Showcase space is tight for Thursday, so Dr. Rock’s Concert Listings didn’t make it. But below you will find the list of just-announced concerts.

Other news: Sloppy Duck opens a week ahead of schedule with its outdoor Tiki Bar shows. Look for M-80s on Friday and Taylor Maid on Saturday.

In addition to playing the Erie Summer Festival of the Arts, Nashville country artist Tyson Bowman will play an intimate show at Coconut Joe’s on June 22. Bowman plays the arts fest on June 24.

Ron Yarosz and Erie native Randy Baumann took part in the all-star Pittsburgh salute, “Exile on Carson Street” last Saturday that include Donnie Iris, members of the Clarks, Joe Grushecky and more. They played the Stones’ classic “Exile on Main St.” from start to finish and more at a sold-out Rex Theatre.
“I got to follow Donnie Iris and they played one of the tracks that I sang and played harp on live on the WDVE morning show,” Yarosz said. “I sang on ‘Shake your Hips’ and “Turd on the Run’ and played harp on ‘Sweet Black Angel’ ‘Stop Breaking Down,’ and ‘Gimme Shelter.’ It was an awesome night!

Bad news: The benefit that was scheduled Sunday at Crooked I with celebrated New York City guitarists, including Living Colour’s Vernon Reid, has been canceled. Reid couldn’t make it into Erie that day.

Cool news: Singer-songwriter Todd Snider will play at North East’s Lake View Country Club on July 1. It’s a limited-ticket show; just 300 will be sold. See info below.

JUST ANNOUNCED
JUNE 18. Robert Cray Band. Tralf, Buffalo.
JUNE 26. Derailers. Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland.
JULY 1. Todd Snider. Lake View Country Club, North East. $30. For tickets, e-mail aaron@chuckollingerphc.com or call 725-9644 ext. 226.
JULY 6. Breaker, Shok Paris, Manimals. House of Blues, Cleveland. On sale May 18.
JULY 13. Toby Keith, Brantley Gilbert. House of Blues, Cleveland. On sale May 18 at Ticketmaster.
JULY 23. Outlaw Road Show with Counting Crows, Good Old War, more. Stage AE Outdoors, Pittsburgh. On sale May 18 at Ticketmaster.
JULY 24. Yes, Procol Harum. Carnegie Library Music Hall, Munhall. On sale May 18 at noon LibraryMusicHall.com., (412) 368-5225.
JULY 26. Matisyahu, Dirty Heads. Town Ballroom, Buffalo.
JULY 29. Pitbull, DJ Havana Brown. Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica, Cleveland. On sale May 18 at Ticketmaster.
JULY 30. Matisyahu, Dirty Heads. Carnegie Library Music Hall, Munhall. On sale at LibraryMusicHall.com., (412) 368-5225.
JULY 30. Blind Pilot. Town Ballroom, Buffalo.
AUG. 7. Toadies, Helmet. House of Blues, Cleveland. On sale May 18.
AUG. 9. Scream It Like You Mean It with Attack Attack!, We Came as Romans, Woe Is Me, Acacia Strain, Like Moths to Flames, more. Stage AE, Pittsburgh. On sale May 18 at Ticketmaster.
AUG. 12. Old Crow Medicine Show. Stage AE, Pittsburgh. On sale May 19 at Ticketmaster.
AUG. 12. Ted Nugent, Laura Wilde. Erie County Fair, Hamburg, N.Y.
AUG. 17. Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Rachel Farley. First Niagara Pavilion, Burgettstown. On sale May 18 at Ticketmaster.
AUG. 17. Dokken. House of Blues, Cleveland. On sale May 18 at Ticketmaster.
AUG. 22. Jane’s Addiction. Stage AE, Pittsburgh. On sale May 18 at Ticketmaster.
AUG. 23. Dethklok, Lamb of God. Stage AE Outdoors, Pittsburgh. On sale May 18 at Ticketmaster.
NOV. 18. Carrie Underwood. Bryce Jordan Center, State College. On sale May 18 at Ticketmaster.

