With the promise of spring in the air, it’s time to explore the regional summer concert calendar, and this year’s lineup is one of the most diverse in recent memory. As we leave the post-pandemic years behind, we’re spoiled for choice with a variety of great options.
This week, I will highlight Artpark’s Amphitheater Concerts, which boast a summer schedule that should please multiple generations. Some of the notable classic rock era artists returning include George Thorogood on July 1 and Rick Springfield on July 5.
Thorogood performed at Artpark in 2010, 2011 and 2017, and every one of those performances was memorable. Lonesome George has also been a great interviewee. He once told me the reason he hasn’t changed his sound over the years is that it would be like “changing the menu at a busy restaurant.”
Thorogood will be joined by 38 Special, another band with an excellent catalog, and they never disappoint.
Springfield tops a bill that includes John Waite, Wang Chung, and Paul Young. If you came of age in the mid 1980s, your voice would be hoarse after singing along with all the hits that those four artists will perform. Springfield is a must-see kind of live performer.
The show I am most eagerly anticipating is Blackberry Smoke on July 31. Their performance at the Amphitheater on July 1, 2021, was one of the first post-pandemic shows and was cut short by lightning. Despite this, it was a stellar performance that made a lifelong fan out of me. I can’t wait to see them again. Mike Campbell and The Dirty Knobs will open the show. Campbell is Tom Petty’s longtime guitarist.
Trombone Shorty returns on July 17 for what has become an annual visit. He has become a yearly visitor for a reason: Trombone Shorty is a dynamic performer. You should put him on your shortlist if you have not caught him and his ensemble yet.
For fans of the 1990s, on Aug. 15, Toad the Wet Sprocket, KT Tunstall, and Sixpence None the Richer are the intriguing triple bill. Tunstall is my favorite of the three, but there will be no shortage of great songs at this one.
There are also a couple of tribute acts, the Yacht Rock Revue on Aug. 13 and The Australian Pink Floyd Show on Aug. 27. YRR was one of the first Yacht Rock acts, and even though the term Yacht Rock was originally pejorative, it has spawned a whole new appreciation for songs that dominated the radio waves in the 1970s and ’80s.
The Australian Pink Floyd Show is about as close as you will get to experiencing Pink Floyd live. They are meticulous in their approach to the Pink Floyd catalog.
Other shows worth mentioning include Fitz and the Tantrums’ return on Aug. 12. I have seen them twice, and they are a lot of fun and have a ton of energy.
I hope to catch Slightly Stoopid with Iration and Little Stranger on Aug. 1. I missed Slightly Stoopid the last time they were at Artpark, and everyone told me how great they are live. I have seen Iration, so I know they also put on a great show.
While I didn’t mention all the shows, there are no bad choices. We have a lot to look forward to at Artpark this summer.