(Chelsea Update would like to thank Bridget Farve for the information in this story.)
Social Tent and Festival Main Stage:
Located behind The Common Grill restaurant, the festival social tent opens each evening at 6 p.m., with live bands performing from 7 to 11 p.m. Beer and wine will be for sale to those aged 21 and over. Admission in the evenings is $5 and all ages are welcome. In addition to the many local sponsors including Golling of Chelsea, Chelsea State Bank, “Jiffy” Mixes and Rick Taylor Real Estate, proceeds from the social tent help fund the summer long “Sounds and Sights on Thursday Nights” free concert series.
Thursday, July 27 is billed as ‘Local Spotlight’ and features three bands with local roots. Opening at 7 p.m. is singer-songwriter, Jill Jack. Her charming stage presence and emotive songwriting have resulted in 37 Detroit Music Awards over the past 20 years. At 7:40 p.m., Chelsea-born Thunderwüde performs a mix of intricate original compositions, bluegrass standards, and current billboard hits. With decades of collective touring behind them, Thunderwüde’s live show bursts with impeccable songwriting, seasoned instrumental chops and unique musical improvisation. Vibrant indie pop ensemble Joe Hertler and The Rainbow Seekers round out the night with a diverse sound that pulls elements form folk, funk, ‘90s R&B, should and dynamic indie pop. The six-piece Michigan ensemble released “Pluto,” its fourth full-length album, earlier this year.
Friday, July 28 is ‘Country Night’ and features two of the region’s most popular country performers: Kari Holmes and Alan Turner. Veteran to the Sounds and Sights Thursday Nights concert series, Kari Holmes performs on the festival main stage for the first time, opening Friday night at 7 p.m. Up next, Alan Turner and The Steel Horse Band headline with their distinctly high energy country twisted with a pumping rock n roll sound.
Saturday afternoon, the social tent has free admission 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and features The Kielbasa Kings from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Dearborn based polka band performs contemporary and traditional polkas, waltzes and obereks, instrumentally and sung in Polish and English.
Saturday evening the tent reopens at 6 p.m. with a $5 cover to the festival’s annual ‘Dance Party’. The collective talent of Root Doctor kicks off the party at 7 p.m. performing a diverse mix of classic soul and R and B alongside traditional blues and inspired original material. Sounds and Sights welcomes back a social tent favorite, Fifty Amp Fuse, who will be closing out the Sounds & Sights Festival weekend with their tribute to the greatest hits of all time from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and today.
For a complete line up of music events, visit www.chelseafestivals.com.
