SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Two months after the New York State Fair ended, state officials have revealed how much each music act earned to perform at Chevy Court in 2017.
According to a document obtained by syracuse.com using the Freedom of Information Law, Earth, Wind and Fire brought home the big bucks, with a fee of $200,000 to perform on Aug. 27.
Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd earned the second highest paycheck at the fair, taking $175,000 for its afternoon show on the same day. Atlanta rap trio Migos earned the third highest paycheck of $135,000.
The most expensive Chevy Court acts in 2016 were Boy George & Culture Club and Chicago, who took home $200,000 each.
Interestingly, the Beach Boys took home $90,000 this year, while former Beach Boys singer Brian Wilson was paid $110,000 to perform on the same stage in 2016.
Chevy Court shows are free to fairgoers, after paying admission at the main gate.
Here's how much Live Nation paid Chevy Court acts in 2017:
| Artist | Date | Artist fee |
|---|---|---|
| Robert Randolph & the Family Band | 8/23/2017 | $24,500 |
| 3 Doors Down | 8/23/2017 | $115,000 |
| The Family Stone | 8/24/2017 | $20,000 |
| Chevelle | 8/24/2017 | $75,000 |
| The Fabulous Thunderbirds | 8/25/2017 | $22,000 |
| The Beach Boys | 8/25/2017 | $90,000 |
| Stephen Marley | 8/26/2017 | $50,000 |
| Symphoria | 8/26/2017 | $28,000 |
| Lynyrd Skynyrd | 8/27/2017 | $175,000 |
| Earth, Wind and Fire | 8/27/2017 | $200,000 |
| Herman's Hermits with Peter Noone | 8/28/2017 | $20,000 |
| Kansas | 8/28/2017 | $75,000 |
| Marshall Tucker Band | 8/29/2017 | $30,000 |
| Daya | 8/29/2017 | $77,000 |
| Taylor Dayne | 8/30/2017 | $26,500 |
| Bret Michaels | 8/30/2017 | $75,000 |
| Skid Row | 8/31/2017 | $22,500 |
| LeAnn Rimes | 8/31/2017 | $75,000 |
| A Tribe Called Red | 9/1/2017 | $20,000 |
| Blue Oyster Cult | 9/1/2017 | $26,500 |
| Cheat Codes (DJ trio) | 9/2/2017 | $60,000 |
| DNCE | 9/2/2017 | $100,000 |
| Spin Doctors | 9/3/2016 | $21,750 |
| Migos | 9/3/2016 | $135,000 |
| UB40 | 9/4/2016 | $51,500 |
| Kool and the Gang | 9/4/2016 | $100,000 |
| TOTAL: | $1,715,250 |
Promoter Live Nation spent $1,715,250 to book Chevy Court acts this year. In 2016, Live Nation spent $1,683,500 to book the artists.
As far as attendance goes, rap reigned supreme at Chevy Court this year, with funk, soul and Southern rock not far behind.
Migos took the 2017 title for the best-attended show at the NYS Fair with an estimated 31,900 in attendance on Sept. 3. The second highest-attended show was Earth, Wind and Fire, drawing about 29,900 people on Aug. 27. Earlier that day, Lynyrd Skynyrd set a new record for afternoon attendance at Chevy Court with 28,400 people.
Chevy Court 2017 attendance estimates
Robert Randolph and the Family Band: 2,200
3 Doors Down: 17,900
The Family Stone: 2,000
Chevelle: 13,100
The Fabulous Thunderbirds: 3,100
The Beach Boys: 23,100
Stephen Marley: 2,400
Symphoria: 1,600
Lynyrd Skynyrd: 28,400
Earth, Wind and Fire: 29,900
Hermans Hermits: 9,900
Kansas: 15,200
The Marshall Tucker Band: 8,500
Daya: 4,200
Taylor Dayne: 2,000
Bret Michaels: 12,500
Skid Row: 3,800
LeAnn Rimes: 9,200
A Tribe Called Red: 1,200
Blue Oyster Cult: 10,100
Cheat Codes: 1,100
DNCE, Joe Jonas: 9,200
Spin Doctors: 2,100
Migos: 31,900
UB40: 4,100
Kool & the Gang: 15,300
Live Nation, under its agreement with the state, contracts directly with the artists.
Before this year's fair, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (which oversees the fair) awarded Live Nation a five-year, $11.5 million contract to book concerts at Chevy Court.
Live Nation will receive $796,372 in booking fees over five years, plus attendance-based incentives worth up to $25,000 per year. The rest of the money is for booking musicians -- about $2 million per year.
Katrina Tulloch writes music and culture stories for Syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Contact her: Email | Twitter | Facebook