When the 10th season of the Sand in the Streets outdoor concert series takes off June 6, the Pearson Park stage will see 162 years of music making on tour by 40 musicians in the seven bands making up the 2013 summer schedule.
This summer’s series will add an ’80s flavor to season the beach music stance for which Sand in the Streets has become known — with a dash of Cajun, zydeco and New Orleans jazz and funk thrown in for good measure, according to Pride of Kinston Executive Director Adrian King.
“We probably have the most diverse lineup of bands we’ve had in a long time,” said King.
Pride of Kinston, with a host of sponsors, has produced Sand in the Streets since 2004. The downtown organization sponsored a single concert in 2004 and another single show in 2005. 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 favorite 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.
Suicide Blonde, formed in 2006, will open the season on June 6. This band, which was rained out in 2012, will return to kick off the season as self-described “children of the ’80s” who have united to bring back the spirit of the 1980s with its mullet hair dos, the Trans-AM, listening to AC-DC, David Bowie and the Cure.
The Suicide Blonde concert will acknowledge the 10th anniversary of Sand in the Streets with a birthday party theme.
UNC fans will especially like the June 20 concert. North Tower, founded in 1975 as an a cappella vocal quartet, traces its roots to UNC and the Old East dormitory where some of the founding members lived. They shared a common appreciation of intricate four-part vocal harmonies and quickly earned praise for their performances throughout the Triangle area. The focus on strong vocals became a hallmark of the North Tower tradition, which continues.
Independence Day will feature the Breakfast Club in its second appearance on a Sand in the Streets stage. Formed in 1993, the Breakfast Club is the longest running, most recognized ’80s tribute band in the United States, creating entertainment that embodies the enigmatic, creative and buoyant spirit of the MTV generation of the 1980s.
This July 4 show will play from 6 to 9 p.m., followed by fireworks over the Neuse River. The show is to be styled “New Citizens Day,” acknowledging individuals who will receive their citizenship in the United States earlier in the day at Kinston’s historic Harmony Hall.
The concert will honor Citizenship Night.
The July 18 concert will feature the Four Knights Band, founded in 1996 with four musicians that since has expanded to six members. With a wide range of styles — including R&B, Motown, Oldies, beach music and a bright horn section — Four Knights has toured all over and has become the Pepsi band under the sponsorship of Jeff Minges and the Minges Bottling Group/Pepsi. The distinctive sounds please audiences of all varieties.
The Four Knights Band concert will be Pepsi Night, courtesy of Jeff Minges and the Minges Bottling Group/Pepsi.
For fans of the blues and Cajun music, Aug. 1 will bring the sounds of Mel Melton & the Wicked Mojos. This group will offer a program of the blues, Cajun, zydeco and New Orleans jazz and funk. The band was formed in 1990 after Melton returned to North Carolina following an extended immersion in Louisiana Cajun culture.
Melton went to work to combine both passions — music and Cajun food — founding the first edition of the Wicked Mojos and, in 2008, opening Papa Mojo’s Roadhouse, a hot Cajun restaurant. He and his three partners give lively performances featuring music with a Louisiana soul.
The Mel Melton & and the Wicked Mojos concert will be called the Lenoir Memorial Hospital/Good Health Night.
The Aug. 15 concert will feature Spare Change, which got started in 2002 as a four-piece band made up of a group of friends. Traveling throughout the southeast, they grew into one of the most popular bands in the region, especially among young music lovers, with their diverse portfolio.
With six musicians and unique instruments, from the mandolin to the violin, these musical artists bring something refreshing and exciting to their fans. The 2013 performance will mark Spare Change’s sixth concert on a Sands in the Street stage.
The Spare Change Concert will be the Red Cross Recognition Night.
In what has become honored tradition, the Band of Oz will conclude the 2013 Sand in the Streets series Aug. 22 with its particular style of music which brings fans back year after year. A group of young musicians got together in 1967 as a part-time band playing frat parties and high school proms all over the South.
The band with its beach music patina takes its music, featuring a full horn section, to more than 200 venues a year. It has been a guest on most of the beach concerts in the Carolinas, Virginia and Georgia.
In line with another tradition, the Band of Oz concert kicks off the United Way Fall campaign.
Every year since 2004, Kinston’s business leadership has stepped forward to help Pride produce the outdoor concerts, 51 in total through the 2012 season. From the first, they have provided the economic backbone making the concerts possible. With four new ones added this year, the 2013 sponsor list in large measure mirrors the past, continuing the tradition of support from the business community.
Sand in the Streets 2013 Schedule
June 6, Suicide Blonde
June 20, North Tower
July 4, Breakfast Club
July 18, Four Knights Band
Aug. 1, Mel Melton & the Wicked Mojos
Aug. 15, Spare Change
Aug. 22, Band of Oz
6 to 8 p.m. at Pearson Park, except for July 4 from 6 to 9 p.m. with fireworks
Free to the public
Info: Pride of Kinston, 252-522-4676, ext. 2020 or adrianking@downtownkinston.com
Sand in the Streets 2013 Sponsors
The Free Press
Kinston-Lenoir Tourism Development Authority
Kinston-Lenoir Parks & Recreation
Minges Bottling Group/Pepsi
R.A. Jeffreys Distributing
Realo Discount Drug Stores
Kendall Hill
Spirit AeroSystems
King’s Restaurant
McDonald’s (new this year)
Lenoir Memorial Hospital
The little bank
First Citizens Bank
Self Help Credit Union (new this year)
Perry Management
Corporate Resources
Dr. Courtney Mitchell, dentist (new this year)
M3 Consulting & Services
The Ladder Man (new this year)
Chick-fil-A
US Cellular
Riverside Bicycles & Outdoor Sports
Christopher’s Restaurant
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