Singer John Waite will perform at the Iowa State Fair Grandstand on Friday, Aug. 14, after Rod Stewart had to cancel due to medical reasons. Waite will be performing for free.
Waite is behind nearly five decades of hits from his solo career and as a frontman of The Babys and Bad English. His catalog includes songs like worldwide No. 1 hit “Missing You,” The Babys’ classics “Isn’t It Time,” “Every Time I Think of You” and “Back on My Feet Again,” and Bad English’s chart-topping “When I See You Smile.”
How do I see John Waite for free?
Grandstand tickets are not required for the free John Waite concert at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14. Doors open one hour before the show and all seats are general admission. The regularly scheduled drone show and star-spangled fireworks will start at 10:15 p.m.
How did the Iowa State Fair book John Waite for free in three days?
When Stewart canceled, the fair knew that the Friday Grandstand show would be free to all fairgoers, said Iowa State Fair CEO Jeremy Parsons. That way, they could completely refund Stewart fans without having to worry about swapping tickets.
Triangle Talent, an artist booking company, has had a relationship with the Iowa State Fair since the 1980s. So when the entertainment director Tanya Cook reached out, they were able to quickly find another classic rock act. Waite confirmed he could perform late Wednesday night, and by the next day, he signed the contract.
The official announcement that Waite would be performing came an hour later.
While fairgoers will get to enjoy Waite for free, the fair still had to pay to bring him to Iowa.
“We just decided to give it away for free, basically, to the fairgoer, which I think will make Friday night a cool night,” Parsons said. “Maybe you’ve never gone to a Grandstand concert or maybe you’re a big John Waite fan.”
This story was updated to add new information.
Lucia Cheng is a service and trending reporter at the Des Moines Register. Contact her at lcheng@gannett.com or 515-284-8132.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: John Waite replaces Rod Stewart as Friday’s Iowa State Fair Grandstand
Reporting by Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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By Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
