Eddie Montgomery – Leinie Lodge Stage – Minnesota State Fair – August 25th 2022

Lens on Music at the Fair – Day 1

Content by Patrick Dunn

The Great Minnesota Get Together is an incredible event that I look forward to every year. The layout remains consistent, there are many activities you can count on doing year after year, but the music is everchanging, fresh and abundant. It’s become the focal point for my time there and determines how I navigate the massive grounds from day to day. Opening day always generates an added level of excitement and the favorable weather helped ensure it was a busy one. My day started out witnessing the opening ceremony at the Leinie Lodge Bandshell and I love the ceremonial raising of flags to signify the event has officially begun. Immediately following at that same location, I enjoyed a wonderful unplugged set by Nashville based singer/songwriter Teea Goans. A brisk walk over to the West End enabled me to grab a Nordic Waffle and settle in at the Shell’s Stage at Schilling Amphitheater for a spirited performance by Minneapolis based Good Morning Bedlam. I returned to the Leinie Lodge stage where I spent the rest of my time beginning with another local standout Tonic Sol-fa who brightened my afternoon with their diversely entertaining acapella show. Next it was time for the first of ten days of semi-finals for the 49th annual MSF Amateur Talent Contest building up to the main event on the Grandstand stage Sunday, September 9th where finalists will compete for more than $20,000 in cash prizes. Last but certainly not least, the headlining event on this stage was Eddie Montgomery from ’90s country music band Montgomery Gentry. He put on a fantastic high energy show for a nice size crowd of fans to cap off a what was a great start to my fair adventure for 2022.

Tonic Sol-fa

Good Morning Bedlam

Teea Goans