Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Amos Lee, ZZ Top kick off first weekend of Festival at Sandpoint

Since 1983, summers in Sandpoint have been soundtracked by a diverse array of performers, all thanks to the Festival at Sandpoint.

What began as a three-concert season (the Spokane Symphony Orchestra conducted by Richard Hayman, Donald Thulean and Rachel Worby) has now expanded into a two-week event that has welcomed the likes of Wynton Marsalis, Tony Bennett, the Doobie Brothers, Keb’ Mo’, Etta James, Roseanne Cash, the Avett Brothers and many, many more.

The first weekend of the 2018 Festival at Sandpoint is fast upon us – the first weekend of August – and it promises to pack a punch.

Big Head Todd and the Monsters ($44.95), which released “New World Arisin’ ” last year, will perform Aug. 2.

The rock quartet – keyboardist/lap and pedal steel guitarist/backing vocalist Jeremy Lawton, vocalist/guitarist Todd Park Mohr, drummer Brian Nevin, bassist Rob Squires – recorded the album at E-Town Studios in its hometown of Boulder, Colorado.

According to Mohr, the songs on the album, including singles “New World Arisin’,” “Damaged One” and “Wipeout Turn,” were written over a 20-year period.

“Some songs fell into place immediately, while others took many years to materialize,” he said in a news release. “Yet after such a long gestating process for the writing, the recording was completed in just six days.”

Americana singer John Craigie, who released his sixth studio album, “Scarecrow,” in May, will open the show.

Folk/rock/soul singer Amos Lee ($59.95-$84.95) will bring songs from his forthcoming album “My New Moon” to the festival on Aug. 3.

Lead single “No More Darkness, No More Light” was inspired by people Lee met through his work with Musicians on Call and the Melodic Caring Project.

Lee re-wrote the lyrics, however, after the February shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

But Lee cautions that the album is not meant to be a downer. Rather, he hopes “My New Moon” offers listeners “a place of connection.”

“For me it all comes from that place of generosity that people bestowed upon me in telling me their stories,” Lee told Billboard. “I’m just trying to give some of that back and express that I think there’s a way I can try to keep some hope in my heart and also be open to feeling other people’s pain in the midst of an experience that seems hopeless at times.”

Arrive early to catch an opening set from New York City-based quartet Bailen.

After teasing fans in the Inland Northwest earlier this year by announcing then canceling a performance at Northern Quest Resort and Casino, “That Little Ol’ Band from Texas,” the legendary ZZ Top (sold out) will take the Festival at Sandpoint stage on Aug. 4.

In recent years, the trio of Frank Beard, Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill has focused on its past, releasing two sets of its first 10 albums on vinyl.

In June 2017, the band released “Cinco: The First Five LPs,” which features “ZZ Top’s First Album,” “Rio Grande Mud,” “Tres Hombres,” “Fandango!” and “Tejas.”

“Cinco No. 2: The Second Five LPs,” which was released in June, features every studio album ZZ Top released between 1979 and 1990: “Degüello,” “El Loco,” “Eliminator,” “Afterburner” and “Recycler.”

Chances are high fans will hear a tune or two from these records at the band’s show, which Tim Montana and the Shrednecks will open.

On Aug. 5, the first weekend will close with a family concert ($6) that features the Festival Community Orchestra and Studio One Dancers.

Before the show, enjoy pre-concert activities like an instrument petting zoo, an animal petting zoo, pony rides, clowns, face painting and games.

And for the parent who needs a little me-time, there’s the Parents’ Corner, where parents can enjoy a complimentary mini-massage.

The Festival at Sandpoint continues Aug. 9-12 with Greensky Bluegrass, Sublime with Rome, Gavin DeGraw and Phillip Phillips, and the Spokane Symphony.

A few things to note: the Festival at Sandpoint is a rain or shine event. And if you don’t want to worry about finding parking, consider taking the free shuttle bus to the venue from Sandpoint High School, 410 S. Division Ave.

Also, there will be 13 food booths and two full service bars on site, though attendees can also bring a picnic basket or cooler with their own food and drinks, including alcohol.