Mick's Island Rumours Band to play show

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Freedom Hill lineup promises fun for all ages
By Cortney Casey
C & G Staff Writer

STERLING HEIGHTS — A dozen recently announc-ed acts provide a first glimpse at Freedom Hill Amphitheatre’s upcoming concert season.

“We’re just adding to the schedule, so this is only the beginning to what we’re going to do for the rest of the summer,” said Joe Bellanca, the venue’s programming manager. “It spans all the genres so far. It appeals to a wide range of fans, from country to R & B.”

The schedule includes Poison’s Live Raw and Uncut Summer Tour, with special guests Dokken and Sebastian Bach, on Aug. 9; country star Wynonna on July 17; and Grammy Award-winning vocalists Boyz II Men Aug. 10.

Former Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood will bring his Island Rumours Band to the venue July 13. Huey Lewis and The News — best known for ’80s hits like “If This Is It,” “The Power of Love,” “Hip to Be Square” and “Stuck with You” — will perform Aug. 28.

Other confirmed acts include Return to Forever with Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Al Di Meola and Lenny White on June 21; bluesy singer/songwriter Boz Scaggs on June 26; gospel and soul singer Al Green on July 11; British rockers YES on July 19; The Ultimate Doo Wop Show on July 26; and Billy Ray Cyrus of “Achy Breaky Heart” fame on Aug. 31.

At this point, the season is slated to kick off on June 18 with PBS Kids Club Live! featuring Arthur’s Wonderful Kind of Storytime.

Tickets for all 12 announced acts are currently on sale.

“We’re kind of excited going into this season,” said Tom Bommarito, director of community relations for Freedom Hill Amphitheatre. “It should be very similar to last year. We had a pretty good year last year.”

According to Bommarito, an estimated 200,000 people attend the venue’s concerts over the course of the season. Between the concerts and high school graduations, festivals and other events, Freedom Hill County Park sees approximately 500,000 visitors throughout the summer and early fall, he said.

“(Freedom Hill) is only, at most, 20 minutes from all expressways, so it brings people in from all different parts of the tri-county area,” said Bellanca.

Thanks to a roof installed in May 2005, Freedom Hill has 4,000 fully covered seats, as well as 3,000 lawn seats. The venue has on-site parking, the cost of which is included in ticket prices, said Bellanca.

A variety of concessions are available, including many from local businesses, including Tubby’s, Big Boy and Nino Salvaggio, he added.

Bellanca said the remainder of the summer schedule will likely be revealed in late April. Freedom Hill typically plays host to 20-30 acts over the course of the season, which spans from June until early September, he said.

Freedom Hill Amphitheatre is located within Freedom Hill County Park at 14900 Metropolitan Parkway, east of Schoenherr, in Sterling Heights. For more information, call Freedom Hill’s box office at (586) 268-5100 or Ticketmaster at (248) 645-6666, or visit www.freedomhill.net.

You can reach Staff Writer Cortney Casey at [email protected] or at (586) 498-1046.

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