Iowa!

Des Moines, to be specific.

I like Iowa. I could live here, in fact. I could become a naturalized citizen of Iowa. I even own 2 or 3 Hawkeye t-shirts (my favorite one, though I don't own one since they didn't have my size that day, is black and gold and says, "Don't you wish your girlfriend was a Hawk like me?")

At the moment, though, I'm just up here to enjoy a few days at the Iowa State Fair. Best state fair anywhere -- just ask 'em. I've only been to two state's fairs -- Missouri and Iowa -- and I gotta say, Iowa puts Missouri to shame on the state fair stage.

Here's what I have planned for the next 3 days: Tonight I have a ticket for the grandstand concert, which is Casting Crowns, with Tree63 opening for them. I have heard Casting Crowns once, briefly. They were playing at a festival in Sioux City, and my band (greyskyblue) was playing at one of the smaller stages at this festival. We got to wander over there to hear them for just a few songs after we had set up our gear. Anyway, I love both their CD's, and am anxiously waiting for their new one, due out later this month, I believe.

The next two days, Friday and Saturday, I'll just putz around the state fair -- they have a bunch of smaller stages where you can hear lesser known artists, maybe rising stars... The first time I ever visited the IA state fair it was specifically to hear the Dixie Chicks. They had just released their first CD and it was climbing the charts. They were playing on one of the free stages, the Miller tent. They have since been back to the state fair, but they were a headliner act in the grandstand, where tickets usually run 20-30 bucks.

Friday, one act I hope to hear is Josh Gracin, a country artist.

Saturday, I'll be listening to Chris Young, also country, and may find time for The Blue Band, which plays blues (no duh!)

And every day at the fair, Vocal Trash performs twice. This band almost defies description, but I will try -- when I can post a few pictures or maybe links to some video of them... They are really incredible and a whole lot of fun. Lest you worry too much that I'm loving a trash-singing band, I'll just say that they are accomplished percussionists -- they play trash cans, 5-gallon water jugs, you name it, anything they can beat on and make noise. But they are also great vocalists and instrumentalists. I've seen them several years now, and let me tell you, when they start singing Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the U.S.A." -- well, you've never been so "proud to be an American..."!

The fair isn't only about music, though! There's exhibits (art, photography, gardening) with state fair ribbons awarded to the winners. There's the world's biggest hog. There's horseback riding events, fiddling contests, the famous butter cow sculpture, the Midway rides. And food! Every kind of food you can imagine. Funnel cakes, corn dogs, turkey drumsticks, onion blooms. Nearly everything can be had "on-a-stick" -- like corn dogs, cheesecake-on-a-stick, even salad-on-a-stick. And such gross-out stuff like fried twinkies and fried Oreos (yuck!) Although fried pickles are pretty good...

More as it happens!