In our coverage of Rocky Wall Productions announcement of this summer’s Silver Bay Music in the Park series lineup, there was a bit of a cliffhanger as one act was yet to be announced. I could tell that Nelson French, who serves as the non-profit Rocky Wall Productions’ president, was excited but he didn’t give me any clues besides that it was a national act. “The ink isn’t dry yet,” he teased at the time, remaining mysterious as we chatted over the phone about the upcoming events.
I’m grateful I didn’t have to wait too long to find out who would fill out the schedule and I now understand Nelson’s excitement. The Jayhawks, a popular Indie band with Minnesota origins, will be gracing the stage on Friday, August 23rd, in City Center Park located in downtown Silver Bay. He has seen them perform in what he called, “the very special 1992 Orpheum concert where Bob (Dylan) asked the Jayhawks to open for him.”
The Jayhawks were a band I’d heard of, but I wasn’t sure what songs they performed. Hopping on YouTube, I went into a Jayhawks rabbit hole that made me lose time in the best way. I’ve been tired of my playlists for awhile and have been craving new shuffle options. I have an eclectic taste, but I’m also picky. When my even pickier husband approved of the music I was filling up the house with, we knew Rocky Wall Productions had picked a winner yet again.
Luckily enough, the band has quite a backlog. They’ve been around since 1985 and since that time they’ve produced eleven albums. Their latest album was recorded in Minnesota in 2019 and released in 2020. They’ve toured around the world and have played in countless shows. Their music videos online have dedicated fans who post comments that speak to how much each song means to them or the memories they bring back.
“We are thrilled to announce that this legendary Minnesota band has decided to visit Silver Bay this summer,” said Nelson, in the organization’s press release. “The Jayhawks represent the best of Americana music, have earned their reputation as a true American treasure.”
According to Wikipedia, they are an alternative country and country rock band. Britannica.com calls them an “American roots rock group that was an influential pioneer of alternative country and Americana movements but became increasingly eclectic in its range of styles.” With their beautifully harmonic lines, I agree with the statement they are “reminiscent of the Everly Brothers, Simon and Garfunkel, and the Louvin Brothers.”
When you put all the above together, I feel like you get a band with a unique sound that has something to offer fans of all ages and musical tastes, much like the other acts that are coming to Silver Bay this summer. And, also, like most of the bands playing for the public on Friday nights, the Jayhawks have agreed to stay another night to do a private house concert. Tickets will be limited so be sure to hop onto rockywallproductions.org to check their availability ASAP!
The schedule and information on each act are also available on their website. I erroneously reported that singer-songwriter Erik Koskinen’s concert was on August 26th in a previous article. Please note, the correct date is August 16th.
The Silver Bay Music in the Park series begins Friday, July 19th, with the Big Wu from 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM and will wrap up on September 6th with Martin Zellar & the Hardaways. The Friday night concerts are free to the public and tickets, though not required to attend, can be printed from the website, which will ensure those who sign up are updated with concert information. The benefit house concerts are incredibly affordable and sound like a pretty good time. 40 first come, first served tickets will be available for purchase for each event at the links provided on the website.
Congratulations and thank you to Rocky Wall Productions for lining up quite a summer of music for the community to enjoy! I’m grateful to finally be rebuilding my playlists. I hope to make it up to Silver Bay for as many concerts as possible this summer and encourage others to do so, as well!
