Brian McKnight plays Dorton Arena Thursday, Oct. 18. Tickets are $15.

With a career that spans more than 20 years, Brian McKnight continues to be a powerful voice in the R&B community. Dedicated fans can probably remember playing his self-titled 1992 debut album on their Walkmans, and rewinding “One Last Cry” over and over and over again. For some fans, including yours truly, Brian McKnight will always be 1999′s “Back at One” album. That album was great for slow dancing and the title track, “Back at One,” taught millions of us about a five-step process to win over our loves.

Flash forward to 2012 and Brian McKnight has a new album, a new television show and an appearance at the N.C. State Fair. His latest single, appropriately named “Fall”, is another smooth love song perfect for slow dancing with your special someone. With fall quickly approaching and the State Fair starting in three weeks, I encourage you all to fall for Brian McKnight all over again. I dare you not to sing along to the chorus of “Back at One” after watching this video:

You can see Brian McKnight perform in Dorton Arena on Thursday, Oct. 18. Tickets are $15. Thursday is also Food Lion Hunger Relief Day at the fair. Four cans of Food Lion brand food get you in the gate for free that day, and all donations benefit the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.

So, come out with your canned goods and concert tickets. You’ll get to see an awesome show and help those less fortunate in our community. If you don’t have tickets yet, you can purchase them online at www.ncstatefair.org.

Jake Owen plays Dorton Arena Saturday, Oct. 13.

Country artist Jake Owen will be performing at the N.C. State Fair on Saturday, Oct. 13.  Owen, who entered the country music scene in 2006, quickly made a name for himself with hits such as “Barefoot Blue Jean Night,” “Alone With You” and “Don’t Think I Can’t Love You.”

The Florida native, like so many other singers, moved to Nashville with a guitar and a dream. But unlike many others, he was almost an immediate success. Within months of moving to Nashville, Jake had landed a contract.

He recorded his first album, “Startin’ with Me,” and quickly followed it up with his second album, “Easy Does It.” In 2011, he released his third album, entitled “Barefoot Blue Jean Night.” It included two singles that have made it to No. 1 on the country charts.

One of those songs is the title track, and it is one of my favorites. Perhaps the reason that Owen’s song particularly stuck out to me was that it almost perfectly describes my summers at home.

The song starts out, “A full moon shinin’ bright, edge of the water; we were feelin’ alright…”

One of my favorite summertime activities is going to my best friend’s lake house. We spend the day soaking up the sun, swimming, tubing and just riding around on the boat.

Right around dusk, we pile in the boat and head out on a sunset boat ride. It is truly awe-inspiring. I love watching the vibrant pinks, oranges and purples melt away into inky darkness.  Then, the stars come out and the moon rises, creating the perfect backdrop for our very own “Southern, summer barefoot blue jean night.”

The boys normally try to build the biggest bonfire they possibly can, while the girls sit around the fire and talk. Once the guys are satisfied (or give up) with their fire, we all sit around the fire laughing, telling stories and sharing dreams. Eventually, we all just get quiet. We listen to the water gently lapping against the shore, the bugs singing in the night air and the fire quietly snapping and popping as it dies down. It’s a time to reflect on life, on happiness, on friendship—on the things that truly matter. It’s just like Owen says, “We were comin’ alive, Yeah! Caught up in a Southern summer, barefoot, blue jean night.”

Great tickets are still available for the Oct. 13 show. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at www.ncstatefair.org. All Dorton Arena concerts start at 7:30 p.m.

The Varsity Vocal Showcase is Thursday, Oct. 11. Tickets are $10.

My first exposure to a cappella, like many people my age, was a little singing group named Rockapella on a PBS game show called Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Carmen Sandiego always managed to escape, but the theme song was forever stuck in my head thanks to the amazing vocals of Rockapella.

Flash forward 20 years and shows like The Sing Off and Glee are exposing even more people to the fun and entertainment of a cappella. The first-ever Varsity Vocal Showcase presented by Mattress Firm is our way of highlighting some of the amazing voices here in North Carolina.

The showcase, which will be held Preview Day Thursday, Oct. 11, will feature five a cappella groups representing three local colleges. We’ve got Rhythm & Blue from Duke, Grains of Time and Ladies in Red from N.C. State, and Clef Hangers and Loreleis from UNC.

To get a feel for the different groups, we pulled several videos from YouTube. Check them out:

Rhythm & Blue

Grains of Time

Ladies in Red

UNC Clef Hangers

The UNC Loreleis

Tickets are just $10. Best of all, we are donating all proceeds from ticket sales back to the groups. So, come out to support your favorite local university and have a fun night at the N.C. State Fair. Advance tickets go on sale today at 10 a.m. at www.ncstatefair.org.

Scotty McCreery plays Dorton Arena Oct. 15-16. Tickets are $25.

I’ve never been a fan of “American Idol.” I don’t dislike the show; I’ve just never really had a chance to get hooked. But on May 25, 2011, like many others from this area, I was glued to my TV screen for the “American Idol” Season 10 finale for the tight competition between Lauren Alaina and Garner native Scotty McCreery. Alaina and McCreery are both incredibly talented country singers (one of my favorite genres), but everything in me wanted McCreery to win.

