By AMANDA KIMBLE
TheFlashToday.com
TexStar Ford Lincoln and the Stephenville Parks and Recreation Department are tuning up for the summer concert series. The concerts – four shows this summer – have been held for 16 years offering area residents a front-row seat and chance to listen to some of the greatest performers in the Texas and country music scenes.
The TexaStar Ford Summer Nights Concerts are family-friendly performances at Birdsong Amphitheater at Stephenville City Park. The shows are presented free of charge, and the venue offers listeners a place to spread out a blanket, set up their lawn chairs or cut a rug on the concrete dance floor underneath the Texas sky.
The June 2, June 16 and July 21 concerts begin at 8 p.m., and the first of three July 4 performers take the stage at 6 p.m.
The series has not only become a much-anticipated summer event for area residents, it has also become a regular stop on the tour schedules of the performers, most who return annually to share their hits and introduce the latest on their set lists.
But the 2016 lineup kicks of with a surprise performance. The first in the series, set for Thursday, June 2, is being heralded as the ‘Hall of Fame Show,’ welcoming a surprise Grammy Award winning performer whose discography includes more than 40 No. 1 records, more than 80 No. 10 records and records sales in the millions.
“We are holding the name of the Hall of Fame Artist for the first concert as a surprise for our fans and friends,” concert organizers posted.
A mainstay of the series, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, will perform Thursday, June 16.
Skaggs has amassed more than a dozen Grammy Awards, as well as honors from the International Bluegrass Music Association, Country Music Association, Academy of Country Music and many others.
He also has a long list of No. 1 hits – Billboard Country Singles, Billboard Country Albums and Billboard Bluegrass Albums – dating back to 1982.
Meanwhile, the Kentucky Thunder Band includes Paul Brister, tenor vocals and rhythm guitar; Andy Leftwich, fiddle; Eddie Faris, baritone vocals and guitar; Scott Mulvahill, bass and bass vocals; Russ Carson, banjo; and Jake Workman, lead guitar.
The Monday, July 4 concert follows a full slate of Independence Day activities, including the The Firecracker 5K, 4th of July Parade and Second Annual BBQ, Bands and Bottle Rockets on the Bosque and precedes the annual fireworks display.
The July 4 concert includes Erath County’s own Larry Joe Taylor with his laid back, coastal-inspired tunes, the Tejas Brothers and their Tex-Mex Honky Tonk sound and Houston-based singer/songwriter Davin James.
The performers’ regular tour schedules also includes LJT’s Texas Music Festival. The festival welcomes tens of thousands of music lovers to Melody Mountain Ranch, nestled in the heart of Erath County. They have been individually – and collectively – heralded as some of the best live acts in Texas Music.
Asleep at the Wheel plays Birdsong Amphitheater Thursday, July 21. The group performs a good mix of music with an emphasis on Western Swing and is a favorite for music lovers who prefer to listen while scooting across the dance floor.
A little more than a year ago, Asleep at the Wheel released its latest album, “Still the King: Celebrating the Music of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys.”
The energetic group includes Ray Benson, lead guitar and vocals; Dave Sanger, drums; Dave Miller, bass and vocals; Eddie Rivers, steel and sax; Katie Shore, fiddle and vocals; Connor Forsyth, piano and vocals; Jay Reynolds, sax and clarinet; and Dennis Ludiker, fiddle and mandolin.
Finally, a fifth show is slated for the fall, when Michael Martin Murphy performs Saturday, October 8 at the Second Annual Sundown on the Square. The inaugural event, held in the fall of 2015, featured a day full of live entertainment that raised more than $40,000 for Stephenville Historical House Museum.
“Please help spread the word!” concert organizers said. “We do not want any fans to miss these performances.”
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