CLEVELAND, Ohio – Free live music will return to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame starting on July 2.
[Editor’s Note: This story was updated to reflect and added show on July 2 to kick off the Rock Hall’s summer festivities]
The museum announced the lineup for a series of summer concerts that will take place on the Rock Hall’s plaza beginning this week and running through August. The list of acts includes a mix of Cleveland artists and national touring acts.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame reopened its doors on June 15 with various social distancing measures in place. That included the plaza where visitors can take advantage of food and beer trucks, socially distanced outdoor seating, free motorcycle and bicycle parking.
The summer concerts will showcase follow social distancing guidelines put in place by Responsible Restart Ohio. The “Live & Local Series” will feature music acts on Thursdays and Saturdays from 5 to 7 p.m. on the plaza.
Likewise, the Rock Hall’s “Lunch by the Lake” concert series will feature acoustic performances by local artists, including the Rock Hall’s 2020 Artists-in-Residence musicians, from noon to 2 p.m. on Thursdays, Friday and Saturdays.
Free tickets for the shows can be obtained on the Rock Hall’s website. You can check out the full lineup and artist bios (courtesy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) for the “Live & Local Series” below:
LIVE & LOCAL SERIES
Thurs., 7/2 - Big Jul Green: Genre blending artist combining pop with hip-hop and rock.
· Sat., 7/4 - Madeline Finn: Sparse folk, meditative piano ballads, twangy rock, and string-laced indie. 2020 winner of John Lennon Singer Songwriter contest and former American Idol finalist.
· Thurs., 7/9 - Thor Platter: From vocals carried along freely by the accompaniment of rollicking banjo and harmonica to toe-tapping jams and sweetly confident ballads.
· Sat., 7/11 – Liz Kelly: Frontwoman of the Cleveland psychedelic rock band, The Village Bicycle. Fun, upbeat songs about outer space and cognitive dissonance.
· Thurs., 7/16 - Austin Walkin’ Cane: A blues gumbo repertoire featuring slide guitar and soulful vocals that can conjure up the ghosts of highway 61 and the delta blues experience.
· Sat., 7/18 - Tom Evanchuck: On stage storyteller, weaving through tales of love and heartbreak, friendship and the allure of the Midwest.
· Thurs., 7/23 - Moises Borges: Soothing voice and charm that make for a wonderful evening of entertainment for all lovers of Brazilian Jazz.
· Sat., 7/25 - David Smeltz: Founder of Cleveland’s first reggae band outside the Jamaican community, using music as his religion.
· Thurs., 7/30 - Afi Scruggs: One of the few female bassists in Cleveland who’s laid down the low end for some of the city’s finest musicians and won’t blink an eye if you ask her to play any genre.
· Sat., 8/1 - Brent Kirby: Pop songs with catchy hooks, incredible instrumentations, and lyrics with soul.
· Thurs., 8/6 - Nicole Neal: Playing keyboard and guitar with a combination of original songs and covers ranging from blues, pop, soul and jazz.
· Sat., 8/8 - The Shootouts: Blend of high-energy honky-tonk and traditional country music mixed with touches of Americana and western swing; shared the stage with a who’s who of artists including Sheryl Crow, Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, Elvis Costello, Zac Brown Band, Chris Isaak, and more.
· Thurs., 8/13 - Kid Tigrrr: Sparkly and ethereal electric solo project of singer-songwriter Jenna Fournier and the shoegaze/alt-rock band NIIGHTS.
· Sat., 8/15 - Ben Gage: From songs sang to the wind to stories about being a hammer, you’ll find yourself feeling as though you’ve heard his songs before even if it’s your first time.
· Thurs., 8/20 - Cats on Holiday: Swamp pop band with a blend of Louisiana inspired rock/roots/zydeco who’s shared the stage with acts such as Los Lobos, Marcia Ball, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Buckwheat Zydeco, and Leon Russell to name a few.
· Sat., 8/22 - Ray Flanagan Trio: Sharp-edged poetic observations of love and the American experience.