Does Toledo have too much country music?
Promoter Hunter Brucks of HB Concerts thinks so. That’s why when he was booking his Promenade Park acts for the 2024 summer season, he didn’t book a single country act, satisfied that Toledo had enough country acts represented.
“Toledo is really oversaturated with country music so we made a really concentrated effort on being diverse with our shows. We’re doing stuff that’s never been down at Promenade Park,” said Brucks.
Of the seven acts booked for the riverfront this summer, none of them are country music.
There’s rap and R&B acts with Flo Rida and TLC,’70s and ’80s soft rock with Yachtley Crew, classic rock with Mark Farner’s American Band, an explosion of ’80s hair metal with “’80s’s Rock Invasion,” and one of North America’s largest Latin music groups with Palomazo Norteno. There’s even a novelty band with costumed group Here Come the Mummies performing on Aug. 31.
Brucks said in addition to staying away from country acts, he avoided booking tribute acts, believing Toledo had enough of them as well.
“I told the council when we put this whole thing together — I know the eyebrows were up and people were like ‘Can he do it?’— and I’m just like ‘Let me do what I do. We’ll be diverse,’” said Brucks, who said he plans to announce three more concerts for September.
But over at the Huntington Center, country reigns supreme, with the genre taking up all of the venue’s upcoming acts this summer.
“It’s all about routing and availability and unfortunately with the way the routes worked this year we didn’t pick up any of the rock ‘n’ roll stuff this year,” said Huntington Center general manager Steve Miller.
“I’m always chasing different genres of music, it just so happened that this year it’s a bunch of country stuff that came around,” Miller said. “We’ve got Tim McGraw, Chris Stapleton, Jordan Davis. We’ve got a lot of stuff going on this summer and I’m really excited about it.”
McGraw will be returning to town Thursday for the first time since 2018, when he played a joint show with his wife Faith Hill, also at the Huntington Center.
Stapleton returns to town after a date at the Huntington Center just two years ago, having gathered two more Grammys, a CMA win for Male Vocalist of the Year, and an ACM win for Entertainer of the Year in the interim.
“Within his set Stapleton showed remarkable versatility, switching between multiple moods over more than 20 songs,” The Blade wrote in a review of the April, 2022 show that was twice postponed by the coronavirus pandemic. “Stapleton has a deep and raspy voice, but hits ringing high notes seemingly without breaking a sweat. This voice, which could easily be termed a shout, filled the arena, transcending country to visit the realms of rock and blues.”
Opening for Tim McGraw and Carly Pearce at the Huntington Center are Brock Butler and Ryan Garrett collectively known as the Heartwreckers. A relatively new country duo, the pair called The Blade from Copenhagen, Denmark, where they are touring Scandinavian countries.
“The people here really listen to the music,” said Garrett. “These are new country music fans. There’s a country music renaissance over here. Audiences actually listen. A lot of times in Nashville, you’ll be playing in a bar and no one’s really actually listening to the song or the story we’re trying to tell. But around here, you can hear a pin drop when you’re performing.”
The Heartwreckers said working with Tim McGraw was an “incredible” experience.
“Tim’s exactly like you think he’d be,” said Butler. “He’s got the world’s strongest handshake.”
“Yeah, he almost ripped my arm off the first time he shook my hand,” said Garrett with a laugh.
“I heard that Toledoans like to party,” said Garrett.
“We can’t wait to party with Toledo when we get there,” said Butler.
The country sounds will continue to flow at The Blade’s 40th Northwest Ohio Rib Off at the Lucas County Fairgrounds, which will feature Brett Young on July 27, following alt-rockers Gin Blossoms the previous night.
And other area venues, from the Toledo Zoo Amphitheater, to the Stranahan Theater, to Centennial Terrace, and even the Peristyle Theater at the Toledo Museum of Art will also be packed, hosting everything from Robert Plant’s first visit to the area since 1993 on June 14, to an innovative show from alt-rock idol Ben Folds on June 27, who will be taking song requests via paper airplane.
Some highlights from the area concert schedule are below. Visit venue websites for ticket information.
2024 Summer Concert Schedule Highlights
May 30 — Tim McGraw, Huntington Center
June 13 — Dierks Bentley, Huntington Center
June 14 — Alison Krauss/Robert Plant, Toledo Zoo
June 14 — Dylan Scott, Centennial Terrace
June 15 — Warrant/Lita Ford/Firehouse, Centennial Terrace
June 21 — Donny Osmond, Stranahan Theater
June 21 — Parmalee, Centennial Terrace
June 22 — Three Dog Night, Stranahan Theater
June 25 — Bonnie Raitt, Stranahan Theater
June 27 — Ben Folds, Peristyle Theater, Toledo Museum of Art
July 6 — Killer Queen, Centennial Terrace
July 12 — Hairball, Centennial Terrace
July 13 — Flo Rida, Promenade Park
July 13 — Hotel California (Eagles tribute), Centennial Terrace
July 18 — Chris Stapleton, Huntington Center
July 19 — ’80s Rock Invasion (Great White, Slaughter, Vixen, Stephen Pearcy of Ratt, and Steven Adler of Guns N’ Roses), Promenade Park
July 26 — Gin Blossoms, Lucas County Fairgrounds for the Northwest Ohio Rib Off
July 27 — Brett Young, Lucas County Fairgrounds for the Northwest Ohio Rib Off
Aug. 2 — Jordan Davis, Huntington Center
Aug. 3 — Mark Farner’s American Band, Promenade Park
Aug. 6 — John Fogerty, Toledo Zoo
Aug. 7 — Tedeschi Truck Band, Toledo Zoo
Aug. 9 — Palomazo Norteno, Promenade Park
Aug. 11 — Yachtley Crew, Promenade Park
Aug. 17 — Get the Led Out, Centennial Terrace
Aug. 23 — Air Margaritaville, Centennial Terrace
Aug. 22 — TLC, Promenade Park
Aug. 31 — Here Come The Mummies, Promenade Park
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