8 Great Tuesdays is ready to roll in 2012 and will kick off at Liberty Park’s Burger King Amphitheater with an exciting one: the Wailers on July 10.
Yes, that’s as in Bob Marley’s Wailers. The same group headlined CelebrateErie back in 2004, but a downpour that night kept the crowd down.. Hopefully, we’ll have better weather to enjoy reggae classics such as “Get Up, Stand Up,” “Three Little Birds,” “I Shot the Sheriff”and so many more.
The rest of the lineup:
July 17: Sponge. Detroit grunge/alternative band from the 1990s, best known for “Plowed” and “Have You Seen Mary.”
July 24: Bill Wharton, the “Sauce Boss.” Immortalized in a Jimmy Buffett song,, the Sauce Boss plays feel-good blues and island music. He also makes gumbo while he plays, though I am not sure if he does that at a venue as large as Liberty Park.
July 1: The Igniters. Hot Pittsburgh R&B/soul and roots band which started in the 1960s and reformed just a few years ago.
Aug . 7: One World Tribe. Erie’s world-music collective opened for Rusted Root a few years at 8 Great; they deservedly get a headlining slot.
Aug. 14: Jake’s Blues. Not only a staple for 8 Great Tuesdays, but traditionally one of the biggest draws every summer, too.
Aug. 21: William Dell and Wee Jams. Long-running, Pittsburgh group plays 50s-60s flavored songs with horn section and feel-good oldies’ spirit.
Aug. 28: Midnight Special. Rockers cover classics from the 1970s and 1980s, including Led Zeppelin, Queen, Journey, Styx and more.

Opening acts will be announced later for each show. T-shirts and some new 8 Great items, such as stickers and koozies, are available for pre-order now at http://www.porterie.org/8-great-tuesdays.

Elsewhere, some big shows go on sale this weekend: Rush, Counting Crows, Korn and more. See below for what I have so far.
JUNE 18. Counting Crows. Cain Park, Cleveland Heights, Ohio. On sale May 11 at Ticketmaster.
JUNE 19. Korn, Sluggo, J. Devil. Stage AE Outdoors, Pittsburgh. On sale May 11 at Ticketmaster.
JUNE 19. The Flatlanders. Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland.
JULY 7. Sleigh Bells. Town Ballroom, Buffalo.
JULY 9. Sleigh Bells. House of Blues, Cleveland. On sale May 11 at Ticketmaster.
JULY 19. Beach House. House of Blues, Cleveland.
JULY 21. Shockwave Festival with Fear Factory, Voivod, more. Town Ballroom, Buffalo.
AUG. 1. Bouncing Souls. Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland.
AUG. 6. Jane’s Addiction, Mute Math. Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica, Cleveland. On sale May 11 at Ticketmaster.
AUG. 14. “American Idols” Live. Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh. On sale May 11 at Ticketmaster.
AUG. 17. Def Leppard, Poison, Lita Ford. Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, Darien Center, N.Y. On sale May 12 at Ticketmaster.
AUG. 29. Happy Together Tour with the Turtles, Micky Dolenz, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, Buckinghams, Grass Roots. Carnegie Library Music Hall, Munhall.
OCT. 9. The King’s Men with Kirk Franklin, Marvin Sapp, Donnie McClurkin, Israel Houghton. Wolstein Center, Cleveland. On sale at www.wolsteincenter.com, (877) 468-4946.
OCT. 28. Rush. Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland. On sale May 12 at www.theqarena.com, (888) 894-9424.

