Frederick, Maryland has kept live entertainment rocking throughout the pandemic.
This weekend, the Frederick Fairgrounds hosts a drive-in concert series live on stage.
“My last [club] show was at the 9:30 Club on March 8, 2020,” All Good Presents Promoter Tim Walther told WTOP. “I’m very fortunate to have stumbled upon the Frederick Fairgrounds.”
He wasn’t planning on doing drive-in concerts, he said, and was unsure how they’d be received. “As it turns out, people feel like it’s a VIP experience,” Walther said. “You show up in your car, you have an 8-by-20-foot space to hang out with your friends.”
The spring lineup kicks off with the Disco Biscuits this Friday and Saturday.
“They’re really the pioneers of their scene, kind of an electronic rock ‘n’ roll jam band,” Walther said. “Great guys, great music, a lot of fun.”
Then Goose comes to town for shows on May 3 and 4.
“They’re a sound of their own, somewhat in the funk jam category,” Walther said. “They’re the cream of the crop. They’re rising faster than jam bands tend to rise. … Typically a jam band will grow from 300 people and come back and do 350, but these guys are going from literally 100 tickets to 1,500 tickets a year in many markets. These shows sold out in minutes.”
Arguably the biggest name is Grammy nominee Grace Potter on May 9.
“We go back to when she played the 8×10 Club [in Baltimore] for 80 people back in 2008, so we’ve been with her for quite a while,” Walther said. “Fans that were seeing Grace in 2008 are still following Grace today.”
Dark Star Orchestra, whom Walther has been managing since 2009, performs May 14, 15 and 16.
“They’re the leading Grateful Dead cover band in the country,” Walther said. “Basically what they do is pick a show — say, May 7, 1977 — and they’ll play the concert from start to finish with the same instrumentation and the same sound. It gives people a chance that never saw the Grateful Dead to go see them for the first time.”
Galactic takes the stage on May 20.
“They’re one of the pioneers of New Orleans funk,” Walther said. “They’ve been touring the country for quite some time. They really know how to bring the funk. I can’t wait to see them here.”
Greensky Bluegrass mixes genres May 28-30.
“There’s no drums, so it’s more of an acoustic act, but you wouldn’t know that, because they sound like a rock band,” Walther said. “I’m not sure how they do it. When you think bluegrass, you think banjos, fiddles and violins, but that’s not what these guys are. They’re a rock acoustic band dressed up like a bluegrass band.”
The Wood Brothers bring a family-friendly vibe on June 6.
“Great songwriters, a little more Americana … just positive, enjoyable — bring your family and your picnic basket and enjoy good soulful, good vibes music,” Walther said.
Last but not least, MOE is slated for June 18 and 19.
“Another jam band, rock ‘n’ roll band,” Walther said. “People will drive two, three or four hours to meet them here in Frederick in June.”
Stay tuned for more summer announcements.
Listen to our full conversation here.
