More than 1,000 people filled every inch of blacktop that Saturday in May 2021 when Tucson’s tribute band The Dirt played a parking lot concert at The Station Pub & Grill.
The popular neighborhood bar and restaurant in Marana’s Continental Ranch community hadn’t seen that coming, its owner, Clint Bolin, recalled.
“It was crazy,” he said. “It was right after COVID and I think everybody was just ‘get me out of here’. We were a bit overwhelmed.”
This weekend, Bolin and his crew will put the lessons learned from that experience to the test when The Dirt returns with a few friends for the two-day Dirtfest on Saturday, Oct. 12, and Sunday, Oct. 13.
Bolin said a stage will be set up in the parking lot, which will be closed off to parking to allow the audience to stand/sit. A handful of parking spaces at Pizza Hut, which will be open during the festival, will be blocked off to preserve them for restaurant customers.
Festival parking is available at the long-closed Continental Reserve Urgent Care building at 8333 N. Silverbell, a five-minute walk from The Station at 8235 N. Silverbell Road.
Bolin also expects some people will park along North Wade Road, including in the overflow lot at the Northwest Fire Station behind the bar on Wade.
The Dirt is sharing the stage with several Tucson bands at this weekend’s Dirtfest at The Station in Marana.
But Andy Saenz, The Dirt’s drummer and architect of the festival, said he doesn’t anticipate seeing a crowd as big as the one three years ago.
“We’re hoping for a good 500 people or so each night, which would be great,” he said. “It’s going to be a good time. It’s going to be warm, but it’s Tucson. I think everybody’s used to that.”
The festival features seven bands over two days, each performing for 90 minutes to two hours. It runs from 2-10 p.m. Saturday and noon-9 p.m. Sunday.
Saenz’s pop cover band Hit Rewind kicks things off at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, followed at 5:30 by Sunset Red, a Tucson classic rock band fronted by Candi Renee. The Dirt, specializing in 1980s hair bands including Mötley Crüe, Poison, Ratt, Guns N’ Roses, Scorpions, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi and Warrant, headlines at 8 p.m.
On Sunday, country kicks things off with Patrick Rayl & the .357 Band at 1 p.m., followed by Buckshot & Bell Bottoms at 3. The female rock legends tribute band Sweet Mess from Phoenix goes on at 5, followed by headliners 80’s and Gentlemen, Tucson’s popular all-encompassing rock/pop/dance/electronica tribute band at 7.
Tickets are $20 through thedirthairband.ticketleap.com and includes both days.
