Fair with more Top 40 hits like “Rock & Roll Soul,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Some Kind of Wonderful,”” Loco Motion” and “Shinin’ On.” Get ready to party down.

Monster Truck Madness
Thursday, Sept. 11
8 p.m.
Presented by AT&T

Bring ‘em on. They’re big, they’re loud and they’re really popular. Join in the fun when the monster trucks return to the Fairplex Park Grandstand as part of the Adrenaline Nights series of high action entertainment. Scheduled to perform some serious dirt remodeling, spinning and jumping are the big boys, Bounty Hunter, Natural High, Iron Outlaw, Jurassic Attack, Maniac, Nasty Boy and Unnamed Untamed joined by a legion of alternates called Rock Star, Deal Breaker and Playing for Keeps. Get ready for a great dirty time.

Smokey Robinson
Friday, Sept. 12
8 p.m.

Described by Bob Dylan as “America’s greatest living poet,” Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Smokey Robinson returns to the L.A. County Fair with his smooth vocals and songbook of Motown sounds. Robinson personifies the Detroit sound that spawned the likes of himself and the world famous Miracles. Beginning his professional career with the Miracles in 1960, Robinson continued to croon out the hits like “Shop Around,” “Second That Emotion” and “Tears of a Clown,” eventually going solo in 1972 with a more mellow sound and released albums A Quiet Storm and Touch the Sky. He won his first Grammy Award as a solo artist in 1987 for Best R&B Vocal Performances, Male for the song “Just to See Her” from the album One Heartbeat. He was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that year. Robinson redirected his work again in 2004, releasing a collection of music that reflected his spiritual beliefs entitled Food for the Spirit. In 2006, Robinson was selected to be a Kennedy Center Honoree for his contributions to the arts and American culture. He also released a new album Timeless Love with some classics like “Night and Day” and “Our Love is Here to Stay.” Robinson is a singer, songwriter and record producer and also the author of “Smokey, Inside My Life.”

KC & The Sunshine Band
with Village People

Saturday, Sept. 13
8 p.m.

“Get Down Tonight” isn’t just a song – it’s the groove for the entire evening when KC & The Sunshine Band hit the Fairplex Park Grandstand. The preeminent disco band, KC is celebrating his 35th anniversary of glistening disco balls, sequined polyester suits, thumping bass lines and everything that was good and fun in the 1970s. The band will be singing the classics “Get Down Tonight,” “That’s the Way” and “Shake Your Booty.” The crowd-pleasing KC &The Sunshine Band will leave you smiling.

Village People
Go almost anywhere in the world and as soon as the familiar chorus of Village People’s “YMCA” begins, arms go up in the air to form the letters. One of the most recognizable singing groups in pop culture with its native American, construction worker, soldier, cop, cowboy and biker, the Village People have sold more than 65 million recordings and they’re entering their third decade of entertaining audiences worldwide. They’ve been described as enthusiastic, exuberant, wildly entertaining and fabulous.

Jaguares
Sunday, Sept. 14
8 p.m.

Since its formation in 1995, the band has become one of Mexico’s most loved rock bands. Jaguares’ first album El Equilibrio de los Jaguares released in 1996 established a solid fan base. Band members put together their second release in 1999, a double album titled Bajo el Azul de Tu Misterio and it contributed to their filling stadium-sized venues in both Mexico and the U.S. With their latest album De Caifanes a Jaguares and hits “To Me Liberas,” “Cómo Tú,” “La Celula Que Explota,” Atuera,” “El Milagro” and “Visable,” this hot Latin group will rock the house. A new studio album 45 will be released Sept. 2.

American Daredevils-Random Acts of Recklessness
Thursday, Sept. 18
8 p.m.

Reckless? How ‘bout the craziest zaniest most insane show this side of the Mississippi. It’s part of our Adrenaline Nights series and it’s sweet. You think you’ve seen a falling star? Well this one spotlights the performer who just happens to be on fire — and falling from more than 100-feet. That should light your fire. And more — a 200-foot motorcycle jump, the longest jump ever attempted at the L.A. County Fair; an 80-foot fire bomb car crash; a car roll-over; a cork-screw car crash and a steel wall car crash. It’s like no stunt show you’ve ever seen. And just for good measure, a couple of transformers “Galactron” and “Reptair” are set to battle over the universe with rockets and fire. Sound reckless enough for you? Have a howling good time.

