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.
