Bands In The Parks
What Acts Have You Seen At Amusement Parks?
Chuck's post about Eat To The Beat got me thinking about bands I've seen at amusement parks. I won't include park-based acts, and there were no "opening acts" that stuck in my memory. I was curious what bands you guys and ladies have seen at parks.
I've seen, at SFGAdv:
The Monkees, Gary Puckett, Herman's Hermits,and the Grass Roots. That was back in 1986 when the Monkees re-united.
In recent seasons:
Foreigner..well, Mick Jones and what he currently tours with as Foreigner.
Blondie..the only time I ever felt like I was dying at a park, due to the scorching heat. That was also the first time I rode Dark Knight. You take the good with the bad and the bad.
Saw Pat Benatar there.
Great Adventure's Arena is not bad for a show. To this partially deaf rider, the sound is quite good and so are the sightlines.
I also saw Weird Al Yankovic..who does play theme parks and fairs occasionally..at Kings Dominion. Wish I had gotten there sooner. I was waiting for Volcano. I love the ride, but I ended up pretty far back for the concert. I've seen Al nine times, and I've always been a LOT closer than that.
All I can think of now. There may be others.
Anyone else wanna share?
Mike
Mike, I've been to 100's of concerts all around the country. I saw all of the ones you listed, and to many more to mention. I been to at least 20 concerts at Great Adventure alone. The best one there was the Beach Boys concert for the 4th of July I believe. That was a number of years back.
Hershey has 20 or so oldie concerts every year, like Chuck, I'm waiting for Hershey to post the list of groups on their website. That will probably be next month and then I'll decide which ones I want to go see this year.
Mike, sorry, double post.
From James Rao
Posted March 13, 2010 at 6:23 PM
The last time I went to a concert at a park (Worlds of Fun) was to see Patty Loveless on her "Up Against My Heart" tour. Lately the only bands that seem to come through Worlds of Fun are Christian bands - and while I don't have anything against Christian music, it is generally not my cup of tea.
The Bamboozle Roadshow that is currently touring the Six Flags parks seems pretty interesting as I like several of the bands, but I doubt I will make it out to Saint Louis to see it.
I guess my concert going days may be over for the most part. Bands I used to enjoy (Styx, REO, Journey - all that arena pomp rock) are more like parodies of themselves and are usually grayer and more geriatric than me. Maybe Denis Leary was right when he said all these rock stars should've been killed at their peak. You know, cause then you could remember them in a nice way. Man, I remember when Styx would rock out a filled Arrowhead stadium, now they tour without their original lead singer and play the county fair circuit. Where's the dignity in that??!! They are just sad, pathetic old men, destroying the legacy of a once proud band.
But I digress...
Besides, with pre-teens, I am all about Radio Disney these days folks! Nothing keeps you young like Teeny Bop Rock! =)
From Erin B
Posted March 13, 2010 at 6:44 PM
I've been to countless concerts, but I don't think any of "my" bands would be billed for an amusement park at this point. I know some friends of mine went to see our favorite band, Sugarcult, at a Six Flags 6 or so years ago, but I wasn't there and I'm not sure which park they played.
From Tony Duda
Posted March 13, 2010 at 11:53 PM
I've seen many, many bands at theme parks, my main reason for getting annual passes for WDW, Busch Gardens Tampa and Universal Studios Orlando are the concerts. In the last several weeks, I saw at BGT: Willie Nelson, Huey Lewis and the News, Pat Benatar, Davy Jones, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Herman's Hermits and Chubby Checker as well as 3 Big Bands. At Universal I saw Blondie 3 weeks ago. Over the years, I've even seen Southside Johnny at Great Adventure, Epcot and Universal Studios (my only 3 different parks act I think). The most unusual theme park concert I ever saw was Alice Cooper at Busch Tampa about 7 years ago.
B-52s are coming to BGW this year. I think Foreigner came last year. But they have a really long Glory at the Gardens event. All christian music, which is something I don't actively seek out to listen to. I just know to avoid the parks those weekends, because the parks will be packed with church youth groups.
I saw Peter Frampton at BGW two summers ago. Incredible show. I've also seen Eddie Money and Chubby Checker there.
i love listening to the bands in the park. it really pulls the park together for me
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