Hillis: Holiday weekend ushers in the tourist music season
The 2017 tourist season will start in earnest with the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Throngs of people will hit the various beach areas, and most nightclubs will stick to disc jockeys and Top-40 cover bands to entertain the masses Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
A major new concert facility will finally be unveiled Thursday, June 1. Hudson Fields is located outside off southbound Route 1 in Milton, and it will kick off in grand fashion with national country act Old Dominion ($25 to $50). Opening act Brandon Lay will kick off the show at 7 p.m. The shows are being presented and promoted by Highway One Ltd., the same company that owns Dewey Beach's Bottle & Cork and Rusty Rudder.
Other upcoming concerts at Hudson Fields include country singer Cole Swindell on Wednesday, June 23, a reggae double-bill with The Dirty Heads and SOJA on Sunday, June 25 and indie-rock group Fitz & the Tantrums on Sunday, July 30. The space can accommodate between 2,000 and 4,000 music fans per show. To view the full schedule, visit www.hudsonfields.com.
Speaking of the Bottle & Cork in Dewey, I got to check out last week's concert by British rockers The Struts, who did not disappoint the hundreds of fans in attendance. The show was the final date of a short, eight-date spring tour which gave them a break from the recording sessions for their upcoming second album. I caught up with the band's flamboyant frontman, Luke Spiller, who said he'd been battling a nasty cold for about a week — although it was impossible to tell from the audience. Rusted Root will return to the Cork's stage on Sunday, June 11 ($25, $30).
I also checked out Dogfish Head's quiet opening of its new mega-brewpub last weekend. The place is sure to be packed again this weekend when Philly rock act Pet Cheetah plays a free show at 10 p.m. Friday, May 26. The official grand opening party will take place Friday, June 2 with the Richard Lloyd Group and opening act The Snails. We'll have more about that next week.
E-mail Roger Hillis at rogerhillis@gmail.com
This Week's Must-See List
Old Dominion at Hudson Fields in Milton at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 1. $25 to $50
Pet Cheetah at the new Dogfish Head brewpub in Rehoboth Beach at 10 p.m. Friday, May 26. Free
Pasadena at Pickles Pub in Ocean City at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, May 27. Free
Sam Grow at Cowboy Coast Saloon in Ocean City at 9 p.m. Sunday, May 28. $5
Grand re-opening of Arena's Bar & Deli in Rehoboth Beach with Freshly Squeezed at 10 p.m. Saturday, May 27. Free