It must be spring — with summer not far away — because the Surry Arts Council’s popular Summer Concert Series gets underway this week.
And this year’s version is the biggest ever, with 54 shows planned from now through Sept. 22.
Legacy Motown Revue will open the series on Friday, April 29, with a showing beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Blackmon Amphitheatre, the long-time venue of the series.
The second show will be next week, when The Embers featuring Craig Woolard will take to the stage on May 5 at 7:30 p.m.
The series has been a mainstay of the local entertainment scene since its inception in 2005. Surry Arts Council Executive Director Tanya Jones has said that first year was a challenge, because many of the bands had larger cities and corporate concerts they could play, and Mount Airy’s series was new, without a history of success.
That changed quickly, and it wasn’t too many years after 2005 when Jones said many of the bands began to place Mount Airy at or near the top of their lists of favorite concert locations, even calling to see if they could get on the schedule.
Not only does the series offer an attraction for local residents, but some nights more than 100 folks travel from outside Surry County to take in a concert. Jones said there is even a shagging group in Kentucky whose members sometimes come to Mount Airy and stay on those weekends when there are three concerts spread over Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The Dairy Center and Thirsty Souls Community Brewing will be at the concerts to provide food, snacks, drinks, beer, and wine for purchase. No outside alcohol or coolers are allowed to be brought into the Amphitheatre area.
Annual passes are on sale for $135 including tax. In addition to the Summer Series, the Annual Pass also includes admission to the weekly WPAQ Merry-Go-Round at the Historic Earle Theatre. Individual tickets for the Summer Series shows are $15. Children 12 and younger are admitted free at Blackmon Amphitheatre events when accompanied by guardians with tickets or an Annual Pass.
Summer Series rack cards detailing all the bands and dates are available for pick up at the Surry Arts Council, the Historic Earle Theatre, and the Andy Griffith Museum. The series may also be accessed online at www.surryarts.org.
Concerts cover a wide range of music styles including beach, Motown, Americana, soul, R&B, country and 80s tribute bands, to appeal to all listeners. Those attending are encourage to take a folding chair or blanket to sit on — although taking to one’s feet and dancing are encouraged.
For additional information on the Summer Series, contact RJ Heller at rj@surryarts.org or 336-786-7998. Annual passes and/or individual concert tickets may be purchased online www.surryarts.org or in person at the Surry Arts Council office or at the gate.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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