The Big Fresno Fair announces round two of concert acts, including a Motown legend
The Big Fresno Fair now has its second round of headliners for its 2021 concert series.
It includes a “ladies night” of R&B hip-hop, a Tejano superstar, a Norteño legend and a Motown original.
Tickets for the four new shows go on sale at 10 a.m. Sept. 8, with pre-sales available to the fair’s fan club members starting 10 a.m. Sept. 1.
Tickets for the fair’s already-announced concerts are on sale now. Those include Anthrax (Oct. 6), Young the Giant (Oct. 7), Chris Tomlin (Oct. 12), Midland (Oct. 13) and Nelly and Blanco Brown (Oct. 14).
Bell Biv Devoe, Ramón Ayala and Smokey Robinson
Bell Biv DeVoe, pioneers in the ’90s New Jack Swing movement kick off the fair’s first weekend. The group performs 7 p.m. Oct. 8 with Jon B and Maya. Bell Biv DeVoe was formed out of the popular vocal group New Edition and released its seminal debut in 1990. The album hits: “Poison,” “Do Me!,” “When Will I See You Smile Again,” and “B.B.D. (I Thought It Was Me?).”
Tickets are $29-$49.
Chris Pérez performs the following night, Oct. 9, with his latest project, Grupo Metal. Pérez is known for his Latin rock solo work in the late 1990s and also for playing guitar for (and being married to) Tejano superstar Selena. With this project Pérez draws on his favorite musicians as inspiration including Van Halen, Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, Kiss, The Scorpions, Ozzy Osbourne, Iron Maiden and Carlos Santana.
Los Kumbia Kings open the show.
Tickets are $26-$44.
Ramón Ayala makes a return trip to the Big Fresno Fair on Oct. 10, performing with his band Sus Bravos del Norte.
The accordion playing band leader is a legend in the Norteño and Conjunto music scene and has released more than 113 albums over more than 50 years. He almost feels like a local considering how often he plays in the Valley. He headlined the Taco Truck Throwdown in 2018.
Tickets are $25-$95.
The fair gets it Motown fix on Oct. 15 with singer Smokey Robinson.
With his group the Miracles, Robinson was a prolific hit-maker for the iconic record label during the 1960s. The group produced 26 Top-40 hits, including Motown’s first million seller, “Shop Around.” And also “You Really Got a Hold On Me,” and the iconic “The Tears of a Clown.” Following his departure from the Miracles, Robinson went on to have a successful solo career and hits with songs such as “Cruisin.”
Tickets are $47-$62.