Rock, jazz, bluegrass, funk, even some honkytonk. There is something for every music fan at the 2014 Lowell Showboat Sizzlin’ Summer Concerts. This series of free concerts begins June 12th and runs every Thursday night through August 21st. All concerts begin at 7 p.m. and are free to the public.
July’s first Sizzlin’ Summer Concerts offering comes the day before the 4th of July with the GR Jazz Orchestra. West Michigan’s top jazz band continues its tradition of playing with some of the world’s best jazz musicians, and for America’s birthday they will be joined by Edye Evans Hyde. A 30 plus year veteran of the jazz scene, Hyde was named the West Michigan Jazz Society’s 2011 Musician of the Year and has performed alongside the likes of Michael Bolton, Connie Stevens and the late great Ray Charles. The week after sees back-to-back concerts, with the country rock act Kris Hitchcock and Small Town Son performing July 10th and the Bronk Bros. rockin’ hillbilly and honkytonk band on July 11th. July 17th features a unique blend of swing, bluegrass and gypsy folk music with The Appleseed Collective. A band familiar to many in Michigan plays July 24th. Alive & Well, who have performed classic rock tunes throughout the Midwest since the 1970s. Closing out July is the Greg Nagy Band with its mix of blues and American roots music.
On the docket for August, the concert series shifts to the Kent County Youth Fair for the Steam Powered Bluegrass Band and the Luke Lenhart Bluegrass Band on the 7th. Then it’s back to the Showboat to wrap up the series with the Creole and Cajun sound of K. Jones and the Benzie Boys on the 14th and the alternative country of Nicholas James and the Bandwagon on the 21st.