State Fair News

More than 90 live music acts will perform at 2023 State Fair of Texas

Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is playing the State Fair of Texas on October 21.

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The State Fair of Texas will return in fall 2023 with a music lineup that includes more than 90 artists performing live on three stages. Headliners include Lonestar, Ceelo Green, and 38 Special, as well as a tribute to Selena Quintanilla Pérez, Experience Selena.

Other acts kicking off opening weekend September 29 to October 1 include Chrisette Michele, Lil Jon, Hairball, and Bowling for Soup.

For the first time, the State Fair of Texas has partnered with Romeo Entertainment Group, who are producing the entire music lineup for 2023.

Based in Nashville, Romeo boasts 65-plus years of experience and a long list of clients. Romeo president & CEO R.J. Romeo says in a statement that “it's an honor to bring music to the Fair that is as expansive and varied as the great state of Texas itself. I am proud of our team, led by Lacey Hayes, for programming such an outstanding lineup."

According to fair spokesperson Karissa Condoianis, Romeo replaces Glenn Smith Productions, who retired after more than 30 years. In 2018, the State Fair team also began working with Dallas-based record label State Fair Records to book other free live music stages throughout the fairgrounds, which might help explain why the local bands selected are so good.

Fairgoers can experience all different kinds of live music – country to R&B, Norteño to electro-pop – across the fairgrounds during all 24 days of the 2023 State Fair of Texas, all included with their admission ticket.

The Chevrolet Main Stage is an outdoor venue with a huge festival-type stage and experience, as well as an ADA-compliant area for guests needing special assistance. Featuring headlining and regional acts, the Chevrolet Main Stage is located next to the Craft Pavilion, near the Hall of State.

Highlights include:

September 29: Lonestar
September 30: Ceelo Green/ Chrisette Michele
October 1: La Zenda Nortena
October 2: UNT Four O'Clock Lab Band
October 3: Bowling For Soup
October 6: Hairball/ Matt Hillyer
October 7: Lil John
October 8: 38 Special
October 9: Little Mermen
October 13: X Ambassadors
October 14: Craig Morgan
October 15: Shane Smith & The Saints
October 20: Forever Motown / The War & Treaty
October 21: Charlotte Sands / Red Jumpsuit Apparatus / We the Kings
October 22: Yahritzia Y Su Esencia

The Bud Light Stage, located in the heart of Cotton Bowl Plaza, showcases local and regional talent all 24 days of the Fair.

Highlights include many of Dallas' and Texas' best and brightest acts such as the State Fair Records All Star Band, John Pedigo's Magic Pilsner, Matt Tedder, Brave Combo, Rosie Flores, Ginny Mac, The O's, Max Stalling, and DJ Mark Ridlen.

The Yuengling Flight Stage, located outside the Go Texan Pavilion, features a Friday night comedy series, titled “Deep Fried Comedy,” along with live music throughout the week.

Highlights include: Shelley Carrol, Charming Gardeners, Katrina Cain, Lorena Leigh, Ceci Ceci, Min, Saborcito Puro, Vanita Leo, Garrett Owen, and a showcase by Spinster Records.

The full schedule of acts with dates and times can be found online.

The 2023 State Fair of Texas will open on September 29 and run through October 22.

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Vinyl Record News

Dallas record store chain Josey Records spins new location in Garland

Josey Records

Vinyl at Josey Records

Dallas music maker Josey Records has extended its reach east: The record store chain, whose empire includes one of the largest single independent record stores in the U.S., has opened a location in Garland, at 1005 Northwest Hwy., at the intersection of Centerville Road, where it's selling its trademark assortment of vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, turntables, music posters, new releases, and music accessories.

This is the sixth location and the third in the Dallas area, joining the original in Farmers Branch which owners Waric Cameron and Luke Sardello opened in November 2014. They've since opened locations in Plano, Tulsa, Kansas City, and Vidalia, Missouri.

The original location is a giant place with 16,000 square feet devoted to vinyl, 45s, CDs, turntables, and T-shirts. They do a good job showcasing new releases and collector vinyl — they made CultureMap's list of 5 best places in Dallas to buy vinyl records — and are known to host album release and listening parties such as a recent blockbuster celebrating Linkin Park.

They made headlines in June 2020 when they acquired the vast musical inventory of Bill’s Records following the death of owner Bill Wisener; Cameron and Sardello both worked at Bill’s, and knew the sprawling collection first-hand.

"It has taken us years to even start going through it, but in last two years, we've made some headway," Cameron says. "Bill's has its own audience, so we created a specific Instagram account, just for Bill's Records merchandise called @billsrecordsvault."

They chose Garland because they saw it as an area that was under-served.

"There are very few record stores in that area of northeast Dallas, Casa View, Garland, Rockwall, Mesquite," Cameron says. "We have customers who live over there, so it seemed like a good place for a store."

The storefront they're in was most recently The Music Store, which sold and rented musical instruments and accessories; but coincidentally, it's next to an address that was once RPM Records, a hip record store from the '90s.

The Garland store follows the same model as their others: selling new and used records and merchandise, and buying used goods, as well.

"One thing that's cool is that each location takes on its own identity," he says. "We buy used CDs, vinyl records, cassettes — we're a used resale business — and what we buy from our customers dictates what that store becomes. For example, our Plano store has a lot of classic rock. So we're looking forward to seeing what Garland gravitates to."

Garland does have one thing that the other locations do not.

"Right now, Garland has this incredible collection of jazz," Cameron says. "We bought a great collection of jazz records — someone called and wanted to sell it. We get that a lot, we buy major collections from all over the U.S., we even make house calls. So we saved it for the Garland store."