George Jones playing for 9 bucks at Freeborn County Fair

​You want to see the greats of rock 'n roll - the McCartneys, the Jaggers, the Springsteens of the world - and you're gonna pay outta yer ear to see a dinosaur lookin' oh-so-tiny from your nosebleed seats in a giant arena.

How 'bout this instead: avoid the arenas, say to hell with rock 'n roll, and go to the fair.

George Jones, who has scored more charted singles than any other artist in any format in the history of popular music, is playing at the Freeborn County Fair in Albert Lea, MN for nine dollars. Nine. Twenty-five if you want a reserved grandstand seat, but those are sold out anyway. Walk in and sit where you can, and it's nine (Friday 8/6, 8:30p). This is also your admission to the fair, so for another nine you stick around for the weekend and check out the demolition derby on Sunday.



Jones occasionally performs a little closer to the city, but keep in mind his age, 78, as well as the vast array of chemicals he's put into his body over the years accentuated by various incidents involving riding lawnmowers and visits to the psych ward. Sober now for many years, we're nonetheless still lucky to have him around. I missed out on Waylon (diabetes, aged 64) and Jerry Reed (emphysema, aged 71), so when the Willies and the Merles and the D.A.C.s of the world come 'round, you'd best get out to see 'em. At half the price of seeing Dylan and twice the likelihood of a good performance, it's a sure bet.