"We are thrilled to welcome the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, Brad Paisley, to Crew Stadium for this highly anticipated event." said Crew President & General Manager Mark McCullers. "Along with Blake Shelton and Jerrod Niemann, Brad will deliver a tremendous show for the country fans of Ohio."
Shelton, the CMA Male Vocalist of the Year, and Niemann will be just two of the support acts for the show, with additional acts and further information to be announced in the near future.
Paisley has released nine critically acclaimed studio albums, the most recent Hits Alive which is a two-disc release of original studio hits as well as live performances from concerts. His most recent #1 single, "Anything Like Me," was his 18th #1 – the last 14 consecutive. His current single, "This Is Country Music," is the first single from his upcoming album by the same name due to be released this spring. Paisley's innovative and entertaining H20 World Tour played to over 879,000 fans in 2010 and was the #1 ranked country tour by Pollstar in terms of attendance.
"We are very excited to continue the tradition of closing the Ohio State Fair with this show in Crew Stadium," said Virgil Strickler, general manager of the Ohio Expo Center & State Fair. "The Crew is a great partner, with an outstanding venue, that provides fairgoers another excellent concert choice which includes admission to the Fair."
Located adjacent to the Ohio Expo Center, Crew Stadium is a 20,145-seat facility with the ability to hold up to 35,000 for concerts, that features a permanent main stage and roof structure. It is home to the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer and is a target destination for other marquee sports and entertainment events including U.S. Soccer matches, NFL exhibitions, NCAA soccer and concerts.