Downtown Alive revives free outdoor concert series in Wilmington, lineup announced
EDITOR'S NOTE: SINCE THIS STORY WAS WRITTEN, THE DOWNTOWN ALIVE SERIES HAS BEEN CANCELLED
Free outdoor concerts are back in downtown Wilmington — and in a big way.
And while the acts might not be as well known as the bands coming to the 7,200-seat Live Oak Bank Pavilion on downtown's Northside, well, they're free, and there's more than one series to choose from.
Earlier this year, Wilmington Downtown, Inc. (WDI) announced it would no longer host the free, weekly Downtown Sundown concert series it had been staging for more than a decade. The last year for Downtown Sundown, which was held in the old Riverfront Park on Water Street and later in a parking lot at Second and Market streets, was 2019.
Recently, after getting approval from the Wilmington City Council to sell alcohol at concerts, the new Downtown Alive concert series announced its lineup (see full list at the end of this story).
The series, which will be held every Saturday night from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, is being sponsored by the Cumulus Radio Station Group and the Downtown Business Alliance.
Concerts will be in a new location: On Chestnut Street, which will be blocked off between Second and Third streets.
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Aaron Flahardy books bands for Downtown Alive and also helps organize and promote the shows. He said the series is largely based on what Downtown Sundown was doing, although he's tried to shake up the cover-band heavy lineup with some original acts.
In addition to The Stranger, a Billy Joel tribute act that kicks off the series May 28 — and other tribute acts including Shoot to Thrill (AC/DC, June 11), George Michael Reborn (July 9) and Idlewild South (Allman Brothers, Aug. 27) — Downtown Alive will also feature the singer Thunderstorm Artis (June 4), who rose to fame on NBC show "The Voice," Florida reggae act Iya Terra (Aug. 20) and, for the kids, Sell Outs (Aug. 13), an emo tribute act.
Flahardy, who hails from the Jacksonville area and books shows all over Eastern North Carolina — he's also booked in Wilmington, including at the old Throne Theater downtown — said the shows will be staged by Modern Sound and Staging, which worked the Downtown Sundown series.
"It's not an easy task. It's a lot of puzzle pieces," Flahardy said. "But I feel honored to be able to help with this."
Downtown Alive is being staged next to a building at Third and Chestnut streets that the city of Wilmington recently purchased for $11 million and plans to use for office space. (The building's tenants include United Bank, the StarNews and others.)
City of Wilmington spokesperson Jennifer Dandron said the city doesn't have any direct involvement with the concert series, although she said they support it and "will continue working with the organizers to help make it a success. The downtown concert series is another example of Wilmington’s thriving arts culture and will be a draw for residents and visitors alike."
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Unlike the pre-pandemic world in which Downtown Sundown existed, Downtown Alive won't be the only free, outdoor concert series downtown.
The Port City Marina on downtown's north side recently announced Friday Night Live, a weekly free concert series on Friday nights at the old Pier 33 location. It starts Memorial Day weekend. Port City Marina has already begun a free, weekly concert series called Saturday Sunset, held on its deck, that runs through late October.
Friday Night Live is cover bands a la Downtown Sundown, including acts that played the series in the past, like Tuesday's Gone (Lynyrd Skynyrd, May 27) and The Breakfast Club ('80s, July 8).
Saturday Sunset is made up of area and regional acts, some playing originals, others leaning more on covers.
The old Downtown Sundown series was originally started in the 2000s as a way to encourage people to come downtown at a time when the area wasn't as busy as it is now. With more people downtown than perhaps ever before, however, the concerts may continue to be popular.
"I think (downtown) can sustain both" Downtown Alive and the Port City Marina series, Flahardy said. "I'm going to blow this thing up."
He said Downtown Sundown averaged in excess of 1,500 people a week, with particularly popular acts or ideal weather drawing several thousand music fans, something he hopes to exceed with Downtown Alive.
Still, he said, the series is a financial risk, especially since it came together too late for organizers to round up as many sponsors as he'd like. The Downtown Alive website does have a donation button where people can contribute to the free concert series.
He said he's still seeking food trucks and other vendors for the series in addition to sponsorships. Interested parties can email downtownaliveconcerts@gmail.com.
Want to go?
What: Downtown Alive concert series
When: 5-10 p.m. Saturdays, May 28-Sept. 3
Where: Chestnut Street between Second and Third streets, downtown Wilmington
Info: Admission is free. Donations accepted.
Details: DowntownAliveConcerts.com
Schedule:
May 28: The Stranger (Billy Joel tribute)
June 4: Thunderstorm Artis of "The Voice"
June 11: Shoot to Thrill (AC/DC tribute)
June 18: ZOSO (Led Zeppelin tribute)
June 25: Johnny Folsom 4 (Johnny Cash tribute)
July 2: Blink 180-True (Blink-182 tribute)
July 9: George Michael Reborn (Wham! and George Michael tribute)
July 16: HeartBreaker (Heart tribute)
July 23: Red NOT Chili Peppers
July 30: Thurston Howell (yacht rock)
Aug. 6: Abacab (Phil Collins/Genesis tribute)
Aug. 13: Sell Outs (emo tribute)
Aug. 20: Iya Terra, with Mike Love and Signal Fire (reggae)
Aug. 27: Idlewild South (Allman Brothers tribute)
Sept. 3: Joe Hero (Foo Fighters tribute)
Contact John Staton at 910-343-2343 or John.Staton@StarNewsOnline.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Downtown Alive revives free outdoor concert series in Wilmington