The Bangles
Berlin featuring Terri Nunn
The Motels featuring Martha Davis

Friday, Sept. 19
8 p.m.

With hits “Manic Monday,” “Hazy Shade of Winter” and the iconic “Walk Like an Egyptian,” rock historians view The Bangles as one of the greatest all-female bands ever, lauding the L.A.-based quartet for its inventive incorporation of '60s folk rock, sunny SoCal harmonies and Beatles/Byrds/Beach Boys/Big Star godhead into a sound all its own - beguiling, frequently bittersweet, but always life-affirming; a canny merger of art and commerce. The band rocks the L.A. County Fair for the first time.

Martha Davis’ stage performance, songwriting and soulful pop vocal style led The Motels to the forefront of the pop scene of the 1980s and is now launching the band into a fresh return of The Motels. Hits include “Only the Lonely,” “Suddenly Last Summer,” “Mission of Mercy,” “Take the L,” “Remember the Nights” and “Shame.” Capitol records has just reissued an expanded and remastered edition of the legendary All Four One album, which contains previously unreleased bonus tracks.

The 1980s would not have been the ‘80s without Berlin and lead singer Terri Nunn. With hits like “The Metro,” “Masquerade,” “Sex (I’m A…)” and the love ballad from the movie Top Gun and international hit, “Take My Breath Away,” Berlin proved to be the barometer for the synthpop, New Wave sound. The band disbanded in 1987 but Nunn reformed Berlin in 1999, with a new lineup playing the same great hits. The band released the album 4play in 2005 and continue to tour through the U.S.

Jessica Simpson
Saturday, Sept. 20
8 p.m.

Welcome this talented artist with universal appeal, an international singing and movie star and media darling. Raised in Dallas, Texas, Jessica began her performing career by sharing the stage with famous gospel acts. With her unmistakable voice and unique pop sound, Jessica caught the eye of Columbia Records. She joined a tour in support of the boy-band 98 Degrees and quickly burst onto the music scene in 1999 with her debut release “Sweet Kisses.” Her RIAA-certified double platinum debut featured Jessica’s massive breakthrough hit, “I Wanna Love You Forever,” which hit No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. With the quadruple-platinum album, In This Skin, Jessica’s debut as a songwriter and the album’s single “Sweetest Sin,” soaring to the Top 40, her career was launched. Her eighth album, Jessica returned to her country roots, producers and country artists in Nashville. Release date is Fall 2008. When not singing, Jessica lit up televisions in the popular reality show “Newlyweds” featuring her and now ex-husband Nick Lachey on MTV and the big screen with such movies as “The Dukes of Hazzard.”

MARIACHI USA®FIESTA
Sunday, Sept. 21
8 p.m.

Presented by Univision and San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino

This 90-minute version of the ever-popular MARIACHI USA Festival, an 18-year tradition at the Hollywood Bowl, is an unforgettable uplifting Mariachi experience that keeps the audience dancing, laughing and singing. The multi-sensory show will feature an elite group of musicians topped off by an effervescent display of fireworks synchronized to the live performance. Don’t miss this opportunity to see, hear and feel the heart of this diverse, influential musical genre.

Guilherme Marchi Classic Professional Bull Riders
Thursday, Sept. 25
8 p.m.

Presented by Jeffrey Scott®Fine Magnetics

Known as the toughest sport on dirt, this is where man meets beast. The rules are simple. Place a wiry 150-pound cowboy on the back of a hulking, snorting temperamental 2,000-pound bull and see if he can ride the brute for an eternal eight seconds...with one hand strapped to the bull's massive backside. Professional Bull Riding is a fierce, rough, and grueling sport with roots deep in American culture. It’s America’s original extreme sport. The PBR has turned it into a captivating, dangerous, on-the-edge-of-your-seat sporting event, with the best riders and bulls in the world. Here at the L.A. County Fair, the Guilherme Marchi Classic, presented by Jeffrey Scott® Magnetics, rolls in on the Professional Bull Riders’ Enterprise Tour. The PBR Enterprise Tour is an exciting eries catering to both current and future stars. All prize money won on this tour will count toward qualification for the Challenger Tour World Finals.

Charlie Wilson & the Gap Band
with special guests Rose Royce and Lakeside
Friday, Sept. 26
8 p.m.

