Sugarland – MN State Fair – St. Paul MN – August 24th 2018

Sugarland still knows how to have fun.

The Grammy Award-winning country outfit played the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand Friday night, part of the duo’s massive “Still The Same” summer tour, which kicked off last may in Oklahoma.

The group — comprised of Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush — played to a sold out Grandstand crowd. The tour comes in support of the band’s first studio release in eight years, “Bigger,” which released in June.

Backed by a six-piece band, Sugarland took the stage around 9:45 p.m. to “Bigger,” the new album’s title track.

They played a mix of new stuff and some of their biggest hits including the 2008’s chart-topper “All I Want To Do.

Nettles, Bush and company played a 22-song set in total, about 110 minutes. Their energy was amazing as they fed off of each other and the fans, who knew every word. Nettles and Bush each sang a song off their solo records, nettles with “Unlove You” and Bush with “Trailer Hitch”.

Kristian told the crowd that he wants to move here because it felt like fall and the Minnesota State fair crowd was the most energetic.

Frankie Ballard and Lindsay Ell opened the show.

Sugarland’s Grandstand setlist:

• Bigger
• All I Wanna Do
• Stuck Like Glue
• Want To
• Already Gone
• Lean It On Back
• Little Miss
• Tony (Patty Griffin cover)
• Trailer Hitch
• Unlove You
• Incredible Machine
• Let Me Remind You
• Settlin’
• On A Roll/We Want the Funk (George Clinton)/Billy Jean (Michael Jackson)/Express Yourself (Madonna)
• Come Talk To Me (Peter Gabriel cover)
• Babe
• It Happens
• Stay
• Baby Girl
• Something More
• Encore:
• Not The Only
• Let’s Go Crazy (Prince cover)

Review and photos by Jamie Miles