Brandi Carlile, Tommy Conwell and more have Summer concert lineup at beaches red hot

Roger Hillis
·4 min read
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While it is already shaping up to be a massive season for beach concerts, some area music venues have also proven to have a few more tricks up their sleeves. This week has seen several announcements that have fans looking ahead to the summer in anticipation.

In Selbyville, the outdoor Freeman Arts Pavilion dropped its third and final batch of shows Monday. Tickets for 14 out of the 15 new events will go on sale to the public Thursday and Friday, April 6-7 (with various on-sale times throughout those two days).

The notable exception for whom tickets will go on sale at a later date to be announced is also the biggest draw by far: music superstar Brandi Carlile.

The Freeman Arts Pavilion in Selbyville released its third and final list of 2023 concert headliners Monday. Among them is recent Grammy winner Brandi Carlile, who will play a solo acoustic concert at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 4.
The Freeman Arts Pavilion in Selbyville released its third and final list of 2023 concert headliners Monday. Among them is recent Grammy winner Brandi Carlile, who will play a solo acoustic concert at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 4.

In what is a coup of a booking for Freeman, Carlile will play a special solo acoustic concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4. Her current tour in support of her “In These Silent Days” album has already included a sold-out Madison Square Garden appearance on Oct. 22, 2022.

The album helped Carlile win multiple trophies in both the rock and Americana categories at February’s annual Grammys ceremony. She will also play a two-nighter at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado on Sept. 8-9.

Other additions to the Freeman roster include country vocalist Walker Hayes on Friday, July 7, pop icon Dionne Warwick on Wednesday, Aug. 9, and blues-rock guitarist Gary Clark Jr. on Wednesday, Aug. 30.

In Dewey Beach, the venerable Bottle & Cork won’t open for the season until Saturday, May 6, but it is already selling tickets to many of its summer concerts. Tickets went on sale this week ($30) for a Philadelphia rock ’n’ roll act that hasn’t played there — or anywhere on Delmarva — since the early ’90s.

Tommy Conwell & the Young Rumblers will play its first Delmarva concert since the early 1990s when it appears at the Bottle & Cork in Dewey Beach at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, July 23 ($30).
Tommy Conwell & the Young Rumblers will play its first Delmarva concert since the early 1990s when it appears at the Bottle & Cork in Dewey Beach at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, July 23 ($30).

The original lineup of Tommy Conwell & the Young Rumblers has reunited for a new 10-song album called “Showboats and Grandstanders”; they will play the Cork on Sunday, July 23, following an 8 p.m. opening set by Rehoboth Beach’s own Tisra Til.

Tommy Conwell & the Young Rumblers released a mere three albums during their original run, but their high-energy shows at Ocean City and Dewey nightspots are the stuff of legend.

The band received local and national radio play for its singles “I’m Not Your Man,” “If We Never Meet Again” and “I’m Seventeen.” The group has only been playing a few reunion shows per year, usually during the winter holidays and mostly in Philly.

In the more immediate future, one of coastal Sussex County’s most bustling entertainment venues will present three consecutive shows this week. The Milton Theatre kicks things off with a nationally-known drag quartet. The Kinsey Sicks: Drag Queen Story Hour Gone Wild is set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 6 ($27, $35). Attendees must be 18 years of age or older.

At 8 p.m. on Friday, April 7, the Milton Theatre will present The Rock Orchestra: Talking Heads ($25.20, $33). The tribute group has appeared at the theater in various incarnations to recreate classic rock albums, and they’ve chosen a special one this time around. It will perform the soundtrack to the 1984 Talking Heads concert film “Stop Making Sense” in its entirety.

Connecticut-based jam band One Time Weekend will play a free concert at the Dogfish Head brewpub in downtown Rehoboth Beach at 9 p.m. on Saturday, April 8. The quartet is touring in support of its funk-flavored album "Fire It Up."
Connecticut-based jam band One Time Weekend will play a free concert at the Dogfish Head brewpub in downtown Rehoboth Beach at 9 p.m. on Saturday, April 8. The quartet is touring in support of its funk-flavored album "Fire It Up."

Last but not least at the Milton Theatre, April Fools Day will be celebrated one week after the fact with a trio of funny folks. The theater’s April Fools Evening of Comedy will take place at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 8 ($12.60, $19). Host Keith Purnell will be joined by headliner Davin Rosenblatt and featured guest Jennifer Espenshade.

In downtown Rehoboth Beach, the Dogfish Head brewpub has a free concert set for this coming weekend. Connecticut-based jam band One Time Weekend will take the stage at 9 p.m. on Saturday, April 8.

The quartet is in the midst of a 13-date spring tour to promote its sophomore album “Fire It Up.” As was the case with its predecessor, 2019’s “Weekend At the Circus,” the recording is full of danceable funk grooves.

Email Roger Hillis at rogerhillis@gmail.com

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This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Brandi Carlile, much more as concert lineup keeps growing at beaches