The Michigan State Fair proudly presents its 2009 entertainment line-up starting on Friday, August 28 at 7 PM and ending Labor Day, Monday, September 7 in Detroit, at the Fairgrounds.

Kicking off the Fair on Friday, August 28 at 7 PM will be Mark Farner, formally of Grand Funk Railroad. Farner sang with Grand Funk Railroad on such memorable hit songs as “Closer to Home,” “Foot Stompin’ Music,” “Rock n’ Roll Soul,” “The Loco-motion,” “Some Kind of Wonderful,” and the iconic “We’re in an American Band.”

Sunday, August 30 from 4 PM – 9 PM, the Detroit area Gospel Show will be performing at the bandshell.

Monday, August 31 is Motown day at the Fair. Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee Dennis Edwards and his Temptations Review will be performing at 7 PM. Dennis Edwards has received 7 Grammy Awards and 14 Gold Records; with him The Temptations became one of the most successful Motown groups in the world.

Pete Rivera, original lead singer of Rare Earth, the first white group to be signed to the legendary Motown Record Label will be appearing with Mike Pinera original lead singer of Blues Image, Jerry Corbetta original lead singer of Sugerloaf and local Detroit bass player and session man Larry Prentiss. Performing as The Classic Rock All-Stars, the band will be doing two performances, the first at 2 PM and the second at 7 PMopening up for Edwards.

Tuesday, September 1 will be a day of rock you won’t want to miss starting at 7 p.m. with Red, Cavo and Pop Evil. Red is one of the most buzzed about bands to burst through the rock world. Their 21,000+ MySpace friends have vaulted their breakout album Innocence & Instinct up the rock charts and produced the top ten hit “Death of Me”. Cavo’s music “combines hard-hitting rock and roll, with lyrics about life and love,” featuring their top five single “Champagne.” Michigan’s own Pop Evil has been making a name for themself as a “crispy, crunchy, mainstream rock with a little bit of evil.” The cross-cultural diversity of the band (Indian, Hispanic, Turkish, American Indian and Polish) brings a new sound to music, with their two top ten singles “Hero” and “100 in a 55.”

Wednesday, September 2, country artists Joe Nichols and Chuck Wicks will be taking the stage at 7 PM. Nichols’ hit songs include “Tequilla Makes Her Take Her Clothes Off,” “I’ll Wait For You,” and “Brokenheartsville.” Chuck Wicks’ hit singles include “All I Ever Wanted,” and “Man Of The House.” As a former cast member on the eighth season of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, Wicks has made a big impression on the country scene and in Hollywood with his songwriting and his public relationship with Julian Hough, star of Dancing With The Stars.

Thursday, September 3 at 7 PM the fair will feature the final state of Michigan competition of the Colgate Country Showdown. The showdown features artists who have won competitions at various locations from the far end of the Upper Peninsula to the southern Lower Peninsula. Come check out these up-and-coming country artists as they take their shot at stardom. The winner will go on to compete for the national title.

Friday, September 4 at 7 PM, Starship starring Mickey Thomas will hit the stage. Thomas has established himself with number one hits like “Sara,” “No Way Out,” “We Built This City,” and “Nothings Gonna’ Stop Us Now.” The show will feature a complete retrospective of the biggest hits of the Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship and Starship.

Saturday, September 5, Survivor will be taking the stage at 7 PM. Their 1982 release of “Eye of the Tiger” spent seven weeks at the #1 spot on the U.S. charts, and was followed by such top ten hits as “American Heart Beat,” “I Can’t Hold Back,” “High On You,” “The Search is Over,” “Burning Heart,” and “Is This Love.”

Sunday, September 6 at 7 PM, Jake Owen and Love and Theft will be on stage. Jake Owen, a country artist, who has racked up hit singles in recent years, such as “Don’t Think I Can’t Love You,” and “Eight Second Ride.” Love and Theft, one of the hottest trios to break out of Nashville in years, are climbing the charts with their hit song “Runaway.” Fans won’t want to miss their dynamic and infectious sound.

On Labor Day, Monday September 7 at 7 PM, the bandshell series closes with the legendary Billy Squier. Squier’s rock anthems from the 80’s include “The Stroke,” “In The Dark,” “My Kinda’ Lover,” “Everybody Wants You,” “Rock Me Tonight,” Don’t Say You Love Me,” and “Emotion In Motion.” Don’t miss a rare opportunity to see Billy Squier, who hasn’t toured with his band since 2001.