Just weeks ahead of the Big E’s opening day, New England’s largest fair has announced a slate of new music acts set to perform on the Court of Honor Stage during its fall 2023 run.
The new additions are Chubby Checker of “The Twist” fame, a special production by the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Barry Goudreau’s Engine Room, and Banachek’s Mind Games Live, according to the fair in a new release on Wednesday.
The performances at the Court of Honor Stage are free for those with admission to the Big E.
Checker will be among the first of the new additions to perform. The “unrivaled king of the Rock & Roll dance craze” will be available to watch at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23.
The Big E added his hit song “The Twist” introduced the concept of “dancing apart to the beat,” and became a No. 1 song during the fall of 1960, where it remained on the charts for four months, before hitting No. 1 again in 1961 after a drop off period.
Checker is also notable for his 1961 songs “Do the Pony,” “Let’s Twist Again and “The Fly,” as well as the 1962 songs “Slow Twistin’,” “Limbo Rock,” and “Popeye the Hitchhiker,” the Big E said. Checker has also starred in two feature films “Twist Around the Clock,” and “Don’t Knock the Twist.” In total he has 32 songs which have charted, the Big E said.
The Springfield Symphony Orchestra.
Additionally, The Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) and Springfield Chamber Players will present “The Joy of Music” in celebration of SSO’s 80th anniversary at 2 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 25 and Tuesday, Sept. 26.
SSO is the largest Massachusetts symphony outside of Boston and is made up of more than 80 musicians from the Northeastern U.S. and Canada, the Big E said.
“As proud members of the Springfield community, we look forward to welcoming The Big E audience to these concerts and to our upcoming season as we celebrate our historic 80th anniversary,” said Paul Lambert, the SSO president and CEO, in a statement.
Guitarist Barry Goudreau, originally from the multi-platinum selling band Boston, and his Engine Room will perform on Monday, Sept. 25, and Tuesday, Sept. 26, at 8 p.m. on the Court of Honor Stage.
Goudreau played on the band Boston’s first two albums including the same-named debut album “Boston” and “Don’t Look Back,” both of which landed on top of the Billboard Pop Charts in the late 70s, according to the Big E.
Goudreau continued with his career after leaving Boston and went on to form the bands Orion the Hunter and RTZ as well as putting out two record with musician Brad Delp, but now tours with his Engine Room band.
Lastly, described as the “greatest mentalism act in the world” by magicians Pen & Teller, Banachek’s Mind Games Live will host performances daily from Thursday, Sept. 21 through Monday, Sept. 25 at 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. on the Court of Honor Stage, the Big E said.
The Big E called Banachek’s Mind Games Live a “nonstop heart-pounding journey where Banachek introduces on incredible act after the next, demonstrating why he is known as the world’s greatest mind reader.”
The fair added that Banachek has appeared on more than 50 major TV shows and has been a consultant to some of the world’s top magicians and mentalists such as David Copperfield, Criss Angel and David Blaine.
The Big E will run from Friday, Sept. 15, through Sunday, Oct. 1, this year in West Springfield.