Guitarist Al Pitrelli wasn’t kidding when he said Trans-Siberian Orchetra would pull out all the stops on its “Beethoven’s Last Night” concert.
Wednesday’s rock theater production at Tullio Arena featured blasts of fireballs, an insane amount of lasers, fog, video (including clips from “Immortal Beloved”), dramatic narration and hair — lots of flying hair by guys and gals.
The show combines rock thunder and classical flair, especially works by Beethoven (though Mozart gets his due). Rock violinist Roddy Chong smiled throughout, criss-crossing the stage, leaping at times, while playing with string-breaking intensity.
But this is par for the TSO course: It pours its heart and soul into its shows, and it also rounds up insanely talented singers, including Rob Evan as Beethoven and female powerhouse Chloe Lowery as Beethoven’s beloved Theresa (though Kayla Reeves was equally impressive)..
Narrator Bryan Hicks’ deep, authoritative voice and theatrical expressiveness lent plenty to the production, which tends to get a little word-heavy at times and sink under exposition. He carries a heavy load, too heavy at times. Might the work be better served as a full-blown musical than narration and songs?
Still, it’s an emotional and occasionally stirring work as Beethoven wrestles with the Devil over his soul and a supposed 10th symphony.
With “Beethoven’s Last Night,” TSO tries to meld the bravura of a classic, Webber-worthy Broadway show, the spectacle of a Pink Floyd concert and power of a pumped-up arena band (with 17 members!).
The show was uneven at times — again, too much story — but when it lifted off, it was NASA worthy.
The concert closed with a generous six-song encore, including several “Night Castle” tracks: “Moonlight and Madness,” “Tracers” and explosive finale, “Carmina Burana.”
The crowd was surprisingly small, just 3,000 fans or so at Tullio Arena. But those who attended were into it and TSO gave its all, playing more than 2 1/2 hours.
TSO, per usual, donated $1 per ticket to a local group. This time the Greater Erie Youth Symphony Orchestra benefited with a $2,971 check.

Just in: the Allman Brothers Band and Santana will team up July 22 at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center in Darien Center, N.Y. Tickets go on sale May 4 at Ticketmaster and by phone at 1-800-745-3000. These two giants are playing just six shows together all summer; it’s cool we get one so close.

Don’t forget: Trans-Siberian Orchestra brings its “Beethoven’s Last Night” concert to Tullio Arena tonight at 7:30.
Expect a special-effects extravaganza, per usual: moving light tresses, lightning storm, lasers and more. But you can also expect a good-old fashioned story this is a rock opera. It’s set, as the title says, on Beethoven’s last night, when the devil pops in and tries to snare his soul and prevent his 10th symphony from seeing the light of day.
(It’s fiction. There is no 10th symphony. I can’t verify the existence of the Devil, either, thank God).
Tonight’s show will be the last one at Tullio Arena for some time. Renovations are already under way. I know Casey Wells, the executive director of the Erie County Convention Center Authority, hopes to re-open the facility with several big-name shows in 2013. The increased seating capacity should help Erie pull in some good ones More seats mean a higher potential gross for paying the ever-escalating prices demanded by top-tier acts.
Tickets remain available at $55, $45 and $35.

