Enjoy the ride with Sugarland at RIMAC Field on Saturday

By Jenna Jay

Grammy Award-winning country music duo Sugarland will perform at UCSD’s RIMAC Field on Saturday, July 23, with special guests Sara Bareilles and Casey James. The concert is part of Sugarland’s current “The Incredible Machine Tour,” and is one of a few big-name shows expected at UCSD this summer.

RIMAC Arena will also host concerts with Death Cab for Cutie on Aug. 16 and Bassnectar on Sept. 10.

Sugarland will perform as part of the five-year agreement UCSD reached with the Los Angeles-based entertainment company Nederlander Concerts that also brought Rise Against and Bad Religion to RIMAC Arena earlier this spring.

“This show is part of an exciting new trend at UCSD,” said Alex Kushner, manager of campus events at the university. “Concert bookings (here) have dramatically increased over the years. We have gone from having 20 concerts a year to 250. The exciting new concert increase has enhanced UCSD’s nightlife and helped create an identity for the students.

“RIMAC Field is one of the largest concert venues in San Diego and provides a unique opportunity for us to bring some amazing major artists to our campus. It’s a really great time to be a live music fan in San Diego!”

Sugarland is on the road promoting its fourth studio album, “The Incredible Machine.” Comprised of musicians Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush, the duo has been a country music favorite since 2004, when they tapped into the industry with the hit song “Baby Girl.”

Since then, Sugarland has sold more than 9 million records and posted seven No. 1 singles on the country charts. Sugarland has been recipient of trophies from the Grammy Awards, Country Music Association, American Music Awards, Academy of Country Music and CMT Music Awards.

Nettles and Bush describe their new album as a release made for stadium shows.

“This record is designed to play in very large places and to communicate with a large group of people,” Bush said in press materials. “When you have an instrument as powerful and as graceful as Jennifer’s voice, you don’t want to tiptoe in. You really go for it! And those types of songs are often where Jennifer and I intersect musically.”

In addition to Sugarland’s brand of poppy contemporary country music, the July 23 concert at RIMAC Field will also feature “American Idol” alum Casey James and pop star Sara Bareilles as opening acts.

If you go

What:

Sugarland, with Casey James, Sara Bareilles

When:

7 p.m. July 23

Where:

RIMAC Field at UCSD

Advance tickets:

$35.50 students; $51.50 general

At the door:

$60.50

Military:

$25 at Ticketmaster.com code: MILITARY

Box office:

(858) 534-8497

Web:

ucsdboxoffice.com