You want some fine rhythm and blues you came to the right place at the right time. Charlie Wilson is an R&B soul singer and the lead vocalist for the Gap Band . The group’s 1980 releases “Shake” and “I Don’t Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance” reached the U.S. R&B Top 10. Then came “Burn Rubber on Me” and “Yearning for Your Love” from the album Gap Band III, certified platinum, selling more than a million copies. Get ready for sweet and smooth as the group lights up the night with hits “Early in the Morning,” “Outstanding,” “You Dropped a Bomb on Me,” “Party Train,” “Big Fun” and more.

Rose Royce
Rose Royce has recorded several legendary hits in a 29-year career including “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore,” “Do Your Dance,” “Car Wash,” “Wishing on a Star,” and “I’m Going Down.” They have a new album entitled Rose Royce Live in Hollywood.

Lakeside
Their goal is to continue providing the funk to all generations, something this group of gifted musicians been doing for 27 years. Put your hands together and sway to the sounds of “Fantastic Voyage,” “Something About That Woman,” “All the Way Live,” “Raid” and “Outrageous.”

LG World Championships of Freestyle Motocross

with live performance by Filter
Saturday, Sept. 27
7:00 p.m.

Presented by ASA Entertainment

LG World Championships of Freestyle Motocross

One hundred feet into the air, on a motorcycle? No way. Way! The high-flyin’, far-flung adventure of Freestyle Motorcross comes the L.A. County Fair, featuring the world’s top pro-riders battling it out in head-to-head competition for the undisputed 2008 World Championship of Freestyle Motocross title. With more than $100,000 in prize money at stake, all eyes will be on Nate Adams who will try to recapture the title he held from 2003-2006 which was taken from him last year by California's own Jeremy "Twitch" Stenberg. The sport of FMX is one of the world’s fastest growing and most competitive visually spectacular sports on the planet and draws fans by the droves with its unique combination of two international obsessions: motor sports and huge acrobatic stunts. Also, look for superstars Mike Mason, Jeremy Lusk, and Mat Rebeaud  to compete in this exciting FMX event.

Filter

Click here to view press release

Filter’s multi-platinum debut, Short Bus, launched Richard Patrick’s post-Nine Inch Nails career. That first album produced the Top 10 alternative mainstay, “Hey Man, Nice Shot,” and the album that followed, Title of Record, featured  “Take a Picture,” the band’s crossover pop hit that landed at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

At this time, Patrick began writing for films, with his songs appearing on soundtracks like The Crow, Spawn, The X-Files, The Cable Guy, The Girl Next Door and Little Nicky. TheAmalgamut, his final album for Warner Bros., was released in 2002, featured the song, “The Only Way is the Wrong Way,” which served as the music for a national Hummer 2 automobile TV campaign.

With the May 2008 release of Filter’s fourth record - Anthems for the Damned, Patrick, together with a new lineup that includes John Spiker (also of Tenacious D), Mitchell Marlow (ex-He is Legend) and Mika Fineo (ex-Red Skeleton) returns to his indie roots, a move that has creatively revitalized him and Filter as a whole. 

Lifehouse
Gavin Rossdale
Sunday, Sept. 28
8 p.m.

Lifehouse
With Who We Are, their fourth Geffen album in seven years, Lifehouse is really starting to enjoy the fruits of its success and have some fun. With this album the group gets back to basics of why singer-songwriter Jason Wade, along with drummer Rick Woolstenhulme and bassist Bryce Soderberg, formed the band while still a teenager in suburban California. Jason says they love making music and feel lucky to be able to continue to do it. The rocking twang of the lead single, “First Time,” is already climbing the Hot A/C and Top 40 charts. Fans will respond to mega hits “Hanging by a Moment” and “You and Me.” Other songs from the group include “The Joke,” “Broken,” “Make Me Over””Learn You Inside Out” and “Disarray.” Lifehouse re-recorded “Storm,” when Wade realized how much it meant to people. The song, part of the band’s first indie record, is now licensed by the television show So You Think You Can Dance. This is a rock band with a gift for melodies and lyrics that touch people.

Gavin Rossdale
Former frontman for post-grunge mega band Bush, Gavin Rossdale has taken the solo road with his album Wanderlust. And if the success of the first single, “Love Remains the Same,” is any indication, Rossdale is headed for success once again. Described as a wide range of modern rock to ethereal and romantic, Wanderlust has been called Rossdale’s most mature, sensual, honest and compelling album. With wife Gwen Stefani, Rossdale has reached the upper echelon of rock celebrity. Expect a rockin’ show at the L.A. County Fair.