We didn’t have space in Thursday’s Showcase for Dr. Rock’s Concert Listings, so I’ve dropped the “just announced” ones down below.
JUST ANNOUNCED
JUNE 3. Joan Osborne. Hartwood Acres, Pittsburgh. Free.
JUNE 4. Battles. Mr. Smalls Theatre, Millvale.
JUNE 12. Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang. Center for the Arts, University of Buffalo, Buffalo.
JUNE 17. Jimmy Beaumont and the Skyliners. Hartwood Acres, Pittsburgh. Free.
JUNE 24. Meshell N’Degeocello. Hartwood Acres, Pittsburgh. Free.
JUNE 30. Rascal Flatts, Little Big Town. Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, Darien Center, N.Y. On sale May 4 at Ticketmaster.
JULY 3. Death Cab for Cutie, City and Colour. Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica, Cleveland. On sale May 4 at Ticketmaster.
JULY 5. John Mayall. Tralf, Buffalo.
JULY 13. Death Cab for Cutie, Andrew Bird. Stage AE Outdoors, Pittsburgh. On sale May 5 at Ticketmaster.
JULY 19. Nicki Minaj. State Theatre, Cleveland. On sale May 5 at 10 a.m. at www.tickets.com, (888) 223-6000..
JULY 20. Ingrid Michaelson, Greg Laswell. Town Ballroom, Cleveland.
JULY 21. Beach House. Mr. Smalls Theatre, Millvale.
JULY 27. Lucinda Williams. South Park Amphitheater, Pittsburgh. Free.
JULY 28. Van Halen. Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland. On sale May 4 at (888) 894-9424, www.theqarena.com.
JULY 29. Toad the Wet Sprocket. Hartwood Acres, Pittsburgh. Free.
JULY 28. Joshua Radin. Cain Park, Cleveland Heights, Ohio. On sale May 4 at Ticketmaster.
AUG. 5. Toad the Wet Sprocket. Hartwood Acres, Pittsburgh. Free.
AUG. 5. Lyle Lovett & His Large Band. Center for the Arts, University of Buffalo, Buffalo.
AUG. 10. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. South Park Amphitheater, Pittsburgh. Free.
AUG. 12. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. Hartwood Acres, Pittsburgh. Free.
AUG. 15. Jackson Browne, Sara Watkins. Cain Park, Cleveland Heights, Ohio. On sale May 4 at Ticketmaster.
AUG. 17. Mike Doughty. South Park Amphitheater, Pittsburgh.
AUG. 21. My Morning Jacket, Band of Horses. Stage AE Outdoors, Pittsburgh. On sale May 4 at Ticketmaster.
AUG. 26. Trace Adkins. Seneca Allegany Casino, Salamanca, N.Y. On sale May 8 at Ticketmaster.
AUG. 31. The Hitmen. South Park Amphitheater, Pittsburgh. Free.
SEPT. 7. Mega 80s. House of Blues, Cleveland. On sale May 4 at Ticketmaster.
SEPT. 11. Rush. Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh. On sale May 4 at Ticketmaster.
SEPT. 26. Bruce Hornsby. Center for the Arts, University of Buffalo, Buffalo.
OCT. 28. Rush. Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland. On-sale date TBA.

Rush will tour behind “Clockwork Angels,” its next studio album, due out June 12, and the tour will hit all three area major cities.
First on sale: Buffalo’s First Niagara Center. Tickets will go on sale Saturday at www.tickets.com and by phone at (888) 223-6000 for an Oct. 26 concert.
Rush will also play Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena on Oct. 28 and Pittsburgh’s Consol Energy Center on Sept. 11. On-sale dates for those shows have yet to be announced.

Def Leppard, Poison and Lita Ford play Pittsburgh’s First Niagara Pavilion on Aug. 14. Those tickets will go on sale Friday at Ticketmaster.

Had a fun, if different sort of weekend for me. Caught Cleveland’s excellent Blue Lunch at Rocco’s. The eight-man group plays swing and big-band tunes from the 1940s and 1950s, some of them obscure, all of them fun and extremely danceable. Love that horn section. They did some Freddie King; nothing wrong with that.
At Presque Isle Downs, I saw crowd-pleasing Chris Higbee, who is working his wife Melissa in the show a little bit more. In addition to the usual country and rock covers, Higbee did some disco (!) with “Turn the Beat Around” and a little Miami Sound Machine, too. Higbee, in good spirits, climbed a scaffold during a Steve Miller Band cover.

Last Thursday, I caught Jerry Seinfeld at the Warner. He seemed to be battling a cold; his voice was strained at times. The humor wasn’t, though.
A few bits were the same as his last Erie show (kid’s birthday party) he was a little edgier and more animated than usual.
During his usual Q&A encore, someone asked him about Newman. He told a funny story about signing an autograph for a “Seinfeld” fan at a New York diner when Wayne Knight, per chance, walked in. The fan thought he was seeing a “Seinfeld” reunion develop on the spot.
Seinfeld then gave the Erie crowd what it wanted, a terse, “Hello, Newman.”
The show wasn’t a sell out, but it was a pretty healthy turnout.

