For the Reporter

The sharp contemporary country sound of Florida Georgia Line comes to the Washington State Fair on Sept. 15, part of the Columbia Bank’s Concert Series.

The singing/songwriting country pop duo of Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley, brings their No. 1 hit songs, “Cruise,” and “Get Your Shine On,” and “Stay.”

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. Tickets are $90 (Golden Circle), $70 and $40 with reserved seating, and include Fair gate admission. Tickets will be sold online or by phone at 888-559-FAIR (3247) daily, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets also can be purchased in person at the Fair’s box office at Ninth Avenue Southwest and Meridian Street on Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and a $1 per ticket service fee will be charged for on-site purchases.

To make it a special evening, ticket holders to the concert can purchase a Florida Georgia Line “Shine On” Pre-Show Party ticket for $30 each.

The duo

Georgia-born Tyler Hubbard and Florida-born Brian Kelley each started playing guitar in high school. By the time they met at Belmont University, they knew their singing and songwriting had potential for great things to come. That premonition proved to be right.

Their first EP was released Dec. 14, 2010, with all of the songs written by either Hubbard or Hubbard and Kelley. That six-song EP that featured songs “You’re Country” and “Now That She’s Gone” was followed May 15, 2012 with a second EP. A featured song on that EP featured “Cruise” and “Get Your Shine On.”

Two months later, and Republic Nashville signed the duo to a record contract, rapidly releasing Hubbard and Kelley’s first studio album, Here’s to the Good Times. The Dec. 4, 2012 released album included breakthrough song, “Cruise,” which reached No. 1 on the Country Airplay chart less than two weeks later. The album’s second single, “Get Your Shine On” was release to radio Jan. 21, 2013, and reached No. 1 on the Country Airplay chart. The third song released, “Round Here” also went to No. 1, as well as the fourth single, “Stay.” In June, the Platinum-certified album reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.

In their short career the duo has toured the United States as part of the Dirt Road Diaries Tour featuring Thompson Square and headlining Luke Bryan. Between 2012 and 2013, they also produced six music videos.

Hubbard and Kelley swept the 2013 music award circuit, named “New Artist of the Year” and “New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year” at the Academy of Country Music Awards. They won top honors in two categories at the CMT Music Awards, “Duo Video of the Year” and “Breakthrough Video of the Year.” The Country Music Association Awards honored them with “Vocal Duo of the Year” and “Single of the Year” for “Cruise,” while the American Music Awards honored the duo with “Single of the Year” for the remix of “Cruise” featuring Nelly.

For more information on Florida Georgia Line, visit floridageorgialine.com.

More acts will be announced in the coming months for the State Fair’s Columbia Bank Concert Series. Visit www.thefair.com/concerts for updates, or sign up at www.thefair.com to receive email or text announcements prior to the concert on-sale dates.

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STATE FAIR ENTERTAINMENT LINEUP

Date, performance, time, prices

• Sept. 5: Justin Playoffs Rodeo, 1 p.m. Friday matinee,** $5*/$18

• Sept. 5: Clay Walker concert following rodeo (country), 6:30 p.m.,** $50 (Golden Saddle), $40, $30, $40 (standing in the dirt)

• Sept. 6: Justin Playoffs Rodeo 1 p.m. Saturday matinee,** $30, $20, $16

• Sept. 6: Colt Ford concert following rodeo (country), 6:30 p.m.,** $35 (Golden Saddle), $25, $20, $30 (standing in the dirt)

• Sept. 7: Justin Playoffs Rodeo, Puyallup Finals, 1 p.m., $35, $25, $20

• Sept. 13: An Evening with Keith Urban, “Light the Fuse Tour” (country), 7:30 p.m., $100 (Golden Circle), $80, $40. Pre-show dinner: $55

• Sept. 15: Florida Georgia Line (country), 7:30 p.m., $90 (Golden Circle), $70, $40, “Shine On” Pre-Show Party $30

• Sept. 17: Michael W. Smith/Amy Grant (Christian), 7:30 p.m., $50 (Golden Circle), $40, $30

• Sept. 18: Jeff Dunham (comedy), 7:30 p.m., $75 (Golden Circle), $50, $40. Pre-show dinner: $55

* Friday 1 p.m. rodeo does not include Fair gate admission. Gates are open free from 10 a.m.-noon.

** On sale Feb. 27 at 10 a.m.