REO Speedwagon just drew one of the ten largest crowds in New York State Fair concert history. Again.
NYS Fair officials announced that the classic rock band performed to an estimated 34,000 fans at Suburban Park on Monday, the tenth biggest audience ever at a Fair concert. That’s an increase from the 30,511 people that saw REO Speedwagon at the same stage (then known as Chevy Park) in 2021, which was a top 10 crowd size at the time.
The new feat comes days after country star Lainey Wilson broke the NYS Fair record with 53,200 fans at Suburban Park on Wednesday.
REO Speedwagon is now one of three acts that have twice made the list of the top 25 largest crowds in New York State Fair concert history, at No. 10 and No. 18. Rapper Nelly scored 43,000 fans at Chevy Park in 2022 (No. 2 on the all-time list) and 33,713 in 2021 (No. 12 overall).
UPDATE: Ludacris became the third act to make the list twice Thursday, Aug. 31, with 39,400 fans at Suburban Park. It’s the fourth largest crowd in NYS Fair concert history; he previously drew 31,500 to Chevy Court in 2018.
Ludacris shouts out the "315" during "Area Codes" at the New York State Fair's Suburban Park stage on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023. (Geoff Herbert | gherbert@syracuse.com)
REO Speedwagon, fronted by singer Kevin Cronin since 1972, is best known for ‘70s and ‘80s rock hits like “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” “Take It On the Run,” and “Keep on Loving You.” The band performs in Syracuse often, also playing the St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview in 2022. (Fun fact: REO Speedwagon’s original drummer Alan Gratzer is a Syracuse native; he left the group in 1989 but has toured with them at times since.)
All NYS Fair concerts are free with admission. Attendance is estimated by the New York State Fair using a formula that largely centers on estimating crowd sizes in various sections of Chevy Court and Suburban Park, and then adding them up.
In 2018, fair officials showed how Chevy Court is broken up into grids, including the seating area, grassy areas surrounding the seats, the courtyard by the Chevy Court Pavilion, the paved areas in front of the Center of Progress Building and the Dairy Products building. At least three staffers do the counting, accounting for circumstances such as traffic that may force some concert-goers to be late, and they compare figures during or after the second half of a performance. Then-acting director Troy Waffner told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard that estimating the crowd in each section as a percentage of the maximum capacity figure leads to a final number that’s likely accurate within five percent.
Here are the top 25 largest crowds in New York State Fair concert history:
No. 1: Lainey Wilson — 53,200 at Suburban Park in 2023
No. 2: Nelly — 43,000 at Chevy Park in 2022
No. 3: A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie — 40,610 at Chevy Court in 2018
No. 4: Ludacris - 39,400 at Suburban Park in 2023
No. 5: City Girls - 39,000 at Chevy Park in 2022
No. 6: Foreigner - 38,000 at Chevy Park in 2022
No. 7: Steve Miller Band — 36,900 at Chevy Court in 2015
No. 8: AJR — 36,397 people at Chevy Park in 2021
No. 9: Bruno Mars — 35,000 at Chevy Court in 2011
No. 10: REO Speedwagon - 34,000 at Suburban Park in 2023
No. 11: ZZ Top — 33,875 at Chevy Court in 2018
No. 12: Nelly — 33,713 at Chevy Park in 2021
No. 13: Migos — 31,900 at Chevy Court in 2017
No. 14: Ludacris (tie) — 31,500 at Chevy Court in 2018
No. 14: Florida Georgia Line (tie) — 31,500 at Chevy Court in 2013
No. 16: Chicago — 31,200 at Chevy Court in 2016
No. 17: Nas — 30,750 at Chevy Court in 2015
No. 18: REO Speedwagon — 30,511 at Chevy Park in 2021
No. 19: Dropkick Murphys — 30,200 at Chevy Court in 2019
No. 20: TLC (tie) - 30,000 at Chevy Park in 2022
No. 20: Sonny & Cher (tie) — 30,000 at Empire Court in 1972
No. 20: Lady A (tie) — 30,000 at Chevy Court in 2010
No. 20: Yung Gravy f/ bbno$ (tie) - 30,000 at Suburban Park in 2023
No. 24: Earth, Wind & Fire — 29,900 at Chevy Court in 2017
No. 25: Counting Crows — 29,550 at Chevy Court in 2018
Also: No. 26 is Train with 28,563 at Chevy Park in 2021; No. 27 is Lynyrd Skynyrd with 28,400 at Chevy Court in 2017.
Note: Chevy Park was renamed Suburban Park this year.
All attendance figures provided by New York State Fair. Concerts at Suburban Park and Chevy Court are free with admission to the fair.