The RNC first, Fishkill next

Just got word that Trace Adkins will be singing the "The Star-Spangled Banner" at tonight's Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn.

Tonight's 7:30 p.m. performance will come just 10 days before Adkins and Kellie Pickler take to the stage at Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill for the first-ever Hudson Valley Country Fest. That concert takes place on Sept. 14th, starting at 3 p.m. For a glimpse of all the "Sean's Space" pre-Fest coverage, including part of my interview with Kellie, click here. My story previewing the show will run Tuesday in the Poughkeepsie Journal and on our Web site.

In case you missed it, fellow country crooners like Gretchen Wilson have been entertaining the GOP honchos all week long, with perhaps the biggest star of them all — that being Trace — set for tonight.

Think of it as a warm-up for the Country Fest in our own backyard!