With Poison in his past, Sunfest is in his sights

 

OCEAN CITY -- Glam-metal singer and reality show star Bret Michaels has been named the headliner for this year's Ocean City Sunfest.

Tickets go on sale Friday for three nights of performances. Michaels will take the stage on Saturday, Sept. 24.

He will be proceeded by country star Jamey Johnson's show Sept. 23 and a Sept. 22 performance by Linwood Peel, who will perform a tribute to the Drifters; Cornell Gunter's Coasters; and the Del Vikings.

As a member of the rock band Poison, Michaels sold 25 million records and cracked the Top 40 with 15 singles, including the soulful power ballad, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," along with "Nothing But a Good Time" and "Something to Believe In."

Michaels released his debut solo album, "Songs of Life," in 2003, and followed it with the record "Freedom of Sound" in 2005. His latest album, "Rock My World," was released in 2008.
Michaels has also become well-known for his VH1 reality television dating show, "Rock of Love," which has aired since 2007. He was the winning contestant on NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice 3" reality show.

As for Jamey Johnson, in the past two years he has been nominated for five Grammys, received a gold record, was invited by Willie Nelson to play Farm Aid and toured with Hank Williams Jr. He has released four albums, and his most recent offering, "The Guitar Song," came out in 2010.

The Drifters are regarded as one of early rock 'n' roll's super groups, and rank No. 81 on Rolling Stone Magazine's 100 greatest artists of all time. Their hits include "Under the Boardwalk," "Save the Last Dance for Me" and "This Magic Moment."

The Coasters' hits include "Yakety Yak" and "Love Potion No. 9," while the Del Vikings are most well-known for their single, "Come Go With Me."

Tickets for Michaels' show range from $25 to $55; Johnson tickets are $20-$40; and tickets to the Drifters, Coasters and Del Vikings show are $10-$25. About 1,700 tickets are available per show.

Music fans will have to decide between two Sept. 24 concerts in the region. Michaels will be performing the same day as pop singer Kenny Loggins, who will be in Salisbury at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium for the inaugural Chickenstock LIVE! concert.

Dionne Warwick, The Marshall Tucker Band, America and Creedence Clearwater Revisited will join Loggins at the concert. About 7,000 tickets are up for grabs for Chickenstock, starting at $85.

Ocean City resort communications manager Donna Abbott said she doesn't believe having the two events on the same day will divert visitors from coming to Sunfest, she said.

"Sunfest has been going on that time of year for a long time, so I think it's its own special draw and people plan their visits around Sunfest," Abbott said. "With Chickenstock being a new event, it will be interesting to see if other people travel from all over to see it or if it's more of a local interest event."

Proceeds from Chickenstock will help the United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore, and Executive
 Director Kathleen Momme said she believes there will be enough tourism in the area to support both concerts, especially since they're in dissimilar venues, with different acts.

So far, 1,400 tickets have been sold for Chickenstock in two weeks, which has exceeded the United Way's initial expectations for early sales, she said. They expect the concert to eventually sell out.

"When it came down to picking the right weekend for (Chickenstock), it came down to us believing that having both on the same weekend could lift everyone up," Momme said. "We're hoping anybody who comes to the concert will stay the weekend and go to Sunfest on Friday or Sunday, so I think it's going to be a win-win for everyone."

Tickets for the Sunfest concerts are available at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center Box Office.

They can also be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at 1-800-551-7328. Box office hours are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The shows will supplement the resort's 37th annual four-day festival that includes arts and crafts, live entertainment and food at the Inlet Parking Lot and beach Sept. 22-25. Admission to Sunfest is free.

smuska@dmg.gannett.com
410-213-9442