The folks at the east side Gaslight Theatre and the Oro Valley Gaslight Music Hall get us.
They know we are jonesing to see our favorite Tucson bands live — or as live as we can in keeping with COVID-19 social distancing protocols.
They know we love our local George Strait tribute artist Kevin Sterner, but watching him on Zoom or Facebook live just isn’t the same.
Sterner, who has been singing Strait’s greatest hits for years in the Tucson area, thrives on audience interaction. Heck, all artists do.
Which is why we are especially excited that the Gaslight is bringing in a handful of Tucson artists to perform parking lot concerts at both locations through August. Concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. and admission at both locations — Gaslight Theatre, 7010 E. Broadway; and Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road — is $30 a carload. Parking spaces are limited so reservations are encouraged. The lineup:
Gaslight Theatre Outdoor Porch Series
thegaslighttheatre.com, 886-9428
- Aug. 10: Take it Easy, Salute to the Eagles. Talk about a wealth of material: When you are an Eagles cover band, you have nearly 40 years of fantastic hit songs from “Take It Easy” to “Hotel California,” “Life in the Fastlane” and beyond.
- Aug. 17:
Just One Look, Linda Ronstadt Tribute
- with The Tributaries, featuring Ronstadt’s niece Mindy Ronstadt. Expect to hear some of Tucson native Ronstadt’s best-loved hits, including ”When Will I Be Loved,” “That’ll Be The Day,” and “Poor, Poor Pitiful Me,” as well as her famous ballads “Blue Bayou,” “Love Has No Pride” and “Long, Long Time,”
- Aug. 24: Strait Country with Kevin Sterner and the Strait Country Band. Sterner has the Strait swagger, that certain cool when he dips into the Texas crooner’s extensive catalog of iconic songs including “Amarillo By Morning,” “All My Ex’s,” “Ocean Front Property” and his classic pick-up song “The Chair.”
- Aug. 31: The folk-rock CSM Trio, Five Way Street band’s Fred Coy, Michael Serres and Joe Murphy have a little side gig going on that mixes three-part harmonies with a little bit of silly and acoustic guitars and bass with a mix of contemporary and classic songs.
Gaslight Music Hall Drive-In Concerts
gaslightmusichall.com, 529-1000
- Aug. 6: Kevin Sterner and Strait Country. The George Strait tribute show hits Oro Valley before joining the Gaslight Theatre lineup.
- Aug. 12:
- . The 1950s and ’60s were such cool times for girl bands, and this trio takes us down memory lane with some of the greatest, from the “American Bandstand” era: such bubblegum Motown pop hits as “My Boyfriend’s Back,” “You Can’t Hurry Love” and “Mister Sandman.”
- Aug. 13: Dolly & Friends. Erin and Todd Thompson take a deep dive into Dolly Parton’s extensive catalogue, most of it penned by Parton. Expect to hear solo hits “Jolene,” “Dumb Blonde” and “Nine to Five” as well as duets with Kenny Rodgers, Porter Wagner and others.
- Aug. 19:
- . Tucson’s doo-wop quartet pulls out those great drive-in hits from The Cadillacs and The Coasters and others to remind us of when music was simply a joy.
- Aug. 20: The Tributaries. They sport the classic ’60s hairstyles to go with the classic ’60s soundtrack, from the Beatles, The Turtles and The Monkees, to Neil Diamond, Buffalo Springfield and The Archies. In addition to the music, the guys tell stories behind the songs.
Both Gaslight locations offer beverages and Grandma Tony’s Pizza. Check the websites to order in advance.
