Rose Hill Drive, Bomshel and Wayland added to Rock the Rapids Lineup
Tue, July 26, 2011 at 7:00am
Rose Hill Drive, Bomshel, and Wayland have been added to an already electrifying lineup for the 2011 Rock the Rapids music festival, Presented by Westside Distributing. Scheduled to run the week of August 8th – 13th in Downtown Grand Rapids, this event will be raising the entertainment bar for outdoor festivals. "Adding these artists to the Grand Rapids Toyota Headline acts on the Auto Value Main Stage is truly making Rock the Rapids the best festival lineup in the state for the summer of 2011," said event founder Denny Baxter. "This is shaping up to be an incredible week of music for an extremely inexpensive ticket price."
Limited quantities of six-day passes are priced at $79, two-day passes are $39 and single-day passes are $29. Tickets are now on sale at www.startickets.com. "Our week long pass breaks down to a cost of only $13.17 per show," explained festival promoter Denny Baxter. "Every show will have its own ticket printed so it will be very convenient to share a pass with others and attend the shows you like the most while still receiving the incredible discount. With the level of entertainers we are providing this is truly the best entertainment purchase value of the summer. Combined with our two-day pass which allows the fan to select only the shows he or she desires we are offering the most flexible multi-day discounted ticket options anywhere. All show tickets are general admission but there is a special upgrade option for a center stage chair seat for most shows. And while chairs are not allowed to be brought into the facility, chairs will be available for rent at $2 apiece on site.
Here’s a look at the updated 2011 Grand Rapids Toyota artist lineup on the Auto Value Main Stage:
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Monday, August 8th
The last time the 2006 Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame inductees rocked Grand Rapids were a decade ago. Since forming in 1964 and achieving worldwide recognition in the mid-1970s, the band has continued to tour, record and entertain fans. The genuinely remarkable rock anthems "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Free Bird" have carried through the years and are still being played consistently on the radio today.
Jonny Lang – Opening for Lynyrd Skynyrd – August 8th
Jonny Lang started off his career as a twelve-year-old rock and roll/blues phenom, and hasn't looked back since. The band that inspired him, Bad Medicine Blues Band, had given him guitar lessons which resulted in selecting him to join their band. They then renamed the band, Kid Jonny Lang and The Big Bang. Kid Jonny Lang and The Big Bang had independently released the album "Smokin" when Lang was only fourteen. Lang was signed to A&M Records in 1996 and released the critically acclaimed multi-platinum "Lie to Me" on January 28, 1997. In more than ten years on the road, Lang has toured with the Rolling Stones, Buddy Guy, Aerosmith, B.B. King, Blues Traveler, Jeff Beck and Sting.
Stone Temple Pilots – Tuesday, August 9th
Since 1986, "STP" has been rocking the nation in a deep, hard rock, grunge-reminiscent style of music. They swarmed the east coast and quickly spread across the nation with songs like "Plush," "Sour Girl" and "Vasoline." Over the years, the band has amassed 16 Billboard Top Ten singles, eight of which peaked at #1.
Wayland – Opening for Stone Temple Pilots – August 9th
The local band Wayland (formerly known as Whiskey Circus), has been hitting it off all around town with 3 songs on 97.9 WGRD. They have traveled all over the country including recording in California and have now returned to their roots. It is hard not to root for these gentlemen after hearing songs like "She Lights It Up," "Dirty Angelina', and "Shopping for a Savior." They recorded in the Can Am Studios, the same studio where Pearl Jam, Guns N Roses, and Aerosmith have all recorded. After opening up for Hinder, Seether, and Sick Puppies at the 2011 Wingstock, there is no doubt Grand Rapids will go crazy for Wayland.
Rose Hill Drive – Opening for Stone Temple Pilots – August 9th
Rose Hill Drive, originating from Boulder, Colorado, is a young American rock band. The group is often aligned with other innovators in the revival of traditional hard rock and early metal–psychedelic. Combining hard-driving rock and blues with modern touches and arrangements, they are often described by reviewers as reminiscent of 1970s rock bands Led Zeppelin and Cream. With hit albums like "Moon is the new Earth" as well as "Americana" its hard not to recognize them as a national act. They have played with major acts before including Stone Temple Pilots.
Willie Nelson – Wednesday, August 10th
AMERICAN CLASSIC. The two words that define Willie Nelson are appropriately used as the title of his newest album. Nelson will be performing a "Jam Band" style of music for his Grand Rapids show.
Alice Cooper – Thursday, August 11th
Whether he's playing music, hosting a radio show, or acting on screen, the world can all agree that Alice Cooper is extremely talented and always puts on a great show. Cooper was born in Detroit, MI in 1948, and was inducted into the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year.
Bachman Turner – Opening for Alice Cooper – August 11th
After twenty years apart, Randy Bachman and Fred Turner are back together and ready to take care of business once again. In the mid 70s, there was no one bigger than Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Over a four-year span, they earned a staggering 120 platinum, gold and silver discs, notching up hits in over 20 countries. BTO reached #1 on both the Billboard singles and album charts, as well as placing a half dozen more songs in the Top 50. "Takin' Care of Business," "Let It Ride," "Roll On Down the Highway," "Looking Out For #1," "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" – all are classic rock anthems written by Bachman and Turner.
Blake Shelton – Friday, August 12th
This year's event is headlined by country musical sensation Blake Shelton. The first song of the album is "Hillbilly Bone," an electrifying single that took the country by storm. Many other notable songs from Shelton that also topped charts include "Kiss My Country Ass," "Some Beach," "All about Tonight," along with several others.
Bomshel – Opening for Blake Shelton – August 12th
The American Country duo, Kristy Osmunson and Kelley Shepard, are just what their name references, Bombshells. The duo is quite an exhilarating act that produced hits like "Fight Like a Girl," "19 and Crazy," "It Was an Absolutely, Finger Lickin', Grits and Chicken, Country Music Love Song," their famous "Bomshel Stomp," as well as "The Power of One" which was included on the soundtrack of the infamous movie, Evan Almighty. The women of Bomshel are also very active in the community. In 2006, Bomshel started putting up custom-built choppers on their website for auction, including the "Wicked Women of Tequila Rose Chopper" in which case all proceeds go to Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute. Bomshel looks to get Grand Rapids in the Stompin' mood during their visit.
Ludacris – Saturday, August 13th
The game changing rapper "Luda" has been quite busy over the last couple of years. His latest album, "Battle of the Sexes," has combined the viewpoints of both genders in order to "level the playing field" in the rap game. Chart-toppers include "Roll Out," "Get Back," and his recent hits, "My Chick is Bad," and "How Low."
T–Pain – Saturday, August 13th
Rarely will you find an artist who can say they changed the entire shape of the game. However, it is accurate to say T-pain and his "auto-tuned" voice, can be counted on that list. Since 2005, T–Pain has been awarded a grammy and won "Song-Writer of the Year" as well as "Producer of the Year" at the BMI Urban Awards. You will seldom hear a "Top of the Chart" single without T-Pain on the track. Some of his most famous songs include "Buy you a Drank," "Can’t Believe It," and "Bartender," which gets a tremendous amount of airplay on the radio and at the clubs.
Rock the Rapids began as a two-day festival in 2009 at Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park, and expanded to a three-day event in 2010. Past performers have included Sammy Hagar, Flo Rida, Jason Aldean, Sean Kingston, Bret Michaels and B.o.B. Rock the Rapids also hosted young phenomenon Justin Bieber who at the time was just on the cusp of his popularity explosion. Over 20,000 concert-goers attended the three-day event in 2010. Festival information can be found at rocktherapids.org and facebook.com/rocktherapids.