Crossfade.

Remember that name - because those who didn't know the name before Saturday night are sure to remember it after.

Even people who consider themselves rock music fans have been asking one question the past few week: Who the heck is Crossfade?

Tori Connell, 15, of Marion, believes she knows who Crossfade is.

"I think they're a really great breakout band."

And breakout they have. Crossfade is the band behind 2004's Most Played Rock song "Cold," which spent a record-breaking 65 weeks on the Active Rock charts and was included on the compilation CD "Now That's What I Call Music 17." And this from their debut album.

"Cold" was followed up by the breakup song, "So Far Away" and most recently, "Colors." The self-titled album - written, recorded and produced by the band, dropped in April 2004. By July 2004, the album was steadily climbing the Billboard charts and is still selling more than 15,000 copies a week.

Not bad for a band people continue ask "Who is Crossfade?"

Crossfade has been headlining a tour with Seether since July with the current lineup of Ed Sloan on lead vocals and guitar, Mitch James on bass and backing vocals and James Branham on drums. On a tour that has taken the band from the South to New York and everywhere in between, Crossfade made a stop at the Du Quoin State Fair Saturday night with fellow rockers Seether and Dark New Day.

Looking around the crowd, 15-year-old Rheanna Pulley of Creal Springs said "This could be an interesting show."

With probably the most diverse crowd of all the performers at the fair this year, Crossfade sold more than 3,400 tickets to rock fans of all ages and from all over the area.

With the theme song from the TV show "The Dukes of Hazzard" playing, the lights went down. As the music begins to change when the band begins to play, the lights slowly come back up a little. The crowd erupts in applause and screams as Sloan begins to sing songs about love gone wrong the only way rockers know how: Loud and somewhat angry.

With fog permeating the grandstand, Sloan sings heart-wrenching lyrics reminiscent of Three Days Grace. And with lyrics such as "I know you feel alone and no one can figure you out ¦ but the colors that you shine are surely not the best" shows a somewhat softer side of the band.

The band closed its performance with its first hit single, "Cold," and the elated crowd enthusiastically sang along during the chorus: "What I really meant to say is I'm sorry for the way I am. I never meant to be so cold."

With the music coming to a close, Sloan thanked the audience and the crowd cheered indicating Crossfade had brought the rock to Du Quoin and ensured that the fair would play host to many more rock acts in the future.

tonia.howerton@thesouthern.com

618-259-5454 x5179