NEWPORT, RI, July 19, 2010 – The unmistakable folk sounds of the INDIGO GIRLS and the hard blues-rock chords of George Thorogood & The Destroyers will engulf the Newport Yachting Center’s Nantucket Nectars Sunset Music Series on Thursday evening, July 29^th and Friday night, July 30^th, respectively. Tickets be purchased at the tiered pricing levels of $50 for preferred and $35 for standard for the INDIGO GIRLS and $47/$32 for George Thorogood at www.newportwaterfrontevents.com by using the ClickNPrint system which offers the benefit of “at home” ticket printing or by calling the Newport Yachting Center Box Office at (401) 846-1600. The INDIGO GIRLS’ opening act will be folk acoustic guitar-bass duo, Coyote Grace, with Smithfield, Rhode Island’s Emily Smith and Synergy gracing the smaller, Courtyard Stage. George Thorogood & The Destroyers will feature the eclectic mix of Providence’s Cadillac Martini with popular singer, Keturah Burgess, as its opener while indie rock and pop singer-songwriter, John Windle, of Providence, will get things started on the Courtyard Stage.

 

The INDIGO GIRLS, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, released their self-titled album in 1988 and its hit single, "Closer To Fine” proceeded to go Platinum and win the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Recording. The band was also nominated for Best New Artist that year. The INDIGO GIRLS took off from there by releasing several albums in the 90’s that went Gold or Platinum, including Rites of Passage featuring "Galileo," the duo’s first Top 10 Modern Rock track. The band’s latest release, their first that is fully independent since Strange Fire in 1987, is the two CD, Poseidon and the Bitter Bug.

 

The Delaware-based blues rockers, George Thorogood & The Destroyers, are best knows for the hit song, “Bad to the Bone” as well as a series of covers of blues standards such as Hank William’s “Move It On Over” and Bo Diddley’s, “Who Do You Love?” Thorogood and his band have released 16 studio albums since they got their start in the mid-Seventies, including five that have been certified Gold. Thorogood first gained mainstream exposure in the early Eighties when his band was the support act for the Rolling Stones tour throughout the United States and appeared as a featured musical act on Saturday Night Live. Soon after, Thorogood released his smash hit song, “Bad to the Bone” and an album of the same name. The song has been used frequently in television, including Married With Children, and the movies, such as Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Known for his relentless touring schedule, George Thorogoood and the Destroyers’ latest release is The Dirty Dozen.

 

“The Indigo Girls drew a very enthusiastic crowd when they played here back in 2008 and ever since I’ve been asked when we’ll be bringing them back so I’m pleased to say the time is now!” said Michele Maker Palmieri, General Manager of the Newport Yachting Center. “And George Thorogood & The Destroyers create that rock/blues vibe that draws so well at our unique downtown waterfront venue. We know the local bars will be rocking that night!”

 

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

DATE            PERFORMER                        TICKET PRICES

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

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

 

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 approximately 7:00 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.