Ruth Eckerd Hall On The Road Announces The Return Of Clearwater’s Blast Friday

Blast Friday returns to Downtown Clearwater for its 9th season. This free food and craft festival kicks-off featuring a live concert starring Fastball and special guests The Black Honkeys on Friday, January 25 from 5:30 to 10 pm on the Tampa Bay Times Cleveland Street Stage. Food trucks and vendors will be serving a wide variety of freshly prepared specialty food and beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages that will be available for purchase. Concert goers are welcome to bring their lawn chairs to watch the concert. Please see concert listings below (line-up, date and time subject to change). VIP packages go on sale Friday, November 9 at 10 am.

Beer sampling, live local music and other activities will be located in the 600 block of Cleveland Street.

Friday, January 25
Fastball with special guests The Black Honkeys

With nearly 20 years of musical explorations and milestones under its belt, two-time GRAMMY®-nominee Fastball remains one of the most consistent and continuously celebrated rock bands on the road these days. After rising to prominence in 1996 with the debut disc Make Your Mama Proud, the Austin based trio exploded into a household name with hits like The Way, Out Of My Head and Fire Escape.

Known for their soul, funk and rhythm ‘n’ blues music, The Black Honkeys have won awards in multiple categories for three years running in Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay Reader’s Choice Awards. Front man, Brother Phil Esposito, is supported on vocals by the lovely Nicole Simone, with guitarist Greg Czinke, Will Harris on bass, Steven Tanner on drums, John “Dash” Dixon on keyboards, along with the fabulous Ebony & Ivory Horn Section with Scott Myers on trombone and Terry Clark on trumpet.

 

Friday, February 22
The FIXX

The FIXX has been often heralded as one of the most innovative bands to come out of the MTV era. Instantly recognizable, The FIXX sound is unmistakably unique and stands out among the thousands of artists filling the airwaves. Songs such as One Thing Leads To Another, Red Skies and Saved By Zero remain everyday staples in television, films and on radio stations that continue to break new acts inspired by the era that The FIXX helped to define. The FIXX were then and still are now; Cy Curnin on vocals, Rupert Greenall on keyboards, Jamie West-Oram on guitar, Adam Woods on drums and bassist Dan K. Brown.

 

Friday, March 29
The Rippingtons

The Rippingtons, known for hits like She Likes To Watch, Caribbean Breeze, Snowbound, Wild Tales, are a GRAMMY®-nominated contemporary jazz group, founded by guitarist and composer Russ Freeman in 1985. The group has passed the 30 year mark and continues to innovate. Under Freeman’s production, the group has released 22 albums, all of which have attained top 5 Billboard status, with 5 of them reaching #1. Their debut album, Moonlighting, which Jazziz magazine has called “the number one most influential contemporary jazz album of all time.”

 

Friday, April 26
Home Cookin’ V – The Greg Billings Band with Ronnie Dee and the Superstars

The Greg Billings Band is a continuation of a phenomenon that began when popular ‘80s Florida band Romeo signed to Epic Records and released its first album after a name change to “Stranger”. The band features two members of Stranger, lead vocalist Greg Billings and bassist Tom ‘King’ Cardenas and also includes lead guitarist George Harris, drummer Mark Busto, guitarist Kyle Ashley and Rob Stoney on keyboards.

Ronnie Dee and the Superstars recently released their debut album #ThankYouMusic, which includes hit songs like Ballad Of The Bad Seed, Warming Up, Depending On Love, Soul Biscuits and more. Dee is the son of ‘60s rock star Joey Dee and currently resides in Tampa.

The concert for Friday, May 31 will be announced soon.

A limited number of SUPER VIP packages for all Blast Friday concerts, priced at $49 are available. SUPER VIP tickets include a seat in the first three rows of reserved general admission seating directly in front of the Tampa Bay Times Stage, a meet and greet opportunity with band members, two complimentary beers or wine and access to super VIP tent, which includes snacks. In addition, a limited number of VIP packages for all Blast Friday concerts, priced at $29 are also available, which includes a general admission ticket in the reserved seating section directly in front of the Tampa Bay Times Stage and two complimentary beers.

VIP and SUPER VIP packages will be available in advance at the Ruth Eckerd Hall Ticket Office located at 1111 McMullen Booth Road in Clearwater or by calling 727.791.7400.  The Ruth Eckerd Hall Ticket Office is open Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm. Patrons may also purchase tickets at www.AtTheCap.com 24/7. Packages may also be available the day of each concert at the Capitol Theatre Box Office.

Be a part of BLAST FRIDAY and join in Clearwater’s premier FREE street festival!  Become a vendor to offer specialty food items, refreshments, crafts and homemade goods.

Every participating vendor receives a reserved 10’ x 10’ space at one low fee. Blast Friday is held the last Friday of every month through May. Vendors should reserve their space by downloading and filling out the online application here.    For more information, please email blastfriday.vendors@gmail.com.