From Ludacris to Shaggy, the top concerts to see each day at the 2023 Wisconsin State Fair

The Wisconsin State Fair has some bold new food options this year. But when it comes to music at the fair, it's all about the comfort.

The fair's Main Stage lineup tends to check a lot of boxes each year: classic rock, good showing of country, a comedian, a kids show, a Christian act and, in recent years, veteran hip-hop artists.

But there's nothing wrong with that when that formula results in some of the bookings spotlighted below.

Here's a pick for a top concert to see every day of the 2023 Wisconsin State Fair, running Aug. 3 to 13, including some Wisconsin talent.

2023 Wisconsin State Fair: Hours, tickets, discount, carry-in policies and other need-to-know info

Aug. 3: Alabama

Along with a treasure trove of hits that made the trio Country Music Hall of Famers, expect Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry to honor their cousin Jeff Cook, who died last November from complications related to Parkinson's disease. (7:30 p.m. Main Stage. $65 to $75 at the gate and wistatefair.com. Tickets include fair admission Aug. 3.)

Aug. 4: Shaggy and Salt-N-Pepa

You get two hip-hop veterans for the price of one ticket, with the Jamaican singer and rapper sharing the stage with the pioneering female hip-hop act behind "Push It," "Shoop" and other hits, which made them the first to achieve gold and platinum certification. (7:30 p.m., Main Stage. $50 to $60. Tickets include fair admission Aug. 4.)

Aug. 5: Here Come The Mummies

For years, the Mummies have been coming here from the underworld (or, as rumor has it, Nashville), including at Summerfest this year. But the undead funk players always deliver a lively time. (8:30 p.m., Bank Five Nine Amphitheater. Free with fair admission.)

Aug. 6: The MilBillies

There's no shortage of superb (and successful) bluegrass bands in Milwaukee and Wisconsin, but there's always room for more, especially when the group in question has the kind of chops the MilBillies bring to the table. (3:45 p.m., Major Goolsby's Heartland. Free with fair admission.)

Aug. 7: For King & Country

When concerts were canceled through most of 2020 and the first half of 2021, the Coldplay-like Christian pop-rock duo put on the biggest show in the Milwaukee area with a sold-out drive-in concert at State Fair Park. Now they'll get to play the State Fair itself behind 2022 album "What Are We Waiting For?" (7:30 p.m., Main Stage. $41 to $51, includes fair admission Aug. 7.)

Aug. 8: Dan Lepien

For anyone who thinks there are too many country songs about trucks and whiskey, how do you feel about gas stations? But not just any gas station: the one and only Kwik Trip, honored via "God Bless Kwik Trip" by this Sauk City artist. Lepien doesn't need a Wisconsin-friendly hook to turn heads, though; his smartly written and heartfelt storytelling and golden voice are terrific in their own right. (6:45 p.m., Camp Bar. Free with fair admission.)

Aug. 9: Halestorm

The name of Halestorm's latest album, "Back From the Dead," has nothing to do with the band's standing in the hard rock world, where they've become a top live draw and album seller. Rather, frontwoman Lzzy Hale has suggested the album was inspired by making it through the pandemic, with the State Fair show promising to be a cathartic release following those troubling times. (7:30 p.m. Aug. 9, Main Stage. $45 to $55, includes fair admission Aug. 9.)

Aug. 10: REO Speedwagon

As coincidence will have it, the Wisconsin State Fair will showcase two of the most successful touring acts from Illinois back-to-back on the Main Stage, starting with these '80s rockers. As of this year, there may no longer be any original members touring with the band, but frontman Kevin Cronin is still around to belt out signature songs like "Can't Fight This Feeling." (7:30 p.m., Main Stage. $45 to $55, includes fair admission Aug. 10.)

Aug. 11: Ludacris

If you missed out on Ludacris' opening set for Janet Jackson at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater in May (understandable, given the horrific traffic that night), you've got another chance to see the hip-hop veteran and "Fast & Furious" star. He's expected to perform a longer set at the State Fair. (7:30 p.m. Aug. 11, Main Stage. $40 to $50, includes fair admission Aug. 11.)

Aug. 12: Lindsey Stirling

Prematurely eliminated from "America's Got Talent" in 2010, the crossover violinist has become one of the most successful acts to perform on the NBC reality show, gaining a large following through creatively orchestrated and lavishly produced music videos on YouTube, and bringing a similar aesthetic to her live shows. Another creative act that found success on YouTube, Walk Off the Earth, will open. (7:30 p.m., Main Stage. $39 to $49, includes fair admission Aug. 12.)

Aug. 13: Trace Adkins

Few voices are as commanding in country music as Trace Adkins' booming baritone, which has made him a reliable heavy in movies and TV shows like the country-music-world-inspired Fox drama "Monarch," as well as a country hitmaker with songs like "Ladies Love Country Boys." If you're showing up early for this early evening fair-closing show, you'll be interested to check out one of Milwaukee's better country bands, Tangled Lines, at noon at the Major Goolsby's Heartland stage. (6 p.m., Main Stage. $36 to $46.)

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 11 top concerts at the 2023 Wisconsin State Fair