You already heard a dazzling fireworks show will light up Beaver County on June 29.
But let's talk about the impressive lineup of musical groups that will entertain in Bridgewater, Monaca and Rochester in the hours leading up to the Beaver County Boom!
Pre-fireworks festivals, including the Boom on The Bridge concert at the Veterans Memorial Bridge, have expanded to multiple sites for what promises to be an unforgettable day of music.
Chris Lane, a country music chart-topper with “Big, Big Plans,” headlines the Boom on The Bridge main stage on the Bridgewater side of the Veterans Memorial Bridge.
The 39-year-old Lane, who also went double-platinum with 2018's "I Don't Know About You" and Take Back Home Girl" (with Tori Kelly), hits the stage at 8 p.m., following a set by Pittsburgh's top honkytonk band, Bindley Hardware Co., with country-western act Low Gap launching the music at 4 p.m.
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The secondary Zerofossil Stage, near Bruster's Real Ice Cream in Bridgewater, commences with fun at 3 p.m. with Squonk performing its outdoor music spectacle, "Brouhaha." Perhaps you've seen Squonk at the Three Rivers Arts Festival or at a Pittsburgh rib fest; the musical troupe's shows are imaginative, boisterous and whimsical.
At the peak of its Bridgewater performance, Squonk will invite audience members onto the stage to make music with them on the "Squonkcordion," an enormous musical instrument powered by behemoth bellows topped with towering tuba bells.
Squonk's 30-year career has taken the group to Broadway, Europe, Asia and all over the U.S.
Following Squonk on the Zerofossil stage will be Pittsburgh's most popular oldies band, Johnny Angel & The Halos, at 5 p.m., then Pittsburgh's nationally touring soul-rock band The Commonheart at 7 p.m.
The Byron Nash Duo, Z-Town Street Band, Nick Guckert of The Living Street, Adrian Adioetomo and Eagleburger Marching Band also will entertain on the two Bridgewater stages.
At that same time, live music lovers also will be parked in front of Rochester's Riverfront Stage, watching a concert headlined by Beaver Valley chart-toppers The Jaggerz.
"This will be our first show of the year in Beaver County," Jaggerz vocalist Jimmie Ross said.
Sure to do their hit "The Rapper," other radio singles like "Gotta Find My Way Back Home," and their oh-so- smooth cover of Mayer Hawthorne's "The Walk," The Jaggerz go on stage at 7:30 p.m., and will entertain an audience that can stay put afterward for a great view of the Beaver County Boom! fireworks show by the renowned Zambelli Internationale. As always, Beaver County Boom's! rockets' red glare and things bursting in air takes place above where the Beaver and Ohio rivers meet.
"Beaver County Boom plus Zambelli Fireworks doesn't get any better," Ross said. "There's no place like home."
Rochester Riverfront Stage gets the party started a day earlier, from 5-10 p.m. June 28, with the start of the two-day Rockin’ and Thunder on The Ohio festival. Food and crafts vendors will set up tents with the music starting at 5:30 p.m. with New Brighton country artist Dawn Savage, whose "Moonshine" is getting radio airplay. Then at 7:30, it's Beaver Valley's beloved classic-rock/outlaw country group Honky Tonk Heroes.
Rockin’ and Thunder on The Ohio's day two, on June 29, begins at 8 a.m. with a deejay and karaoke until noon, plus vendors and a daylong Super Car Cruise in Rochester Riverfront Park.
From noon to 1 p.m. on the Riverfront Stage, singer-guitarist Rychrd Skynrd entertains, followed at 4:30 p.m. by Silent Partner.
There'll be nothing silent from 1-3 p.m. when there's a burnout competition for car cruisers.
You better believe Monaca is heavily involved in Beaver County Boom! festivities, too, with the borough's riverfront park hosting performances by local rock band the Hoot Owls at 2 p.m., R&B-soul-pop-jazz singer Chantal Joseph at 4:30 p.m. and acoustic rock trio Tres Lads at 7:30 p.m. Between sets and starting at 1 p.m., DJ Ziggy will keep the beats and rhythms flowing.
The southern end of Bridgewater's Riverside Drive also brings live music June 29 with rockers Right Turn Clyde at 8 p.m. on the River Stage as part of the coinciding Bridgewater Summerfest.
It's a lot of entertainment to keep track of, and that's a good thing, right?
Back to that Rochester Riverfront Stage for a minute: Don't forget there's a big show there this Saturday (June 15) starring Billy The Kid & The Regulators, joined by Honky Tonk Heroes, the Granati Brothers, Mojo Dia & The Usual Suspects and For Those About to Rock Academy.
Beaver Falls rap show
Yung Delirious, a New Orleans-based artist, headlines the June 25 Now or Never rap concert at Local 724 Studio in Beaver Falls.
Drawing inspiration from artists like Logic and G-Eazy, Yung Delirious touts his distinct sonic style, expressive lyrics and immersive live performances as reasons to catch his show. His March EP, “22,” delves through emotions of pain and loss, and was recorded upon his return from a nine-month military deployment overseas.
Joining him in Beaver Falls will be Boston rapper CM Young, whose album “Flowers on the Floor” reached 30,000 streams on Spotify in its first week and earned spins on New Orleans radio stations; and Elquan, a Las Vegas rapper premiering his third album, 'Had To Risk it All."
Tickets are $12. Local 724 Studio is at 3420 Fourth Ave.
The Now or Never Tour continues June 26 at The Forge Urban Winery in Homestead, closing out the week with three New England shows.
Grant aids artists who lost income in the pandemic
Individual artists and arts professionals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic can apply for $3,000 state grants.
The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council is administering these Artist Income Recovery (AIR) Grants for artists in Allegheny, Beaver, Greene and Washington counties.
A total of 80 grants will be awarded.
Applicants must provide evidence of lost income during the pandemic between March 2020 and December 2022 and must have been residing in Pennsylvania at the time.
Applications open on July 1 and are due Aug. 1. Full details at pittsburghartscouncil.org.
To help artists prepare ahead of the application opening, the Arts Council hosts a free AIR Grant Info Zoom session from 6-7 p.m. June 12. Program specialist Mona Wiley will outline grant guidelines, program goals and eligibility criteria.
“The pandemic had a huge negative economic impact on artists across the nation, and western Pennsylvania is no exception,” Wiley said in a press release. “The Arts Council is grateful for the opportunity to distribute much-needed funding to regional artists who are still struggling with the effects of this lost income.”
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