Final fair concerts bring funk, pop and rap to stage
The Washington State Fair will come to an end Sunday night, giving visitors three more chances to attend a concert. The fair will end with shows by Kool & The Gang, Jason Derulo and Pitbull.
Here is a look at each of the acts:
KOOL & THE GANG
Performing for the past 45 years, Kool & The Gang will be bringing its blend of funk, sould and jazz to the fair. Hits like “Celebration,” “Cherish,” “Jungle Boogie” and “Summer Madness” have helped the group sell more than 70 million albums worldwide.
The group actually began in 1964 as the Jazziacs, but changed names and produced their debut self-titled album in 1969. Since then, the band has been known for its signature sound featuring strong horn arrangements.
The band’s career includes a Grammy award, seven American Music Awards, 25 top-10 R&B hits, nine top-10 pop hits, and 31 gold and platinum albums. In 1978, Kool & The Gang shared the Grammy for album of the year for the soundtrack to “Saturday Night Fever.”
Also appearing that night will be all-female R&B group En Vogue.
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday (Sept. 25).
Tickets: $35-$60.
JASON DERULO
The 26-year-old Jason Derulo seems to be everywhere.
He has had a string of Top 40 radio hits during the last half-decade. Earlier this month, he was in Malaysia for an MTV Music awards show there. Television viewers can also see him as one of the judges on the current season of Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance.”
He has sold more than 50 million singles worldwide. Among his 11 platinum singles are “Want to Want Me,” “Whatcha Say” and “It Girl.”
He is a five-time winner at the BMI Pop Awards and was named that group’s songwriter of the year in 2011.
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
Tickets: $40-$65.
PITBULL
Armando Christian Perez, better known as Pitbull, will wrap up the 2015 fair concert series.
The 34-year-old American rapper grew up in Florida, where he was influenced by the Miami brass pop music genre.
After appearing on albums by other artists, Pitbull released his debut album “M.I.A.M.I.” in 2004. The next year, he and rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs founded Bad Boy Latino, a record label focusing on Latin music and performers.
He is a two-time winner of the American Latino Media Arts favorite male music artist from the national Council of La Raza. He also won a Latin Grammy award for best urban peformance in 2013 for “Echa Pa’lla.”
Beyond his musical success, Pitbull also has appeared on TV shows “Shark Tank” and “Dancing with the Stars,” as well as two feature films, including “Epic.”
When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets: $70-$110.
This story was originally published September 23, 2015 at 7:15 PM with the headline "Final fair concerts bring funk, pop and rap to stage."