Pig Out in the Park: Come for the food, stay for the music
Deciding what to eat is not the most difficult part of Pig Out in the Park. No, with 85 concerts on three stages across the six-day food festival, the hardest part is deciding on which show to listen to while chowing down.
To help with your decision making, here’s a look at who’s headlining each night of Pig Out.
Wednesday
Mix a bit of prog-rock and blues, plus a little funk for effect, and you’ve got the Zack Cooper Band (7 p.m., IMAX Stage). The Coeur d’Alene-based quintet is led by vocalist/drummer Cooper, who has been voted the Inland Empire Blues Society’s best drummer three times.
The Kelly Hughes Band (8 p.m., Clocktower Stage) has played just about every venue imaginable this summer: bars, concert houses, a brewing company, local parks, a “street dance” as part of Cheney Mayfest, and even a boat on Lake Coeur d’Alene. Playing in Riverfront Park should be a walk in the park for the Post Falls country quintet.
Thursday
After 13 years of fronting the Fat Tones, Bobby Patterson has spent the last couple years with the Bobby Patterson Band (6:30 p.m. Lilac Stage). He’s traded the Fat Tones’ blend of everything from blues and R&B to funk and swing for a traditional blues sound. The Inland Empire Blues Society has recognized each of the four musicians in the band, so expect top-quality tunes.
On the band’s YouTube page, Zenbotz (6:30 p.m., IMAX Stage) bills itself as “cacophonic chaos.” The only song on the quartet’s page though, a solid cover of Blur’s “Song 2” is only chaotic in its use of filters. Even still, the band’s set should be a rousing good time as it has recently added a cover of the Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop” to its repertoire.
Though the trio is now based in Nashville, Too Slim and the Taildraggers (8:30 p.m., Lilac Stage) hasn’t forgotten where it came from, frequently playing the Pacific Northwest, especially the area around its hometown of Spokane. The band added “Blood Moon” to its blues-rock discography last year.
On the Facebook event page for its Pig Out set, local favorites B Radicals (8:30 p.m., IMAX Stage), who have been quiet all summer, allude to lineup changes, new songs and twists on classic tunes. The eclectic funk-rock act will reveal all with a special Pig Out set list.
The often-costumed Sovereign Citizen and the Non-Profits (8 p.m., Clocktower Stage) proudly play what they call cowboy grunge. Catch the quintet’s set, sure to feature tunes from its latest album, “Post Apocalyptic Love Songs,” and hear for yourself.
Sept. 1
Originally from Spokane, alternative soul singer Whitney Mongé (7:15 p.m., Clocktower Stage) honed her skills busking in Seattle. Now a staple in venues across town, Mongé has shared the stage with the likes of Ziggy Marley, KT Tunstall and Chewelah native Allen Stone. She released her latest EP, “Stone,” earlier this year.
After just two years together, funk-rock six piece Cattywomp (8:15 p.m., IMAX Stage) has built a strong fan base, one that voted them onto the lineup of the upcoming Tinnabulation Music Festival. But the band isn’t treating this show as a warm up; Cattywomp will bring the infectious, jam band-like energy it’s known for to the Pig Out stage.
When Paul Revere passed away in 2014, he left behind a musical legacy that included hits like “Kicks,” “Hungry” and “Indian Reservation.” Continuing that legacy are Paul Revere’s Raiders (12:30 p.m., Clocktower Stage, 8:30 p.m., Lilac Stage), which features three longtime members, Revere’s son Jamie and newer Raiders Darren Dowler (The Lettermen) and Tommy Scheckel (The Buckinghams).
Behind the scenes and in the spotlight: LeRoy Bell has done it all. He and musician Casey James co-wrote two songs for Elton John, and Bell has also written for artists like Teddy Pendergrass, Lou Rawls and Jennifer Lopez. On stage, he has an established solo career, was a finalist on “The X Factor” and now fronts LeRoy Bell and His Only Friends (9 p.m., Clocktower Stage).
Sept. 2
In the Inland Northwest, and beyond, Sammy Eubanks’ (6:30 p.m., Lilac Stage) name is synonymous with blues. He and his band mates are no strangers to the Inland Empire Blues Society awards (Eubanks helped form the society), and Eubanks has shows opening for Kenny Chesney, Merle Haggard and BB King on his résumé.
The trio of musicians in Spokane’s Voltalux (6:45 p.m., IMAX Stage) proudly make what they call “soul rock.” Think lots of guitar riffs, thundering percussion and hints of everything from ’70s R&B and Nirvana to David Bowie.
Even if you’ve seen Kalispell, Montana’s Kenny James Miller Band (7 p.m., Clocktower Stage) before, it’s likely you haven’t seen the set it has planned for Pig Out. The blues-rock trio is big on improvisation and isn’t afraid of trying new things.
In his latest musical endeavor, legendary singer/guitarist Elvin Bishop has created Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio (8:45 p.m., Lilac Stage). Look for a full profile on Bishop and his new band in next week’s 7 section.
Fat Lady (8:30 p.m., IMAX Stage) has had a very busy summer. The R&B-tinged blues band played the Volume Music Festival, Elkfest and the Hotel RL Free Outdoor Summer Concert Series. On top of that, the quintet recently released its debut EP.
Almost 50 years after responding to drummer Kelly Nobles’ ad in the Highland Junior High School newspaper for “anyone who wishes to start a band to meet in Conference Room B,” Nobles and the rest of Bellevue-born rock quartet Rail (9:30 p.m., Clocktower Stage) are still going strong.
Sept. 3
Spokane’s Cordell Drake (with Mista Snipe, B Cole, Oliver Spitts and Jesse Lives, 7 p.m., Lilac Stage) started writing as a student at Rogers High School, and, after years of honing his skills both on stage and as a producer and engineer, found himself performing with some of hip-hop’s biggest names including Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Tech N9ne and E-40.
One listen of folk singer-songwriter John Prine’s music was all it took for Americana singer David Luning (8:15 p.m., IMAX Stage) to drop out of Boston’s Berklee College of Music, where he was studying film scoring, and return to his native California and pursue his own career in music. His album “Restless” was released in May.
Peter Rivera (8:15 p.m., Clocktower Stage) needs no introduction. The original lead singer and drummer of Rare Earth, of “I Just Want To Celebrate” fame, released “It Is What It Is” in 2014. The Detroit born-and-raised musician can often be found performing around his adopted hometown of Spokane.
Another act who needs no introduction? Sir Mix-A-Lot (9 p.m., Lilac Stage). The Seattle-born “Posse on Broadway” and “Baby Got Back” rapper has taken a liking to Spokane in recent years, playing last year’s Pig Out and the Perry Street Shakedown in 2015.
Sept. 4
Acoustic singer-songwriter Darin Hilderbrand, who performs as Just Plain Darin (6:45 p.m., IMAX Stage), has built a name for himself in the Pacific Northwest thanks to near-constant touring in Washington and Idaho. The former Kidd Robin front man released his third solo album, “My Heritage,” earlier this year.
Spokane’s Mojo Box (7:30 p.m., Clocktower Stage) puts a voodoo-rock twist on tunes from bands like Tragically Hip and Southern Culture on the Skids. The quartet can often be found playing at Curley’s in Hauser and Spokane Valley’s Max at Mirabeau.