Puppet show (and Alan Parsons Project)

Playing the fair circuit seems like the kiss of death. After all, 4-H events and carnival attractions don’t make the most apropos setting for live music. This year, however, the California State Fair has made great strides to bring the best in live entertainment. From comedians like Paul Rodriguez and Bill Engvall to today’s and yesterday’s pop sensations, 2005’s concert schedule is reason enough to fork over the $10 fair-admission charge. Alan Parsons, producer extraordinaire (Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon) and leader of his namesake project, is one of the fair’s most intriguing and perplexing choices. His earlier albums, such as 1977’s I Robot and 1979’s Eve, were arguably some of the most forward-thinking releases of the era. Today, he’s touring in support of his latest release, A Valid Path, which not-so-coincidentally features Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. The Alan Parsons Project plays at the Golden 1 Stage at Cal Expo on Wednesday at 8 p.m. The show is free with fair admission, or $10 for Golden Circle reserved seats. Visit www.bigfun.org for info.