Just in case you needed another Booster Days band primer, and you might need a reminder to keep things straight, considering there are, count ‘em, nine bands at the annual festival playing from July 2-4 at Lakefront Park. Here goes:
– On Thursday, it’s the internationally prominent guitar wizardry of one-man-band Jeff Loven from 5:30-8:15 p.m.; and a late-teen country phenom from Minneapolis, Devon Worley, from 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
– Friday brings more of the rock sound with Alive, a complete-list Pearl Jam tribute band, playing from 3:30-6 p.m.; the heavy strains from the ’80s and other periods of Rock Brigade from 6:30-8:30 p.m.; and the locally-popular Arch Allies as a tribute band to Styx, Journey and REO Speedwagon from 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Opening on Friday is 23rd Hour, a female duo that says they like to go beyond the constraints of a full band, from 1-3 p.m.
– On Saturday, it’s a bit more diverse, with the cranked up, Texas blues of Armadillo Jump from 1:30-4:30 p.m.; the horn-section driven Ponzi Scheme from 5:15-8:15 p.m.; and the popular rock, pop and country of top cover band Uncle Chunk from 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
Sponsors include the Hudson Boosters (two bands), Uncle Mike’s Em Pour E-Yum, Luther Hudson Chevrolet GMC (one of the headliner bands), Chad Carlson as a financial representative, Hudson Ford (a headliner), Pita Pit, Family Fresh Market, and Croix Gear and Machining (a headliner). There is no cover charge for any of the bands, including headliners.
– As an added accoutrement, there is all-out acoustic music starting with “August” at Mallard’s in Bayport this Fourth of July weekend.Things started with a well-attended contemporary acoustic show by August Blues on Friday, followed by a band doing a similar style, Joel Katchel, on Saturday and the interactive acoustic performance by Riverside, Dave Burkhart on Sunday. The shows typically start at 7 p.m.