Boyz II Men, Stone Temple Pilots join Ohio State Fair concert lineup in July
Early 2000s R&B favorites Boyz II Men and popular alternative rock group Stone Temple Pilots are the latest acts to be added to the Ohio State Fair's concert lineup.
Stone Temple Pilots will appear with special guest Soul Asylum at 7:30 p.m. July 26, with ticket prices costing $37 and $47. Then, at 7 p.m. July 27, Boyz II Men will be supported by guest comedian Preacher Lawson; tickets cost $38 and $48. Tickets for both concerts go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at ticketmaster.com/OhioStateFair.
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Fans who sign up to receive Ohio State Fair enewsletters can get access to the ticket presale beginning at 10 a.m. Wednesday and ending at 11:59 p.m. Thursday. Each concert ticket bought in advance includes admission to the fair, giving attendees the chance to experience the food, rides, entertainment, agriculture, arts and all other offerings at the Ohio State Fair before the show.
Formed in 1989, STP's career has been marked by commercial highs and lows in the 1990s and early 2000s, spurred partly by former frontman Scott Weiland's headline-making battle with drug addiction. (Weiland died in 2015.)
Despite their woes with Weiland, the band, which was favorably eviewed for a past concert in Columbus, scored an impressive string of hits including "Interstate Love Song," "Vasoline," "Sex Type Thing," "Plush" and "Sour Girl," which was popularized by a music video featuring actress Sarah Michelle Gellar.
STP opener Soul Asylum is best-known for their1993 hit "Runaway Train," which won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. The music video that accompanied the song featured photographs and names of missing children with the telephone number of a missing children's helpline shown at the end.
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Boyz II Men, who have been together since 1985, have performed at Columbus Commons twice in the past decade. They are known for their flawless harmonies, heartfelt ballads and practice of featuring all members as lead singers. Their successful debut album "Cooleyhighharmony" has sold more than 9 million copies and won the 1992 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
The group has set records with several of their hit singles. In 1992, "End of the Road" set a then-record for spending 13 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. They broke this record twice with "I'll Make Love to You" and "One Sweet Day" (with Mariah Carey), which at 14 and 16 weeks respectively, set records for most weeks at No. 1. Other hits include "Motownphilly" and "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday," both of which peaked in the Top 5.
Previously announced fair concerts are Kidz Bop at 6:30 p.m. July 24 (tickets cost $32); Alabama at 7 p.m. July 25 (tickets cost $65 and $75); Ohio Players and Midnight Star at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 2 (tickets cost $23 and $33); La Zenda Nortena at 7:30 p.m. July 28 (tickets cost $20); Lauren Daigle at 7 p.m. July 29 (tickets cost $58 and $68); Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias at 7 p.m. July 31 (tickets cost $55 and $65); and Stephen Sanchez at 7 p.m. Aug. 1 (tickets cost $50 and $40).
All concerts take place in the indoor, air-conditioned WCOL Celeste Center. The Ohio State Fair runs July 24 through Aug. 4. For more information, visit ohiostatefair.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Boyz II Men, Stone Temple Pilots to perform at 2024 Ohio State Fair
