Music Fans will have a variety of venues to choose from this summer, as Magic Springs Amusement Park in beautiful Hot Springs, Arkansas kicks off its summer concert season with 19 different acts coming to the stage. Each Saturday evening at 8:00 p.m. will find the skies lit up and sounds of guitars, drums and voices filling the air.
It all kicks off June 2nd with country music star Jason Aldean. The Macon, Georgia native, hit it big in 2005 when his self titled debut album went gold just 12 weeks after it hit stores. With hits like “She loved me”, “Hicktown” and “Amarillo Sky” it isn’t any wonder that Jason earned the 2006 Top New Male Vocalist of the year from the Academy of Country Music! His new album “Relentless” hit the shelves on May 29th and after just a few days promises to be bigger and better than the first. Aldean plans a meet and greet for fan club members at 10:00 a.m.
June 9th will also appeal to country fans as Heartland takes the stage. The group is probably best known for the beautiful ballad “I loved her first” which has become a mainstay at weddings since it hit the airways last fall. The song became one of the fastest rising songs in country music history. Their first album debuted in October of 2006 at #3 on the Billboard Charts, behind only Jimmy Buffet and George Strait. These self-professed “Rednecks from Alabama” stop off in Hot Springs on their way to Nashville for Fanfare.
Arkansas is proud to welcome home Point of Grace on June 16th. While the only native Arkansan is Shelly (Phillips) Breen, the group still calls The Natural State home. The girls got their start while students at Ouachita Baptist University, just a short 20 minute drive from Hot Springs. Since their first album was released in 1993, these talented ladies have racked up 24 consecutive #1 singles, sold 5 million albums, won 8 Dove Awards and gotten 2 Grammy Wins. Their sweet 4 part ladies harmony will make a fan out of all who hear their music.
I was a teenager in the 1980’s when rock and roll was king! Imagine my excitement when I discovered that Loverboy was coming to Magic Springs this summer. I remember driving through town with the windows of my 1984 Ford Thunderbird rolled down with the radio blaring “Workin’ for the Weekend”, “Turn me Loose” and “Lovin’ Every minute of it”. For those of you familiar with their music, mark your calendars for June 23rd. Be there…or be square!
The Mom and Pop crowd will enjoy themselves on June 30th. That’s because the legendary group The Manhattans will be singing all the oldies dating back to 1963 when they first began singing together. After more than 40 years of crooning the tunes these 5 men are still one of the most sought after R&B; groups in the business, performing more than 100 shows in 2006.
4th of July weekend! It’s something that we all look forward to every year. Magic Springs is going to complete your holiday celebration with a bang when they welcome to the Spa City: Country Music super star Tracy Lawrence. Raised in tiny Foreman, Arkansas; Tracy will come home to sing such hits as “Paint me a Birmingham” and “Can’t Break it to my Heart. He’ll share the stage with newcomer Brennen Hunt. It all happens on July 7th!
Blues fans will be in music heaven on July 14th when Blues Traveler makes its mark on the unsuspecting southern town. Formed in 1983 in New Jersey, this band continues to bring down the house with their awesome guitar rifts, soulful harmonica and sweet lyrics. Catch their act with your general admission to the park and have a seat on the grass, or pay the $5 reserved seating fee and grab a chair.
Credence Clearwater Revival: The name conjures up memories of my childhood when my teenaged aunts listened to such classic rock songs as “Proud Mary”, “Have you ever Seen the Rain”, “Down on the Corner” and “Goin up Around the Bend. The 1970’s were all about the rock bands. Now CCR Revisited brings back two of the original band members and all of their original songs to bring their fans a bit of history…and song. Look for them on the Timberwood stage on July 21st.
The Little River Band. They were the first Australian Band to conquer the music world, from Australia. Their first album was released in the US in 1976. By 1982, they became the only band from anywhere to have a top ten U.S. single for six consecutive years. Multi-platinum album sales have surpassed 25 million discs sold around the world. This is their 30th anniversary tour this summer, so you certainly won’t want to miss it when they perform at Magic Springs on July 28th.
Grammies, Dove Awards, Christian Rock Music, Souls Saved and Lives Changed: The men of Third Day have seen all of that and more in the10 years since their conception. Lead Vocalist Mac Powell and the band bring to the stage songs that Christian music fans will recognize immediately such as “Cry out to Jesus”, “God of Wonders” and “Show me your Glory. August 4th is Christian Youth Day at the park, so if you aren’t ready to party with the Lord…stay home.
Hear country music artist Neal McCoy on August 11th as he rocks down the house with his unique blend of Rockabilly country. Neal lights up the night with music selected from his 10, yes count em, 10 albums released during his solo career. Neal will be teamed with Riverbilly this weekend. I have to tell you that I know nothing about these guys…but take a look at their website ladies, they sure are cute!
Herb Reed is the only original member of The Platters, which began touring together in 1953. Since that day more than 50 years ago, Herb has seen singers come and singers go. But that hasn’t stopped them from racking up more than 400 songs which have sold over 100 million copies, nor from appearing in 27 movies! See this sensational act at the Timberwood Theater on August 18th for some wonderful harmonies that will make you want to grab your significant other by the hand, gaze into their eyes, and whisper sweet nothings.
Did you ever want to go on a “Magic Carpet Ride”? If you were a child of the 60’s or 70’s and a fan of Steppenwolf, I’ll bet you at least thought about it once. The first group to use the phrase “heavy metal” will take the stage on August 25th. Come rock the night away with classic rocker John Kay along with fellow band members Michael Wilk, Ron Hurst and Danny Johnson, as they show why the group is still around after almost 40 years in the music business.
It wouldn’t be the south without Southern Girls. So flip a coin and find that it’s “Heads Carolina, Tails California” and JoDee Messina is in the house! We pray that her southern roots won’t “Bring on the Rain” and give the kids headed back to school a great end of the summer send off. But even if it does rain on September 1st….JoDee will surely say “I’m Alright”.
According to their website “Others try to duplicate, but no one can imitate…The one, the Only” Memphis Soul Review. And they’re coming to Magic Springs on September the 8th. They offer their audience a wide range of music from blues to disco to Oldies to the Top 40 of today. They promise to have the crowd on their feet and dancing the night away!
The summer will culminate with Spanish Heritage Day on September 15th which will feature John Arthur Martinez and the Sisters Morales. Come and celebrate as we honor those of Spanish-American roots with some great music…and I’ll bet you’ll find some awesome food somewhere in the park too!
So come on down or up or over to Hot Springs, and join us for a weekend of great entertainment. All concerts are free with your paid park admission of $44.95 or get a season pass for just $49.95 and enjoy all the concerts all summer long for one low price. You’ll be glad you did!
