RiversEdge reopens: What Hamilton’s amphitheater will be like on Saturday

Area bands will open the RiversEdge amphitheater season on Saturday as the site debuts on Independence Day.

Brass Owl, Linus Tate and Jordan Wood with Nick Giese will kick off the 2020 concert series. Tickets will need to be purchased for the show and tickets are now on sale at www.riversedgelive.com.

“All of the bands for July 4 are local to the area, so it’s a great showcase of local talent here in Butler County,” said Adam Helms, Hamilton’s director of resident services.

He said Brass Owl just put out a new album, “State of Mind,” in April. Jordan Wood and Nick Giese recently put out a six-song EP called “The COVID Sessions.” Linus Tate also has some original music, but they will play a lot of songs that audiences will recognize, including classic rock covers that span multiple decades.

“There will be a lot of songs that people will know and some that they are hearing for the first time,” Helms said, “We really like that fact that we are able to give local musicians a platform to put their new music out there, and introduce their music to everybody. We really hope the community will get behind it and listen to what these artists have recorded and are putting out there.”

Due to social distancing requirements, RiversEdge will be operating at a limited capacity until further notice. Operating at a reduced capacity makes free-admission concerts impossible. All attendees must purchase a ticket until the venue is permitted to operate at full capacity, Helms said.

Each of the squares can accommodate two to nine people with lawn chairs. (A purchaser must purchase the entire square and is responsible for the cost of the square. He/she may bring 1-8 additional guests, depending on the capacity of the square.)

“…We are only doing this admission fee, and the social distancing layout because of the orders from the state,” Helms said, “When we can operate at full capacity, between sponsorships, VIP tickets, and food and beverage sales, we can cover our costs and still have some leftover to put towards concerts the following year. Were operating at a third of our capacity. It is going to be tough. Without another revenue source, it’s impossible for us to cover the costs for the bands.”

At the Saturday show, Jordan Wood with Nick Giese will perform at 5:30 p.m., followed by Linus Tate from 7-8 p.m. Brass Owl will headline the concert from 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. The City of Hamilton’s fireworks will be set off at 10 p.m.

As for other shows this year, Scotty Bratcher is one of the returning favorites on the series. Bratcher will play at RiversEdge with GA-20 on July 9 at 6:30 p.m.

Tribute bands are also extremely popular on the concert series, including Back in Black (AC/DC Tribute) with The Four Horsemen (Metallica tribute), which will be held on July 30 at 6:30 p.m. (This is the rescheduled date.)

Other shows this season will include Southern Avenue with LowDown Brass Band on Aug. 27;,Material Girl & The Flame Monster (Madonna & Lady Gaga Tribute) on Sept. 4, Signs of Life: The American Pink Floyd on Sept. 19 and 90 Proof Twang, Dallas Moore and Jim Burns Band on Oct. 8.

During a normal concert season, RiversEdge can accommodate about 3,000 concertgoers. However, with social-distancing measures in place in 2020 due to COVID-19, the venue will be equipped to accommodate about 1002 guests at each concert. This is the ninth year for the RiversEdge concert series in Hamilton. RiversEdge Amphitheater at Marcum Park is located at 116 Dayton Street, downtown Hamilton.

The majority of RiversEdge concerts will be held on Thursdays with a few exceptions. Start times vary.

For a seating chart and to purchase tickets/squares, go to www.riversedgelive.com. If there are tickets/squares still available on the day of the show, guests can walk up to the gate and buy a square the day of the show. For more details on the concert series line-up, or to purchase tickets, visit www.riversedgelive.com and www.facebook.com/HamiltonRiversEdge. Ticket prices and on-sale dates vary.

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