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Across-the-Way Productions Returns to Elmwood Amphitheater for Two June Concert Events

 

Sunday, June 4’s ‘Giant Jam Sandwich: A FloydFest Family Picnic’ showcases the best in jam bands from 2017 and past year’s FloydFest lineups, including TAUK.

Across-the-Way Productions, Inc. — creators of FloydFest, Floyd Fandango Showdown Throwdown, and 2016’s Totally Rad Roanoke Star City Concert Series — returns to Roanoke, Virginia’s Elmwood Amphitheater this June for two distinct concert events.

CONCERTS

  • Sunday, June 4’s ‘Giant Jam Sandwich: A FloydFest Family Picnic’ showcases the best in jam bands from 2017 and past year’s FloydFest lineups, featuring TAUK, BIG Something, The Werks, People’s Blues of Richmond, The Mantras and Sol Searchers, as well as outdoor activities, roaming performers, food trucks and vibrant and varied vendors. The FloydFest Family Picnic-themed event takes place from noon until 10 p.m. on Sunday, June 4, at Elmwood Amphitheater.
  • Friday, June 9’s ‘Montgomery Gentry LIVE at Elmwood Amphitheater’ brings Grand Ole Opry-inductees Montgomery Gentry to downtown Roanoke, where the award-winning country music duo will perform songs that have reached the Top 10 more than a dozen times, including five No. 1s. Blues and country rockers Stolen Rhodes opens the show. Gates at Elmwood Amphitheater open at 6 p.m. on June 9, with music beginning at 7 p.m.

“Being a Roanoke native, it gives me great joy to provide high-quality productions to the greater Roanoke community,” Across-the-Way Productions CEO Kris Hodges. “Our involvement in presenting concerts and events in downtown Roanoke’s Elmwood Park represents a growing demand in live entertainment and compliments the vision of bringing Roanoke into the light as one of the best places to live, work and play.”

SPONSORS

Both concert events are presented by Across-the-Way Productions, Inc., with additional support from Blue Ridge Beverage, Inc., Grand Home Furnishings, Union Bank, WSLS 10 and Martin’s Downtown. Having found success with 2016’s Totally Rad Roanoke Star City Concert Series at Elmwood Amphitheater, Across-the-Way Productions is enthusiastic to return to Roanoke in 2017 to produce and provide the exceptional vibe, production, musical entertainment and experience that have become synonymous with the FloydFest brand.

TICKETS

Advance online tickets are available for both shows at www.atwproductions.com, beginning at 4 p.m. on Monday, April 17, 2017.

GENERAL ADMISSION tickets for ‘Giant Jam Sandwich: A FloydFest Family Picnic’ cost $20 in advance and $25 at the gate.

Tickets for ‘Montgomery Gentry LIVE at Elmwood Amphitheater’ cost $25 in advance and $35 at the gate for GENERAL ADMISSION; $600 in advance and $700 at the gate for a VIP BOX, which can seat up to 10 people and includes food and drink service from Martin’s Downtown, a snack tray, early admission, water and special keepsake seat cushions; and $45 in advance and $55 at the gate for SWEET SEATS, which offer the ‘best seats in the house’ along with early admission, wait service from Martin’s Downtown, and a special keepsake seat cushion. Visit www.atwproductions.com for more information.

GIANT JAM SANDWICH: A FLOYDFEST FAMILY PICNIC — June 4

“Our first event is an extension of FloydFest as a way to introduce the Roanoke community to the music and magic of the nationally recognized festival from Floyd, Va.,” Hodges said. “’Giant Jam Sandwich’ will feature a smattering of jam bands slated for this year’s FloydFest, yet condenses them into a one-day extravaganza for the Roanoke audience. Featuring some of the best jam-style rock and roll on the scene today, tasty craft brews from a variety of breweries and incredible local food offerings, we’re certain the event will become an annual favorite.”

Showcasing the best in jam bands from 2017 and past year’s FloydFest lineups, ‘Giant Jam Sandwich: A FloydFest Family Picnic’ packs pungent programming into a 10-hour picnic-themed day at Elmwood Amphitheater:

