Departments

Seven shows. Zero dollars.

By Steve Lange

It’s time, once again, to get Down by the Riverside

Survivor
Sunday, July 12
Since the early 1980s, Survivor has cut its share of kick-ass singles, literally. “Eye of the Tiger,” the chart-topping, Grammy-award winning 1982 hit from Rocky III snapped Rocky out of his funk and allowed him to beat Clubber Lang and avenge Mick’s death. And “The Moment of Truth,” the 1984 single from the Karate Kid soundtrack allowed Daniel to overcome a horrific knee injury to defeat those damn Cobra Kai kids. I mean, I swear to god I would fight anyone wearing a Cobra Kai gi when they play that song in concert. Other hits: “Burning Heart,” “The Search Is Over,” “High On You,” and “I Can’t Hold Back.” 
Opening Act: Black Valentyne

Jamey Johnson
Sunday, July 19
The press release describes Johnson as a “critically acclaimed, three-time Grammy nominated Country traditionalist who took the music world by storm in 2008.” Rolling Stone magazine called him a “hard-drinking badass who is well on his way to being country music's biggest outlaw” and described his music as “Steve Earle and Merle Haggard, not Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban.” He won the Academy of Country Music Song of the Year with “In Color,” a
top-ten country single. He’s also charted with “The Dollar” and “High Cost Of Living.”   
Opening Act: Relaxed Fit

Monte Montgomery
Sunday, July 26
This singer, songwriter, guitarist has earned praise from both critics and fellow musicians not only for his stunning and imaginative acoustic six-string work, but also for his abilities as a singer and a crafter of ear-catching songs. Guitar Player magazine listed Monte as one of America's Top 50 All-Time Greatest Guitarists. 
Opening Act: Booker Mini Band

Rochester Concert Band and Choir
Sunday, August 2
Now in its 140th year, the Rochester Concert Band, led by Chuck Blattner, will feature “A Young Person’s Guide to John Williams,” highlighting themes from such movie classics as E.T., Raider of the Lost Ark, and Harry Potter. 

The Smithereens
Sunday, August 9
Combining the sounds of Buddy Holly and The Beatles with shades of metal and prog-rock, the Smithereens were an anomaly in the American college rock scene of the late ‘80s. On the strength of college and MTV airplay, the group spawned several Top 40 radio hits, including, “A Girl Like You,” “Only a Memory,” and “Blood and Roses.” 
Opening Act: Oktober


Shemekia Copeland
Sunday, August 16
The daughter of blues great Johnny Copeland, Shemekia has been called the “heir to the rich tradition of soul-drenched divas like Ruth Brown, Etta James, and Koko Taylor.” She has opened for the Rolling Stones, headlined at the Chicago Blues Festival, and scored critics choice awards on both sides of the Atlantic.  
Opening Act: Wigglefoot

Kansas
Sunday, August 23
The Rolling Stone magazine band bio nailed it: “Once upon a time. Kansas were a viable American alternative to the near-terminal pretensions and upper-crust elitism of English art-rock. Like a cornfed Genesis, they balanced the cosmic incredulity of their lyrics with a sound as big as the wide open spaces of their native state: cathedral-like keyboards and high-blown vocal arrangements anchored by the garage-band raunch ...” And the band nailed it, chart-wise, for more than 200 weeks in the 70's and 80's with hits like “Dust in the Wind,” “Point of No Return,” “Play the Game Tonight,” “Fight Fire With Fire,” “All I Wanted,” and  “Carry On Wayward Son," which was the #1 Most Played Track on classic rock radio in 1997, twenty years after its release.   
Opening Act: Native Window