Back to the 70s

Illinois State Fair officials have announced 1970s southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd have joined the Grandstand lineup. It's really starting to look like a Classic Rock playlist. So far, here are the rock acts booked for this August's fair:

Lynyrd Skynyrd
Foghat
Blue Oyster Cult
REO Speedwagon
Head East
George Thorogood

Let's see, I saw Blue Oyster Cult (twice!) and Head East separately at Springfield's old rock concert venue, the State Armory, back in the 70s. And I know Foghat played here in 1977 (missed that one). Lynyrd Skynyrd was too big at the time to have shown up here (and then in the late 70s lost several band members in a plane crash). I'm guessing REO made it here sometime during the 70s but I don't remember. They were out of Champaign, Illinois so I'm betting they were here on at some point early in their career.

My only question is, isn't this overkill for just one genre. I would think most people interested in these groups would be older (over 35, like me) who have families (like me) and would be unlikely to attend more than one show (unlike me who has no interest in attending any). It might be wiser to diversify your demographic targets a bit.

But that said, imagine if this lineup had all shown up here together back in, say, 1977. WOW! I would have peed my pants.