First of all, there’s that deep, resonant, Josh Turner-like voice. Then, there’s the feeling of pride that comes from having someone so talented representing your home state so well on national television. There’s also his charming smile and easy-going personality on stage. I also admired McCreery for sticking to his morals. With all these factors going for him, I couldn’t help but pull for McCreery to win.

So of course, I was thrilled when they finally announced he was the winner.  My mom and I might have even done the happy dance—but don’t tell her I told you that.

When his debut album, “Clear as Day,” was released in October, I was one of the 197,000 to purchase it within the first week. Nine months later, it’s still one of my favorite albums. It was certified platinum by mid-January.

It’s safe to say that I’m not the only Scotty McCreery fan in the state of North Carolina. The N.C. State Fair rarely schedules the same artist twice in one week. However, McCreery’s immense popularity made it an easy decision. In early December, the Monday, Oct. 15, concert at the N.C. State Fair was announced.  The concert sold out in a little more than 24 hours of tickets going on sale.

We are expecting a similar response when tickets for the Tuesday, Oct. 16, concert go on sale Aug. 1 at 10 a.m. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at www.ncstatefair.org. Doors will open both nights at 6:30 p.m. and the concerts begin at 7:30 p.m.

I have to say that I’m generally not a country music person, with a few expectations. Kellie Pickler is one of those exceptions. I was so surprised at how much I liked Kellie Pickler’s music the first time I heard it, and it’s why I have already bought my ticket for her show on Oct. 23.

Kellie Pickler will perform at the N.C. State Fair for the third time when she closes out the 2011 State Fair concert series on Sunday, Oct. 23.

The three-time CMT Music Award winner has a smooth country-pop fusion sound that keeps her catchy songs on constant replay in my head. Perhaps best known for her appearance on season five of American Idol, Pickler has since released two albums, one of which has been certified gold. She has also worked with some of the top artists in contemporary country music including Rascal Flatts, Brad Paisley, Sugarland and Taylor Swift.

Pickler is a North Carolina native and no stranger to the State Fair. She performed to a packed Dorton Arena during the 2009 N.C. State Fair, and she will return to Dorton this year on Sunday, Oct. 23, to close out the 11-night 2011 State Fair concert series. Her performance will include past favorites such as “Best Days of Your Life” (see the video below) and “Red High Heels” in addition to work from her forthcoming album.

Tickets to Pickler’s concert are $15 and are available now at ncstatefair.org.

Note: If the video doesn’t appear,  try refreshing your browser.

One of contemporary Christian music’s most veteran bands is finally making an appearance at the N.C. State Fair. Newsboys will perform in Dorton Arena on Friday, Oct. 21, with a set list of songs that spans almost 20 years of changing styles and band members.

The band originated in Australia in 1985, and made waves in the U.S. in the early ’90s with the album, “Not Ashamed.” I’m not really sure how to describe Newsboys other than fun and upbeat. And with songs like “Shine,” “Breakfast” and “Take me to Your Leader,” it’s hard not to add quirky to the list, too. But to listen to their discography (listen on Spotify), they maintain a solid pop-rock sound from their earliest albums to their most recent, “Born Again.”

Their sound didn’t change much in 2009 when the band announced that longtime member Peter Furler was stepping down and Michael Tait, formerly of DC Talk, was joining the band to take over lead vocals. That transition is the subject of a reality TV show that debuts two weeks before the band plays at the State Fair. From a casual fan perspective, it seems like the Furler-Tait transition has been seamless, so it will be interesting to see the behind-the-scenes footage. Although I don’t expect there will be a lot of typical reality-TV drama from this set of musicians.

When they come to Raleigh, Newsboys can pull the set list from 11 albums. Plus, they will probably add songs from their upcoming album, “God is not Dead.” The CD, the second with Tait leading the vocals, will be released on Nov. 15.

That’s a lot of music to cover in a little over 2 hours. But it promises to be fun and upbeat. And a little quirky.

Check out their sound on the song “Miracles,” from the album “Born Again.”

Buy tickets online.

I remember the first time I heard Dionne Warwick sing. I was 8 years old and my entire family was stuck inside our house to escape the cruel Massachusetts winter raging outside. My mom and I were sitting on the couch as near to the fire as we could be, flipping through the channels on TV. At some point we stopped on The First Wives Club. The comedy is a syndication favorite, and it opens with Warwick doing a cover of the Jack Jones song “Wives and Lovers.” I asked my mom who was singing and she said she didn’t know. I dropped the subject pretty quickly and thought nothing of it.

Dionne Warwick plays Dorton Arena Thursday, Oct. 20. Tickets are $10.

