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 ranging between $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.
Fans who sign up to receive Ohio State Fair e-newsletters 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 viewed 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 their 1993 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.
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 “Cooley High Harmony” 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.