  • TAUK — (8:30 to 10 p.m.) On their third studio album Sir Nebula, TAUK tap into their singular chemistry to elevate and expand their all-instrumental blend of funk, hip-hop, progressive rock and jazz. Revealing both their refined musicality and unbridled creativity, the Oyster Bay, New York-bred rock-fusion four-piece push into new sonic terrain and build entire worlds within each richly textured soundscape.
  • BIG Something — (6:45 to 8 p.m.) A six-piece powerhouse with a sound that is both unique and timeless, BIG Something fuses elements of rock, pop, funk and improvisation to take listeners on a journey through myriad musical styles. It’s no secret why this group has quickly become one of the most exciting new bands to emerge from the Southeast. Soaring guitars, synths, horns and alluring vocal hooks rise to the top of their infectious collection of songs and represent a sound that has caught the ears of such revered summer-circuit stalwarts as Umphrey’s McGee, Galactic, moe., Robert Randolph and even The B52s who have all tapped Big Something as direct support.
    • The Werks — (5 to 6:15 p.m.) The virtuosic rhythm junkies of The Werks have released four highly acclaimed studio albums over the past 10 years, performed well over 1,000 shows and released countless live recordings. In that time, they’ve earned a devoted fan base across the world and reputation as one of the most energetic, compelling and downright entertaining live acts in the business.
  • People’s Blues of Richmond — (3:30 to 4:30 p.m.) People’s Blues of Richmond is a heavy-touring, blues-psych power trio from Richmond, Va. In the past two years, they’ve signed with Madison House Booking, recorded their third full-length studio album, released a seven-inch single with sought-after rock and roll producer Mark Neill (Black Keys, The Hives, J. Roddy Walston & the Business) and have been featured at outlets such as PopMatters, Guitar World, CraveOnline, Relix and more.
  • The Mantras — (2 to 3 p.m.) The Mantras, a five-piece jam machine born of Greensboro, N.C., have been conquering crowds and melting minds all over the country progressively for more than a decade. The band’s music can be described with all types of varying rock and roll terminology, but is absolutely best defined by each listener’s ear and, equally important, their experience. Since the inception of The Mantras in the mid 2000s, the band has been touring the country and building a catalog of four studio albums and more than 100 original songs.
  • Sol Searchers — (12:30 to 1:30 p.m.) The search for meaning is something we can all relate to. The search for great music and inspiration is an entirely different thing. Or is it? The Sol Searchers seek to create meaning through their music, which traverses the landscape of America’s deep roots through the realms of blues, folk, rock, jazz and jam. The band itself consists of five highly skilled and experienced musicians from the Blue Ridge Mountains of SW Virginia — Foster Burton, Mark Nicholson, Jake Dempsey, Ben Hite and Kris Hodges — each with his own unique experiential background.

Peppered across the park throughout the day will be roaming entertainers to add a taste of FloydFest magic, including Miss Kitty’s Cosmonauts, Magician of Life and Lunaversal.hoopz. In addition to a wide variety of craft brews, ciders and domestic libations, the ‘family picnic’ will feature a tantalizing smattering of local food trucks and food vendors, such as OXXO Taco and Martin’s Downtown. To add even more party to the picnic, outdoor activities will be present for patrons in the park, including corn hole, bocce, ladder ball and more.

“Our ‘family picnic’ event reflects the reality that Elmwood Park is a great place to be, especially on a June weekend, and we think it will be fun for folks to spend an entire day there enjoying music, food, friends and fun, as opposed to just a couple hours for a single concert,” Across-the-Way Productions CFO Erika Johnson said. “We want this to be something that brings families out and sparks a relaxed whole day of fun and togetherness.”

For more information on the lineup, click to www.taukband.com, www.bigsomething.net, www.thewerksmusic.com, www.peoplesblues.com, www.themantras.com and www.facebook.com/solsearchersband.

MONTGOMERY GENTRY LIVE AT ELMWOOD AMPHITHEATER — June 9

“We love speaking to our audiences and we know that this area loves country music! We’re in the heart of the Blue Ridge mountains after all! That said, we are delighted to be able to present to Roanoke one of the most dynamic and beloved pop country duo acts on the scene in Montgomery Gentry,” Hodges said.

When the two Kentucky boys — Eddie, is from Lancaster and Troy is from Lexington — first burst onto the national scene in 1999 with the defiant “Hillbilly Shoes,” notice was served … country music had never seen a hard-driving duo like Montgomery Gentry.

Despite the millions of albums sold, the sold-out shows and the scores of awards, Montgomery Gentry remains in touch with its working-class roots. “We are blue-collar workers and we lived the songs that we sing,” Troy said. “Because of that, our fans are able to make the connection and when they hear our songs, they know we are singing with passion and we know what we are talking about.”

Montgomery Gentry is a duo with 14 Top 10 singles, including five No. 1s: “Something To Be Proud Of,” “If You Ever Stop Loving Me,” Lucky Man,” “Back When I Knew It All” and “Roll With Me.”

But awards and accolades aside, it’s Eddie and Troy’s induction into the venerable Grand Ole Opry in 2009 that means the most to them: “Unlike other awards, becoming members of the Grand Ole Opry is something people can’t take away from you,” Troy said. “Other awards come and go, but once you become a member of The Opry, you are a member for life — that’s something that Eddie and I are very proud to be a part of.”

Make no mistake about it — Montgomery Gentry has secured a place in musical history with a unique blend of country, Southern rock and Everly Brothers-like harmonies combined with relatable lyrics, and Across-the-Way Productions is proud and pumped to welcome the country music super-duo to Elmwood Amphitheater on Friday, June 9.

Combining blues and rock with a touch of country and a heap of nostalgia, Philadelphia-based rockers Stolen Rhodes is bringing their fiery, gasoline-laden live show and catchy songs to open the June 9 event at Elmwood Amphitheater.

For more information on the lineup, click to www.montgomerygentry.com and www.stolenrhodes.com.

LOCATION & CONTACT

The City of Roanoke’s Elmwood Park Amphitheater is Southwest Virginia’s premier concert and festival venue, and is located at 706 S. Jefferson Street in downtown Roanoke, Va. For more information, visit www.atwproductions.com or www.floydfest.com, email info@atwproductions.com or call (888) VA-FESTS.