Rotaryfest First Stage Concert Previews!!

With a stacked concert lineup for this weekend, here's our second of at least three concert preview posts, this one 100% dedicated to Rotaryfest's music lineups downtown at Clergue Park! As usual, there are two stages of music from TONIGHT through SATURDAY NIGHT for fans to take in during the 94th installment of Sault Ontario's summer festival, with the cover band-only main stage in it's usual Clergue Park location, plus the relocated return of the all-original Second Stage that we'll cover in our next preview post, so here's what you need to know in rough chronological order! Tomorrow's main stage lineup is once again devoid of hard rock bands, but there's a talented veteran lineup in store, and it will be headlined by classic rock veterans Coverfly in their third straight Thursday closing set at 10:00 PM, with fellow classic rockers Flathead Ford (in their second Stage 1 set) at 9:00 PM, and local Elvis Presley tribute artist Larry Tschekalin (in his Rotaryfest debut) at 8:00 PM.

Country cover quartet Crossroad will play Stage 1 for the second straight year at 7:00 PM, and Rotaryfest mainstays The Bob Jenkins Band will play their usual Thursday set to kick things off at 6:00 PM. Solid lineup for classic rock fans in particular, so give this some consideration for tomorrow, and like the rest of this year's musical events, it is FREE & ALL AGES!

TOMORROW'S main stage lineup (again abbreviated like last year) will unite 5 bands for local attendees, all of whom have played the event at least twice in the past, so who can you look for tomorrow? Local classic/hard rock quintet That's Chester will play their (at least) sixth Rotaryfest, and first since 2013, as tomorrow's headliners at 10:00 PM, with songs from their upcoming stage production of The Who's Tommy in store for their first concert set of the year, so keep this in mind if you've missed the guys! Local country rock quartet Summer Thunder will play Stage 1 for the fourth straight year tomorrow at 9:00, while classic rock favourites Mid Life Crysis will do the same in their set at 8:00 PM. Classic hard rock quartet Griphook will end a 3 month hiatus to play Rotaryfest for the third straight year at 7:00 PM tomorrow evening, with classic rock veterans Obsession playing the main stage for the seventh time in eight years as the opening act at 6:00 PM.

Much like Thursday, there's a nice familiar lineup for fans of classic rock, with a splash of country for good measure, and if you're a fan of Rotaryfest's past, note that all 5 of tomorrow's bands were on the lineup in 2013 as well! Again, tomorrow's event is FREE & ALL AGES, so Check the above links for more details, and here's That's Chester live at Rotaryfest from that year!



Stage 1 at Clergue Park concludes on Saturday with the usual all day lineup, but with the most diverse lineup yet in both sound and for new bands (4 of this year's 9 local bands are making their Stage 1 debuts), so who will you see? For the first time since 2010, a local band will close Rotaryfest at 10:45 PM, they being local country veterans Thin Ice in their seventh straight festival appearance, with the usual touring out of town band(s) preceding, they being the linked Toronto based tributes Practically Petty & Fleetwood Nicks at 9:30 & 8:30 PM, so if you like Tom Petty & Fleetwood Mac, stay late for them! Classic rock veterans Mustang Heart will maintain their decade+ long Rotaryfest streak at 7:00 PM, while The Big Waltz (a one-off tribute to The Band, featuring many of the artists behind last year's Free Falling tribute) will take the stage at 6:00 PM. All-female classic rockers Domina will play their second straight Rotaryfest set at 5:00 PM, while local hard rock quartet Beaumont Avenue will play the main stage for the third & final time at 4:00 PM, as they will break up after Saturday's set.
 
The former Suicide Kings had a strong run, and while it's disappointing to see them break up (and following a no-original set), hopefully they have a great turnout and reception for their send-off! Saturday's remaining bands are all newcomers to the main stage, and they include local blues rock solo musician Paul Dellavedova at 3:00 PM, local hard rock quartet Long Shot (fresh off of their Rockstar Bar show tomorrow) at 2:00 PM, and local classic/hard rock trio Mourning Wood (with special guests Mark Tarantini & Jeff McNiece) opening the Saturday lineup at 1:00 PM, and no, we have no word yet on if they're playing any regular concerts this weekend. As with tomorrow & Friday, this show is FREE & ALL AGES, and check the above links and your official Rotaryfest programs for more info!

Though some recent Rotaryfest regulars aren't on the 2015 lineup (like The Reptiles, Spyder's Web, Bone Yard, and KT, Kyle, and The Pocket), there's a very solid lineup for festival veterans and newer fans alike, but if you crave a change of pace, Saturday's the day for you! For a preview, here's Beaumont Avenue at last year's Rotaryfest!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for more concert previews (including the return of the Second Stage) TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!