No word yet on what 8 Great Tuesdays will bring us in 2012.

Keep checking back today for more concert updates, if any roll in.

Also, author Chris Van Allsburg (“The Polar Express,” “Jumanji,’ “The Chronicles of Harris Burdick”) will talk and sign books today at 6:30 p.m. at Meadville Area High School Auditorium, 930 North Street. Admission is free. Call (814) 337-7975 for directions or more details.

Just in: Train will play Cleveland’s Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica on Aug. 16. Special guests are Mat Kearny and Andy Grammer. Tickets will go on sale Friday at Ticketmaster. Dream Theater will play the same venue on June 21. Those tickets also go on sale Friday.

Van Halen has tacked on 18 concerts to its ongoing comeback tour, including a July 28 concert at Quickens Loans Arena in Cleveland.
Tickets will go on sale May 4 at www.theqarena.com and by phone at (888) 894-9424. Ky-mani Marley will open.

Train has released the dates of its summer U.S. tour and, alas, there is no Erie date listed.
Could be because the band just played here in October and it’s too soon for a return trip. In any case, the closest they’ll come is Cleveland for an Aug. 16 show at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica.
Train is off on Aug. 17, then plays in Philadelphia on Aug. 18. Which means they’ll do a “drive by” of Erie during CelebrateErie time.
Could they, in fact, pull into Erie for a CE headlining spot on Aug. 17? That’d be fantastic, obviously. It’s also pure conjecture on my part, but I can’t help but note the routing and circumstances couldn’t be more favorable.
On the other hand, Train does command a mighty high price these days as a headliner.
Train visited Rolling Stone magazine’s studio for an intimate, four-song set, available for viewing at www.rollingstone.com. They play current single “Drive By” and “This’ll Be My Year,” both from just-released new album “California 37″ and hits “Drops of Jupiter” and “Save Me, San Francisco.” They performed on Tuesday’s “Dancing with the Stars,” too.

TMZ is reporting Dick Clark has died. The former “American Bandstand” leader and music impressario was a key tastemaker and savvy businessmen. He created the People’s Choice Awards, and Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Years Eve has been a live staple for years.
I interviewed him once on the phone and he was cordial, if not exactly fun. I had hope to extract a lot of fun memories out of him but he was mostlyall business.

If you’ve thought about seeing the Fray, but put off buying tickets, listen up.
Prices will be cut for a one-day only sale on Wednesday.
All floor tickets will be $30. Bleacher seats will be $20. That’s about $12 off the regular pre-sale and day-of tickets are even higher.
You can buy them Wednesday by calling 452-4857, by visiting www.erieevents.com or www.beg4music.com, or by going to the Tullio Arena box office.
The concert is Sunday at 7 p.m. Jack’s Mannequin and Andy Grammer will open.

Tickets for the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival at Blossom Music Center near Cleveland on July 25 will go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. Slipknot, Slayer, Motorhead, Anthrax, As I Lay Dying, Devil Wears Prada, Asking Alexandria and more will play.
The Pittsburgh-area show also goes on sale Friday; the tour stops at First Niagara Pavilion on July 28.
Tickets also go on sale Friday for six shows at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica: B-52s (May 25); Todd Rundgren (May 26); Staind (May 27); the Wailers (May 28, 2 p.m.), Michael Stanley and the Resonators (May 28, 6 p.m.) all at the Great American Rib Cook Off; and O.A.R with Rebelution (July 26). Ill Volo (Aug. 21) plays Jacobs Pavilion on Aug. 21; those tickets go on sale Saturday..

Rascal Flatts, Little Big Town and Eli Young Band play Blossom on June 29. Those tickets go on sale Friday at Ticketmaster.

