NEWPORT, RI, June 10, 2010 – Multi-Grammy nominated singer-songwriter, John Hiatt and The Combo are gearing up to kick off this summer's 13^th Annual Nantucket Nectars Sunset Music Series at the Newport Yachting Center on Saturday evening, June 26^th 2010. Tickets for John Hiatt and The Combo are on sale at the tiered pricing ticket levels of $45 for preferred and $30 for standard and can be purchased on-line at www.newportwaterfrontevents.com by using the ClickNPrint system which offers the benefit of “at home” ticket printing. In addition, those interested in tickets can call the Newport Yachting Center Box Office at (401) 846-1600. Adam Ezra will be the opening act for Hiatt and Marc Douglas Berardo will grace the smaller, Courtyard Stage.

 

Known as one of America’s finest singer-songwriter musicians, John Hiatt burst onto the music scene in 1974 after Three Dog Night recorded his song "Sure As I'm Sitting Here" and it became a Top 40 hit. Artists from Eric Clapton and Elvis Costello to Bob Dylan have covered his songs. Most notably, Rosanne Cash took his tune, "The Way We Make A Broken Heart" all the way to #1 on the United States country charts in 1987; Bonnie Raitt brought “Thing Called Love” to #11 on the United States. charts in 1989; and Jeff Healy covered "Angel Eyes" and took it to the Top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100 also in 1989.

 

Hiatt’s twenty album releases include: Slow Turning in 1988 which featured a Top Ten Mainstream Rock Tracks chart single for the title track; the Grammy nominated Walk On in 1995; and Crossing Muddy Waters in 2000 which was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. Recently inducted into Nashville’s Music City Walk of Fame, Hiatt’s latest album is entitled The Open Road.

 

“We had a passionate, near capacity crowd for Hiatt two years ago and he has a pretty loyal following so we’re hoping for a similar experience to kick off our concert series in 2010,” said Michele Maker Palmieri, General Manager of the Newport Yachting Center. “It’s not everyday that you can enjoy a concert at a setting as unique as ours. So, think about starting a summer tradition and enjoy a concert at our unique downtown waterfront venue.”

 

The opener for the show, Adam Ezra, is the lead signer for the Adam Ezra Group, a dynamic roots/rock band that has recently risen to the top of the Boston music scene. His passion for smart, well-written lyrics, a unique blend of roots, pop and rock sounds, and rich, complex and hook-laden melodies, makes him stand out in today’s competitive music scene. The Group has been selling out shows across the country, including the Mercury Lounge in New York City, and has recently shared the stage with John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Rusted Root and Cracker, among others. View From The Root is the band’s first national studio release. Marc Douglas Berardo is a Westerly, Rhode Island based singer-songwriter whose most recent release is entitled, Downhauler.

 

The rest of the Nantucket Nectars Sunset Music Series line-up to-date is as follows:

DATE                    PERFORMER            TICKET PRICES

Fri., July 2            BOZ SCAGGS           $77 preferred/$62 standard

Opening Act: David Jacobs-Strain. Courtyard Stage: John Fuzek.

 

Sat., July 17          CAKE                         $50 preferred/$35 standard

Opening Act: TBD. Courtyard Stage: Kim Lamothe.

 

Sat., July, 24      THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA      $40 preferred/$25 standard

Special Guest: The Duke Robillard Band. Courtyard Stage: Ed McGuirl.

 

Thurs., July, 29       THE INDIGO GIRLS      $50 preferred/$35 standard

Opening Act: Coyote Grace. Courtyard Stage: Emily Smith and Synergy.

 

Fri., July 30            George Thorogood & The Destroyers        $47 preferred/$32 standard

Opening Act: TBD. Courtyard Stage: John Windle.

 

Fri., August 6 The Machine Performs Pink Floyd With Interstellar Laser Show     $35 preferred/$20 standard

Courtyard Stage: That Acoustic Duo. (No opener due to it being a 3 hour show.)

 

Fri., August 14      Newport Waterfront Reggae Festival      $45 preferred/$30 stand.

Main Stage: The Original Wailers, John Brown’s Body

Courtyard Stage: Rebel Heat, The Ravers, Soulshot with Doreen Shaffer of The Skatalites

(No opener as it’s a festival)

 

The Newport Yachting Center is located on the waterfront in the heart of historic downtown Newport right off America's Cup Avenue. For each night of the Nantucket Nectars Sunset Music Series (except for The Machine concert and The Newport Waterfront Reggae Festival), the gates will open at 5:30 p.m., music starts on the Courtyard Stage at 6:00 p.m., the opening act/special guest begins at 7:00 p.m. on the Main Stage, and the headliner starts at approximately8:00 p.m.

 

The gates for The Machine concert will open at 5:30 p.m., music starts on the Courtyard Stage at 6:00 p.m. and the headliner starts at approximately7:00 p.m. (no opening act). Gates open for the Newport Waterfront Reggae Festival at noon with the first of the three acts (Rebel Heat, The Ravers and then Soulshot) on the Courtyard Stage starting at 12:30 p.m. The headliner acts for the Reggae Festival (John’s Brown’s Body and then The Original Wailers) will be featured on the Main Stage and start at 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., respectively.

 

A reserved tiered ticket must be purchased for venue entry for the Reggae Festival. Each ticket will guarantee a reserved seat for the Main Stage (tented area) and grant access to the Courtyard Stage which is open air. The Festival will end by approximately 9:30 p.m.

 

In addition to Nantucket Nectars, the Series’ other major sponsors include: Miller Lite, Dunkin’ Donuts, SVEDKA Vodka, Bacardi Rum, Popsicle, Newport Marriott, Matlet Group and Sovereign Bank.

 

For more information on the Nantucket Nectars Sunset Music Series, please go on-line at www.newportwaterfrontevents.com or contact Michele Maker Palmieri, General Manager at the Newport Yachting Center, 4 Commercial Wharf in Newport, at (401) 846-1600, Ext. 222.

 

There’s something for everyone at the Newport Yachting Center’s Newport Waterfront Events (NWE). A Division of the Newport Yachting Center, Newport Waterfront Events produces the four core Newport Waterfront Festivals, the Sunset Music Series, and is host, event and venue management for the Newport Summer Comedy Series and other entertainment and business events throughout the season.

 

The 2010 line-up produced by Newport Yachting Center includes: the Knorr^® Great Chowder Cook-Off (June 5); the Nantucket Nectars Sunset Music Series (held throughout the summer); the Newport Waterfront Irish Festival (September 4 -6); the Newport International Boat Show (September 16-19); the Stop & Shop Tastes of Rhode Island (October 2-3); and the International Oktoberfest (October 9-11). In addition, the events hosted by the Newport Yachting Center are: the Newport Summer Comedy Series (held throughout the summer); B.B. King Live in Newport to Benefit the International Tennis Hall of Fame (July 11); Newport Bridgefest, a local music spotlight brought to you by the Arts & Cultural Alliance of Newport County (August 2-5); Newport WineFest (August 20-22); and the Newport Arts Festival (August 28-29).

 

All NWE are held at the Newport Yachting Center where all events meet the waterfront and downtown Newport activities are often a part of the pre- or post-event. Visit us at newportwaterfrontevents.com, become a fan on Facebook at facebook.com/waterfrontevents, or follow Newport Waterfront Events on Twitter for the latest news, announcements, contests, and exclusive discounts and offers.