Saturday in the Park 2008 Music Lineup Announced
05.09.08
Dave Bernstein, co-founder of Saturday in the Park, announced several of the
acts to perform this year at the annual festival. The festival
will be held Saturday, July 5, at Grandview Park, with
the festivities kicking off at noon with the Star Spangled
Banner performed by the group’s spiritual leader, Phil
Claeys.
Headlining the event this year is festival powerhouse,
Phil Lesh and Friends! Those looking for the inspiration
of the current jam band movement need look no further than
Phil Lesh. A founding member of the venerable American
musical institution, the Grateful Dead, Lesh has continued
to inspire while pushing the envelope with his highly evolved
musical performances. The world-class musicians that have
passed through Phil Lesh & Friends have thrilled audiences with their high-flying improvisations and timeless
renditions of Grateful Dead classics.
Opening for Lesh, will be the BoDeans, a rock & roll band formed in Waukesha, Wisconsin, by singer/songwriters/guitarists Sammy
Llanas and Kurt Neumann, who had played together since
high school, along with a rhythm section of bassist Bob
Griffin and drummer Guy Hoffman. Their 1987 release, Outside
Looking In, broke into the Top 100 best-sellers, as the
BoDeans toured with U2, and were named "Best New Band" in Rolling Stone magazine. In 1996, "Closer to Free," a song taken from Go Slow Down, became a hit, thanks to its exposure as the
theme song for the popular television show, Party of Five.
William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
The other bands announced are, Umphrey’s McGee, the Nadas
and Snakebeard Jackson. Umphrey’s McGee, is a talented
jam band from South Bend, Indiana whose inventive improvisation,
incredible covers and unpredictable moments have rocketed
them to the top of the jam band scene. Like so many American
bands, the Nadas started as a way for its members to pass
the time between classes. Unlike so many American bands,
the Nadas outlasted their educations and rode a growing
fan base to a genuine, honest-to-goodness career. Snakebeard
Jackson from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is a union of Rock,
Bluegrass, Country and Blues.
There are two remaining acts to be announced in the near
future. We can expect at least one killer female act to
fill out the day’s entertainment. So get ready for another
great day of sun and music as Saturday in the Park 2008
returns for its 18th anniversary! Keep your ears open for
after parties featuring some of the bands that grace the
band shell stage earlier in the day.
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