Cain Park in Cleveland Heights will feature Fiona Apple on July 6. Tickets go on sale April 21. Also headed to Cain: Seal and Macy Gray on July 21 and the Happy Together Tour with the Turtles, Micky Dolenz, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, Buckinghams and Grass Roots on Aug. 1. Those two go on sale Friday.
Jackson Browne visits Cain Park on Aug. 15; those seats go on sale May 4.

We had no room for Dr. Rock’s Concerts in Thursday’s Showcase, so I thought I’d post the Just Announced shows on the blog. There are a lot; we’re headed into the thick of on-sale time for summer shows.
Also just in: Patent Pending, taking a day off from its tour with Bowling for Soup, will play the Edinboro Campus Events Center on April 27. Also on the bill: Freshman 15, Romantic Era, Tyrannic Fusion and Separating States. Tickets are on sale now at at http://erieentertainment.bigcartel.com.

JUST ANNOUNCED
APRIL 18. Third Eye Blind. Stage AE, Pittsburgh.
MAY 16. Santigold. Town Ballroom, Buffalo.
MAY 18. Lee “Scratch” Perry. Town Ballroom, Buffalo.
MAY 25. The B-52’s. Great American Rib Cook Off & Music Festival, Jacobs Pavilion, Cleveland. On sale April 13 at www.livenation.com, (800) 745-3000.
MAY 25. Roni Size. Town Ballroom, Buffalo.
MAY 26. Todd Rundgren. Great American Rib Cook Off & Music Festival, Jacobs Pavilion, Cleveland. On sale April 13 at www.livenation.com and (800) 745-3000.
MAY 27. Staind. Great American Rib Cook Off & Music Festival, Jacobs Pavilion, Cleveland. On sale April 13 at www.livenation.com and (800) 745-3000.
MAY 28. Michael Stanley and the Resonators. Great American Rib Cook Off & Music Festival, Jacobs Pavilion, Cleveland. On sale April 13 at www.livenation.com, (800) 745-3000.
JUNE 3. The Cult, Against Me!, Icarus Line. Stage AE, Pittsburgh. On sale April 7 at Ticketmaster.
JUNE 9. Boyz II Men. PNC Park Concert Series, following Pirates’ game. Pittsburgh.
JUNE 16. Santigold. Stage AE, Pittsburgh. On sale April 13 at Ticketmaster.
JUNE 21. Cinderella. House of Blues, Cleveland. On sale April 6 at Ticketmsater.
JUNE 24. Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger. House of Blues, Cleveland. On sale April 6 at Ticketmaster.
JUNE 24. BoDeans. Cambridge Room, House of Blues, Cleveland. On sale April 6 at Ticketmaster.
JUNE 29. Santigold. House of Blues, Cleveland. On sale April 6 at Ticketmaster.
JULY 7. Daughtry. PNC Park Concert Series, following Pirates’ game. Pittsburgh.
JULY 11. Vans Warped Tour with Taking Back Sunday, All Time Low, the Used, New Found Glory, Anti-Flag, Four Year Strong, Machine Gun Kelly, Yellowcard, Every Time I Die, Bayside, Senses Fail, Breathe Carolina, more. Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. On sale April 6 at Ticketmaster, (800) 745-3000.
JULY 12. Vans Warped Tour. (see artist list above). First Niagara Pavilion, Burgettstown. On sale April 6 at livenation.com, (800) 745-3000.
JULY 16. Neko Case. Mr. Smalls, Pittsburgh.
JULY 21. Seal, Macy Gray. Cain Park Amphitheater, Cleveland Heights, Ohio. On sale April 13 at Ticketmaster.
JULY 26. O.A.R., Rebelution. Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica, Cleveland. On sale April 13 at Ticketmaster.
JULY 27. O.A.R., Rebelution. Stage AE, Pittsburgh. On sale April 13 at Ticketmaster.
JULY 29. Toby Keith, Brantley Gilbert. Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, Darien Center, N.Y. On sale April 6 at Ticketmaster.
JULY 31. George Thorogood & the Destroyers, Delbert McClinton. Stage AE, Pittsburgh. On sale April 13 at Ticketmaster.
AUG. 1. Happy Together Tour 2012 with the Turtles, Micky Dolenz, Gary Puckett & the Union Gap, Grass Roots, Buckinghams. Cain Park Amphitheater, Cleveland Heights, Ohio. On sale April 13 at Ticketmaster.
AUG. 7. 311, Slightly Stoopid. Stage AE, Pittsburgh. On sale April 6 at Ticketmaster.
AUG. 11. Styx. PNC Park Concert Series, following Pirates’ game. Pittsburgh.
AUG. 13. Little Anthony and the Imperials. Erie County (N.Y.) Fair, Hamburg, N.Y.
AUG. 16. Blake Shelton. Erie County Fair (N.Y.), Hamburg, N.Y. On sale April 5 at www.tickets.com.
SEPT. 5. Jason Mraz, Christina Perri. Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. On sale April 14 at Ticketmaster.
SEPT. 29. Lifehouse. PNC Park Concert Series, following Pirates’ game. Pittsburgh.

