Friday, July 22 at 5 p.m.— RUTLAND —The popular Friday Night Live summer music series will return to Center Street for three weekends in July and August. The free concert series features Badfish on July 22, All-4-One on Aug. 5, and Dean Ford & the Beautiful Ones on Aug. 19. In addition to music, families and friends can come out to enjoy the variety of outdoor parklets, local and traveling food vendors, and activities that will pack the street between Merchants Row and Wales Street.
The Downtown Rutland Partnership, who organizes the series each summer, expects to see a large community attendance. “Friday Night Live is for everyone,” said Tiffany Saltis, executive director at the Downtown Rutland Partnership. “Now more than ever, folks want to come together. These events provide that space for music lovers, families looking for activities and affordable food options, or folks looking to engage their community in fun ways. Anyone who attends will be sure to leave with a smile.”’
Badfish, July 22
Badfish, a tribute to Sublime, is no stranger to downtown Rutland and will kick off the concert series on July 22. Badfish continues to channel the spirit of Sublime with a fury not felt for some time. What separates Badfish from other tribute bands is that they have replicated Sublime’s essence, developing a scene and dedicated following most commonly reserved for label-driven acts. They perform not as Sublime would have, or did, but as Badfish does! (See interview with bassist Joel Hanks, page 16.)
All-4-One, Aug. 5
All-4-One will perform in downtown Rutland on Aug. 5
All-4-One will take the stage on Aug. 5 and set the mood. The Grammy Award Winning R&B group is internationally known for making timeless love songs that not only chart radio airwaves but also garner countless awards. Attendees will be able to nostalgically sing along to their signature songs “I Can Love You Like That” and “I Turn to You” all night long. Their hit “I Swear” STILL holds a spot on Billboard’s “Hot 100” as one of the most successful singles of all time and has been named as one of the greatest love songs of the 20th Century.
Dean Ford & The Beautiful Ones, Aug. 19
Dean Ford & The Beautiful Ones, a tribute to Prince, will wow Downtown Rutland on Aug. 19.
Dean Ford embodies Prince with every fiber of his being, giving the audience a show as authentic as they will ever get to the real thing.
Ford and company perform all the hits you know and love, including the “Purple Rain” album in its entirety. The look, the moves, the energy, and the sounds done jaw-droppingly well — you’ll be sure to forget it’s only a tribute.
Each evening will kick off at 5 p.m. with the main musical acts starting about 8 p.m. Concert attendees are encouraged to come early to grab dinner prior to the concert and to bring their own lawn chairs for viewing the shows.
For more information, visit downtownrutland.com/fridaynightlive or follow downtown Rutland social media for event updates.
