LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Rotaryfest's Main Stage!!)

The full music lineups for this year's Rotaryfest summer festival have been revealed! As per the official program (as posted online yesterday, which you can read at this link), there are once again 3 days worth of music at the outdoor Clergue Park stage from Thursday, July 16th through Saturday July 18th, while the Second Stage does indeed return after a year's hiatus in a new location, which we'll outline in an upcoming post, so stay tuned! The main stage lineup (again all-cover bands) will be very familiar for recent Rotaryfest attendees, as only five of the 18 local bands are new to the Clergue Park stage (though some performers in them have played there in other projects), but who all will we see this year? The Thursday lineup for Clergue Park's Stage 1, as usual, doesn't have any hard rock bands, but the headliners will be classic rock veterans Coverfly at 10:00 PM, with fellow classic rockers Flathead Ford (who played Rotaryfest in 2013) at 9:00 PM, local Elvis Presley tribute artist Larry Tschekalin (Thursday's only newcomer) at 8:00 PM, country quartet Crossroad (in their second straight Rotaryfest set) at 7:00 PM, and veteran festival favourites The Bob Jenkins Band leading off with easy jazz at 6:00 PM.

Solid lineup for classic rock fans, so keep that in mind for Thursday! The Friday, July 17th lineup is again retracted in length like last year, but there will be hard rock bands on the lineup, including the return of local classic/hard rock quintet That's Chester as headliners at 10:00 PM! Last seen at Rotaryfest in 2013, this will be That's Chester's first announced public concert of the year, and given their recent focus, they will be playing songs from their upcoming stage production of The Who's Tommy this fall, so keep that in mind if you've missed the guys or love The Who! Local hard rock cover quartet Griphook will also play their third straight Rotaryfest set at 7:00 PM, which will also be their first announced show in three months, and it's great to see them back at it during the summer! Other performers (all veterans of the last two Rotaryfests, if not more) include country quartet Summer Thunder at 9:00 PM, and classic rock favourites Mid Lyfe Crisis at 8:00 PM and Obsession opening at 6:00 PM, so come early for their talented covers!

The Friday lineup is quality for longtime fans of Rotaryfest's main stage, with all veterans of the event, and hopefully there's a great turnout come the 17th! Both Thursday & Friday's lineups are FREE & ALL AGES, so be sure to check the above links for more details!

As for the Saturday lineup (which is the longest, most varied in sound, and has the most new bands), the announced main attractions are still the joint Toronto-based Fleetwood Mac & Tom Petty tributes Fleetwood Nicks & Practically Petty, but they are not last on July 18th, with local country rock quintet and festival mainstays Thin Ice getting the closing 10:45 PM slot for unannounced reasons. The Tom Petty & Fleetwood Mac tributes are on at 9:30 & 8:30 PM each, with local classic rock veterans Mustang Heart keeping their long Rotaryfest streak alive at 7:00 PM (for 90 minutes?), all-female classic rockers Domina playing their second main stage set at 6:00 PM, and The Big Waltz (a one-off local tribute to The Band featuring four of the same musicians from, ironically, last year's Tom Petty/Stevie Nicks one-off Free Falling) at 5:00 PM.

The hard rock action is all in the afternoon on Saturday, with Beaumont Avenue closing out their successful local run with their third & final Rotaryfest set at 4:00 PM, so be sure to send out the former Suicide Kings in style on the 18th! The remaining acts are all Rotaryfest newcomers, including local blues rock solo musician Paul DellaVedova (who played the second stage in 2012 with Paul D & The Double Down) at 3:00 PM, local hard rock quartet Long Shot at 2:00 PM, and local classic/hard rock cover trio Mourning Wood opening the day at 1:00 PM alongside two advertised guest musicians: local country singer Mark Tarantini and Q104's Jeff McNiece, which are clear signs of their country ties. The Saturday lineup is pretty good as well, and the newest for fan craving some different bands, so keep that in mind, especially for the hard rock action in the afternoon!

Note however that some recent Rotaryfest regulars aren't on the bill for this year, like KT, Kyle, and The Pocket, The Reptiles, and Spyder's Web, each of whom played the last 3 years or longer. Saturday's lineup, like the rest, is FREE & ALL AGES, and there's lots of entertaiment for every taste, so check the above links for full details on who to expect at the Clergue Park stage for this year's Rotaryfest, and stay tuned for weekend concert previews and our full breakdown on who's playing the returning Second Stage and where in the coming days! Thanks everyone!