Minnesota State Fair free stages will present Semisonic, the War & Treaty and Marky Ramone in 2024

More than 60 musical acts include many from the Gopher State as well as Texas, Louisiana and elsewhere.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
May 14, 2024 at 12:30PM
Dan Wilson and Semisonic, with auxiliary member Ken Chastain, debuted new songs at Milwaukee's Summerfest last weekend.
Dan Wilson and Semisonic will handle "Closing Time" at the Minnesota State Fair's free stages. (Chris Riemenschneider — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Minnesota State Fair’s popular Bandshell Tonight will feature all-time Gopher State favorites Semisonic and award-winning gospel-inclined Americana duo the War and Treaty as well as a country veteran, a country-soul warbler, a classic punk rocker and Nashville indie rockers.

The fair announced on Tuesday its 2024 lineup of more than 60 musical acts for its free stages.

The Bandshell tonight lineup is Phil Vassar, the high energy ‘00s country singer known for “Just Another Day in Paradise” (Aug. 22-23); singer/songwriter Maggie Rose, who walks the line between country and soul (Aug. 24-25); the spirited husband-and-wife duo the War and Treaty, who have made waves in Americana and country (Aug. 26-27); Marky Ramone, a replacement drummer in U.S. punk pioneers the Ramones (Aug. 28-29); Nashville indie-rockers Moon Taxi, known for the 2017 hit “Two High” (Aug. 30-31) and Twin Cities-launched pop/rock trio Semisonic doing their “Closing Time” duty (Sept. 1-2).

As always, the roster of performers on the free stages represents a variety of musical styles and hometowns. There are plenty of Minnesotans, as there should be, as well as musicians from Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee and elsewhere.

Among the daytime performers at the Leinie Lodge Bandshell are Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience, Los Texmaniacs, Church of Cash, Thomasina Petrus & the King’s Quartet and Monroe Crossing.

The West End at Sunset lineup features all Minnesota groups: Tina Schlieske & Friends, Mae Simpson Band, L.A. Buckner & BiG HOMiE, Corey Medina & Brothers, First Avenue Goes to the Fair and the Brothers Allmanac. The daytime roster at the West End includes Jiggs Lee Invasion, the Jorgensens, Faith Boblett and Laamar.

The Bazaar After Dark has a global-flavored list including Tropical Zone Orchestra, International Reggae All Stars and Grupo Esplendor Norteño. Daytime performers there include iLLism, New Primitives, McNasty Brass Band and Maurice Jacox & We Still R.

Performances at these and other stages are free with gate admission. Grandstand concerts featuring Blake Shelton, Chance the Rapper, Mötley Crüe and others require additional tickets.

The Great Minnesota Get-Together will be held Aug. 22-Sept. 2 at the fairgrounds in Falcon Heights.

about the writer

about the writer

Jon Bream

Critic / Reporter

Jon Bream has been a music critic at the Star Tribune since 1975, making him the longest tenured pop critic at a U.S. daily newspaper. He has attended more than 8,000 concerts and written four books (on Prince, Led Zeppelin, Neil Diamond and Bob Dylan). Thus far, he has ignored readers’ suggestions that he take a music-appreciation class.

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