Fast forward nearly 10 years to when I was a high school senior in Raleigh. I’ve always had a very eclectic taste in music, and the genre of the moment for me then was R&B/soul. I was sitting on my couch, aimlessly flipping through the channels and again came across The First Wives Club. My memory was instantly jogged as the opening credits ran. Now in the instant-information era of Google and Wikipedia, I was able to quickly discover the name of the song and, more importantly, its artist.

From then on, Warwick became a core part of my R&B/soul obsession, and it’s no surprise why. Her esteemed career began in the early 1960s and continues to grow stronger today. She is a five-time Grammy Award winner, and the Recording Industry Association of America listed two of her songs among its “Songs of the Century.” An astonishing 56 of Warwick’s singles reached the Billboard Hot 100, a record second only to the legendary Aretha Frankin. Some of her most well-known hits are “I’ll Never Love This Way Again” (see the video below),  “Walk on By” and “I Say A Little Prayer,” just to name a few.

Warwick will take the stage at Dorton Arena as part of the 2011 N.C. State Fair concert series on Thursday, Oct. 20. Tickets cost $10 and are available online at ncstatefair.org. Be sure to stop by and see her show. I know I will.

Note: If the video doesn’t appear,  try refreshing your browser.

Tift Merritt plays Dorton Arena Sunday, Oct. 16, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5.

For me, the N.C. State Fair is a constant reminder of the magic and excitement of fall. Occasionally, that magic extends beyond the fairgrounds. Tift Merritt is a perfect example. Submitted for your approval:

1997. Fall semester. UNC-Chapel Hill. Two college students, Tift Merritt and Zeke Hutchins, meet in an American studies class. Soon, they form a little band called The Carbines, which plays local venues  The Cave, Cat’s Cradle, the front porch of the General Store in Bynum, among other locations.

Fast forward five years. Merritt releases Bramble Rose to critical acclaim, followed two years later by her second studio album Tambourine. That record earned her a Grammy nomination for best country album of the year. Suddenly, Merritt is no longer a regional secret. She’s invited to perform on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Austin City Limits and at the Bonaroo music festival.

2007. Merritt moves to Paris for three months. While there, she writes a cadre of songs that will become 2008′s Another Country, further establishing her as a true singer-songwriter. Two more years, and she releases her most recent album See You On the Moon.

Tift Merritt went from local girl to international success, and it all started in the fall of 1997. And what about Zeke Hutchins from that American studies class? After more than a decade of playing together, he and Merritt tied the knot in 2009. How’s that for magical?

Tift Merritt plays Dorton Arena Sunday, Oct. 16, at 7:30 p.m. Concert tickets are just $5 and available now at www.ncstatefair.org.

Last week, I heard a great description of my job from a friend of mine. She was trying to explain to some out-of-state friends that in North Carolina, people stay excited about the State Fair all year long. According to her, our job is not about getting people excited about the fair; they already are. Instead, our job is about helping people focus on what they want to do this year at the fair. I really like that description.

So, with just two months left between now and the start of the 2011 N.C. State Fair, it’s time to focus. Here are some things to think about when planning your trip to the fair:

• Are you entering a premium book competition this year? If so, it’s time to check out the premium book and make some decisions. Online registration is now available, and the deadline for some entries starts Sept. 10.
• Have you secured your seats for a Dorton Arena concert? If not, you better hurry. Tickets are available online, and many of the floor seats are already full.
• Do you want to save money? The best way to save is to buy tickets early. An early bird special is available, and you can earn up to free 3 tickets if you buy by Sept. 28.
• Trying to figure out an environmentally friendly way to get to the fair? Check out the bus and train information to plan your trip.
• Planning a field trip for your school or youth group? Don’t forget to check out our Educational Resources page for FAQs and scavenger hunt information.
• Are you social? Like our fan page on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to the blog to keep up with all the latest news about the fair.

Let us know if you need any other information to plan your trip to the N.C. State Fair. We want you to be able to focus on the fun, not worry about the details, when you’re in Raleigh this October. The N.C. State Fair runs Oct. 13-23 at the N.C. State Fairgrounds. More information is available at www.ncstatefair.org.

Craig Campbell performs Thursday, Oct. 13, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5.

Craig Campbell was a big fan of gospel growing up in Georgia, but car rides with his older brother exposed him to country acts such as Randy Travis, Shenandoah, Mike Reid and Tracy Lawrence. That initial contact led to a love of country, a move to Nashville and eventually the popular single “Family Man.”

Craig Campbell is one of several rising country stars performing at this year’s N.C. State Fair. Musically, he sounds less like his pop-country contemporaries and more like the traditional country artists he was first exposed to in his brother’s car. You can tell Campbell is a true country boy from his lyrics, “If you got to tell me how country you are, you probably ain’t.” In other words, Craig Campbell is country music for country-music fans.

And, his career is just starting to take off. His latest single “Fish” is funny and lighthearted, the perfect end-of-summer song. You can watch the music video for “Fish” below:

Come celebrate the end of summer with Craig Campbell as he kicks off the fair Preview Day Thursday, Oct. 13. The show starts at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are just $5. Concert, ride, admission and grandstand tickets are now available at www.ncstatefair.org.