This year marks the 10th anniversary for the popular Sand in the Streets concert series at Pearson Park on the banks of the Neuse River.
The Pearson Park stage will showcase 162 years of music-making on tour by the 40 musicians in the seven bands making up this summer’s schedule.
Suicide Blonde, rained out last year, will start the concert lineup from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday. Concerts will be held June through August.
A ceremonial birthday cake will be served at Thursday’s birthday party concert.
Rick Vernon, host of DownEast Today on TACC 9, will emcee. Organizations, such as the United Way, American Red Cross and CSS Neuse will be recognized.
Kinston Mayor Pro Tem Joe Tyson, chairman of the Kinston-Lenoir County Tourism and Development Authority, will represent the city in the opening remarks.
The idea behind the creation of the Sand in the Streets events, sponsored by the Pride of Kinston, was to draw people to Kinston’s downtown, Adrian King, Pride’s executive director, said.
“We want people to experience the downtown,” he said, “and keep coming back.”
There have been 59 concerts since 2004, King said. In 2005, the proceeds were donated to the Red Cross for Hurricane Katrina efforts, he said.
Suicide Blonde will be performing for the first time at the event as “children of the ’80s,” the band’s self-description.
Another band performing 1980s music will be Breakfast Club from 6-9 p.m. July 4, with fireworks after dark. The show, called New Citizens Day, will acknowledge individuals who received their citizenship in the United States earlier that day at Kinston’s historic Harmony Hall.
Sand in the Streets started out with beach music, but over the years other popular music forms have been added.
Breakfast Club is one of those bands that drew an encore a couple of years ago, despite pouring rain, King said. Another is Spare Change, performing with a variety of sounds on Aug. 15.
“We wanted to have something for most everybody,” King said. “This is probably the most diverse lineup we’ve had in the history of the concert series.”
Mel Melton & the Wicked Mojos, with its blues, Cajun, zydeco and New Orleans jazz and funk music, is performing at the event for the first time on Aug. 1 for Good Health Night, sponsored by Lenoir Memorial Hospital.
Returning bands include North Tower — which started out in 1975 as an a cappella quartet at UNC and is now a full band — on June 20; Minges Bottling Group/Pepsi’s Four Knights Band with rhythm and blues, Motown and beach music on July 18; and Band of Oz on Aug. 22.
Band of Oz traditionally ends the series and kicks off the United Way campaign.
“The first time we had (Band of Oz),” King said, “it was a real knockout concert and people wanted them back.”
From 2004 thru 2012, Pride has brought 51 bands to Kinston’s downtown with a number of the music groups playing multiple concerts.
Audiences for the riverside concerts have grown each year, making the series a family-friendly outing for music fans from all over the region. The number of corporate sponsors for Sand in the Streets has also grown with each passing year.
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.
2013 Sand in the Streets concert lineups, 6-8 p.m.
June 6 – Suicide Blonde, 10th Anniversary Appreciation Night
June 20 – North Tower, CSS Neuse Appreciation Night
July 4 – Breakfast Club, Citizenship Night, 6-9 p.m., fireworks follow
July 18 – Four Knights Band, Pepsi Night
Aug. 1 – Mel Melton & the Wicked Mojos, LMH Good Health Night
Aug. 15 – Spare Change, Red Cross Recognition Night
Aug. 22 – Band of Oz, United Way Night, campaign kick off