Mick Jagger famously crooned, “You can’t always get what you want.”
Big E talent buyer John Juliano respectfully disagrees.
“As always, we looked at many rock and pop acts when considering the entertainment lineup for the Eastern States Exposition (occurring Sept. 16-Oct. 2) this year,” the man reputed among his colleagues to have “the greatest job in the world” explains. “But we also had three specific country artists in mind going into it, and, wouldn’t you know, we landed all of them!”
The first of Juliano’s dream team to take to the Comcast Arena Stage is Darius Rucker on Sept. 23. He’s the former Hootie & The Blowfish frontman whose gruff baritone made him a platinum pop star in the ’90s and a country favorite today. On October 1, Blake Shelton, best known for his stint on television’s The Voice, will hold court at the Comcast. And the following night, Oct. 2, the microphone will be handed over to industry legend Reba McEntire.
“You really are a legend if the public instantly knows you by just one name, aren’t you?” Juliano notes with a chuckle. “But what more can I say?… It’s been more than 25 years since Reba performed at the Big E. We all knew she was destined for greatness then, and she has proved it year after year, right up to today, with no signs of slowing down.”
As usual, these ticketed shows will be supplemented with a steady diet of freebies at the Court of Honor stage, including scheduled stops by Frankie Lymon and the Legendary Teenagers (twice daily Sept. 16-22), The Buckinghams (twice daily Sept. 23-27), and disco diva Yvonne Elliman (twice daily Sept. 28-Oct. 2).
For more information on showtimes, ticket purchasing and all things “E,” kindly point your browser to thebige.com.
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In other news, jam band giants Phish will rock fans for the hurricane on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction. As evidenced everywhere from major news outlets to personal blogs and photo galleries, Hurricane Irene’s aftermath has ravaged Vermont with its worst flooding in a century.
“It’s been heartbreaking to see all the loss and destruction that came from the storm,” says keyboardist Page McConnell. “Vermont is very much a part of who we are as a band. We’re really looking forward to playing this show and we hope the money raised will make a difference in the recovery and rebuilding effort.”
General admission tickets are $75 and include a free, soundboard-quality MP3 of the entire show that can be downloaded online shortly after its conclusion. Special “Friend of WaterWheel” packages including preferred parking, reserved box seats, limited edition posters, and access to the Vermont craft beer tent.
In order to ensure seating for local residents, the public sale will be in person only, with a two-ticket maximum. Visit http://phish.com for the box office location.
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Last but not least, it’s been a while since we’ve talked to one of the boys from hometown heroes Staind. But that all changes soon, as guitarist Mike Mushok is slated to check in and talk shop about Staind, the band’s highly anticipated, self-titled seventh studio effort released Sept. 13.
While the debut single “Not Again” predictably makes its way up the rock radio charts, the body of work as a whole is roundly regarded as the band’s heaviest, most intense work in years… harking back to the 1999 major label debut Dysfunction, in fact.
The Crawler hopes to talk about this return to roots as well as the departure of founding drummer Jon Wysocki, singer Aaron Lewis’ foray into country, and much more, so be sure to check the next installment for that, as well as a few words with former Live frontman Ed Kowalczyk as he prepares for his upcoming appearance at Hartford’s Up Or On The Rocks Sept. 23 as part of the 2011 Radio104 Fall Fest Block Party.
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, PO Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 394-4262 or email Garycarra@aol.com.
