only $free

Best known for his blistering rock leads and powerful blues chops, Blake Thompson plays guitar, piano and drums, sings and has been influenced equally by The Beatles, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Alvin Lee, Brian May and Billy Gibbons. His material ranges from classic rock and pop to blues, soul, R&B and country. He is also an accomplished and prolific singer/songwriter who sometimes performs acoustically on guitar and piano. This is the first in our free outdoor summer series and it will be at gazebo in Rock Hall Village at the corner of Main Street and Route 20 (bring a comfortable chair). The Mainstay’s free outdoor summer concert series is sponsored by the Rock Hall Business Association, the Kent County Arts Council and The Mainstay.

only $15

Mulebone brilliantly combines Hugh Pool's excellent blues/roots guitar, harmonica, vocals and stomp-board with John Ragusa's virtuosity on conch shell, Jews harp, cornet, all manner of flutes, tin whistle and back-up vocals. They play an intense mix of slide guitar boogies, 1 chord trance riffs a la Howlin Wolf, the uptempo rags of Reverend Gary Davis, country blues of all shapes and colors, a mix of tunes written by Pool and covers from the likes of Fred McDowell and Merle Travis. From New York, they play regularly in the city, but they have developed a following wherever they have toured. They were a big hit in front of the Mainstay at the 2012 Rock Hall FallFest and we are delighted to have them back for a full concert.

Mulebone's website

Mulebone video

only $15

Neville Dickie is one of the World's finest exponents of Stride piano and Boogie Woogie. Equally respected in Britain and the United States of America, he is one of the rare breed of British musicians who has managed to make a name for himself on both sides of the pond. He will be joined for this swinging evening by the Midiri Brothers with Paul Midiri on vibes and drums and Joe Midiri on clarinet and sax.

Neville Dickie's website

Neville Dickie video

only $15

This quintet of exceptional jazz musicians is mostly from the University of Maryland Jazz Program in College Park where Chuck Redd is adjunct Professor of Percussion. With several multi-instrumentalists, the ensemble will include various combinations on well-known standards and on compositions and arrangements by the students. Featured will be Chuck's outstanding jazz percussion protégé, Isabelle De Leon on drums and Mark Meadows, a recent Peabody grad on piano as well as Griff Kazmierczak on trumpet, Steve Synk on bass and Nathan Reising on saxophone. This is concert is in memory of Allen Malcolm, a member of the Mainstay Board and a trustee of the John Ben Snow Memorial Trust.

only $20

Sue Matthews and Stef Scaggiari collaborate with a depth and complexity well-suited to the collaborations of George and Ira Gershwin. Sue is a superb singer with a silky smooth voice, an intimate style, flawless delivery, exquisite phrasing and a passion for finding every bit of meaning in the heart of a song. Stef is a brilliant pianist whose emotionally charged lyricism and flawless technique anticipates Sue's every interpretive nuance and whose classic brilliance shines on the Gershwin concert pieces. While George and Ira Gershwin as a songwriting team were rooted in the sounds and style of the Jazz Age, between their musical theatre and film work, the folk opera Porgy and Bess and George’s concert pieces such as Rhapsody in Blue, their work is timeless and magical.

Sue Matthews' website
Stef Scaggiari's website

only $15

Red June, a powerful acoustic trio from Asheville, North Carolina perform beautifully distilled original American music with strong roots in the Appalachian tradition. They are making waves with their striking three-part vocal harmonies, tasteful, expert musicianship on fiddle, guitar, steel guitar and mandolin, and honest songwriting that blends bluegrass, old-time, country and American roots music. Will Straughan, John Cloyd Miller and Natalya Weinstein have been capturing the hearts of audiences across the country and have performed on the renowned “Music City Roots” live radio show in Nashville, TN as well as at the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival, Suwannee Springfest and MerleFest where John took first place honors in the 2013 Chris Austin Songwriting Contest in the bluegrass category for his song “Cloud of Dust”.

Red June's website

Red June video