Ticket sales for the June 23 concert with Crosby, Stills & Nash at Presque Isle State Park’s Beach 11 got off to a strong start on Friday.
As of this writing , about 4:30 p.m., the $150 tickets were sold out. There are $100 seats left.. Those include parking at Beach 8 or Beach 10 with shuttle to and from the concert.
I’ve heard some grousing about this event, which surprises me. Some don’t think a state park should hold such a concert, some don’t understand how it can have beer and wine at a pre-party, some think it’s simply way overpriced.
Relax and chill out, people.
This is a benefit for the park itself. The rest of Presque Isle State Park is open that day; the park will not be closed. It’s a cool, once in a lifetime event, to see a legendary group in a gorgeous setting..
If you don’t want to go, don’t go.

Former Rusted Root drummer Jim Donovan will lead a free group drumming workshop at Penn State Behrend’s McGarvey Commons in the Reed Union Building on April 10 at noon. It’s part of the college’s Rhythms of Life Series.

Train’s Pat Monahan will sing “Marry Me” with Martina McBride when a couple gets married on the Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday night on CBS. That should kick McBride’s version of “Marry Me,” her current single, into overdrive.
Train, meanwhile, will release “California 37″ on April 17. I just got an advance copy of the CD in the mail today. Look for an early review on April 12 in Showcase, along with — I hope — interview with Monahan. Still waiting for confirmation on that.
Weekend plans? I’m not missing Joe Louis Walker at Docksider on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Then, I’ll race from there over to PI Downs to catch the Clarks, who will feature Randy Baumann on keyboards that night.

Tickets for the Crosby,. Stills & Nash concert set for June 23 on Beach 11 at Presque Isle State Park will go on sale Friday at 10 a.m.
There are two price levels: $150 and $100 (remember, this is a fundraiser for the Presque Isle Partnership). All seats are reserved. The concert will start at 8 p.m.
The $150 ticket includes parking at Beach 11, plus a two-hour pre party with high-end hors’douvres,wine and beer, and music by the Sam Hyman Band.
The $100 ticket includes parking at either Beach 8 or Beach 10, plus a shuttle to and from the concert.
Tickets will be available at the Tullio Arena box office, by phone at 452-4857 and online at www.erieevents.com.
Proceeds from the event will go toward refurbishing the Perry Monument area, including construction of a new pavilion. That site will be ground zero for events commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie in 2013.

So far, just one other big new concert has rolled in: Aerosmith and Cheap Trick at Quickens Loan Arena in Cleveland on June 19. Tickets will go on sale March 31 at www.theqarena.com and by phone at (888) 894-9424.
Presque Isle Partnership will soon post a FAQ on the event on its site, www.discoverpi.com and on its Facebook page, www.facebook.com/presqueislepartnership.