Seaside’s Summer Concert Series Rocks 30-A

May 28, 2009 Issue

The annual Seaside Summer Concert Series is back on a new night, every Wednesday from 7 to 9 at the Amphitheater. The lineup is an appealing mix of local favorites and popular touring acts. “For me, it’s about exposing the community and our guests to artists who haven’t necessarily performed in this area,” says Adam Shiland, Seaside’s events producer. “We have a lot of wonderful and respected local artists to tie in with some of the regional acts.”

On June 3, Beachcomber Music Award winners Dread Clampitt bring their much-loved mash-up of bluegrass, jazz, country and rock to the stage. The band has evolved into a well-oiled machine and has undergone a few changes in the lineup since The Beat first profiled them on these pages forever ago. Founding members Balder Saunders (mandolin and vocals) and Kyle Ogle (guitar, vocals) are now joined by bassist-vocalist Kenny Oliverio and drummer John Reinlie. In addition to successful festival appearances, the band still appears locally in various configurations, including Running of the Bulls with honorary member Duke Bardwell.

According to Shiland, the Beggars' Guild—performing June 10—“blends elements of rock, blues, country, folk and pop into tunes that are honest, catchy and distinctly likeable, drawing comparisons to artists like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Counting Crows, and Bruce Springsteen.” The official band Web site calls them “Atlanta’s answer to blue-collar music.” You can check them out at www.beggarsguildmusic.com.

Hightide Blues play June 17. “Their sound is a throwback to southern rock with a modern twist and an original delivery that's in a category of its own,” says Shiland. They have sold out shows all over the southeast and have hit the festival circuit hard. Recently, the band recorded a live disc at New Orleans’ legendary Tipitna’s. You can download the entire album free at www.hightideblues.com.

On June 24, “Walton County’s Finest Goodtime String Band” are sure to wow the Seaside crowd with their original take on traditional country music. Back in 2006, the WaCo Ramblers’ Jeremiah Campbell, a/k/a “The Red Rocket,” talked about the band’s influences. “I like country,” he told me. “The guitar player is into old school rock, and the fiddle player is into punk.” It’s a gutsy mix, but it works beautifully. The band’s recent CD is one of the best “homegrown” records I can remember.

The rest of the summer looks pretty exciting, with appearances by boundary-breaking country artist Steven Clawson (July 8), up-and-coming Alabama soulful folkie Ryan Kinder (July 15), Big Sam’s Funky Nation featuring the former trombonist from the Dirty Dozen Brass Band (July 22), Atlanta singer-songwriter Sam Thacker (July 29), New Orleans’ Good Enough for Good Times (Aug. 5), and local favorites Green Hit (Aug. 12). In addition, Seaside will host the high octane “groove grass” of Rollin’ in the Hay on July 4.

“This is a win-win situation for the artists, providing them a place to play instead of a bar or a festival crowd, and our patrons are exposed to some great music,” says Shiland.

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