Dreamland Fireworks

TWICE THE FUN AT HALF THE PRICE: LOCALLY-OWNED NORTH SIDE BUSINESS OFFERS EXPLOSIVE SAVINGS ON NAME-BRAND FIREWORKS

David Baize is a man on a mission to save the community money - well, even more money, to be accurate. Owner of Dreamland Fireworks on Evansville's north side (650 E. Diamond Avenue), he's been dedicated to providing the lowest prices in the tri-state for years now, offering name-brand products at half the cost and no end of BOGOs. It's almost as if Baize gets a kick out of darn near giving away fireworks (spoiler alert: he does). Hardly surprising, then, that no competitor in the area comes anywhere close to matching the insane deals at Dreamland - going somewhere else is akin to throwing cash out the window. Hey, we all make bad decisions from time to time but there's simply no excuse for wasting your hard-earned money on over-priced name-brand products, especially with continuing inflation and pain at the pump. Why eat up your monthly gas budget driving all over town trying to score the ultimate fireworks show at a bargain? Just go straight to Dreamland!

Founded by Baize back in 2007 after his annual fireworks show on Reitz Hill simply became too expensive to pull off and the only option left was to cut out the middle man, Dreamland quickly ballooned.

All total, Baize opened up 116 stores throughout the region over the following nine years - and at one point was overseeing 10 locations during the annual summer rush for fireworks. And that's when he decided to apply the brakes. "That's how you lose touch with your customers," he explains. "I got tired of not being there on the customer service level of things. When you're not there, it's not the same."

Baize rectified the customer service issue by slimming down to one location on Diamond Avenue in 2016 and got to work saving the community money. By his estimates, fireworks enthusiasts would have spent a whopping $1.5 million more over the last seven years if Dreamland didn't exist. "For example, if you spend $500 at another shop, it's only going to cost you $250 or $300 here - because I do it by volume and by the unit, averaging out what is going to be sold," Baize says. "I'll sell 10,000 500 Gram Cakes and my competitor might sell 2000 for the same amount of money. I just give the customers the deal that I think I would like."

In addition to offering great deals on name-brand fireworks, Baize has been known to conduct giveaways on Facebook, handing out cash to followers of Dreamland's page that like comments and share with friends. The business is nearing 10,000 fans online as a result, a key factor in its overall success. As noted earlier, with inflation and high gas prices, people are hurting financially; Baize's generosity and determination to save the community money are truly making a difference. Do yourself a favor and follow Dreamland on Facebook to keep up with all the latest news and to get a jump on upcoming deals as July 4th approaches.

And just so there's no confusion, Dreamland ONLY sells fireworksBaize is purely focused on providing you the most bang for your buck. "Other places sell knick-knacks and other things, but we're Evansville's fireworks store," he states. To ensure complete satisfaction with Dreamland's huge inventory - Baize carries over 10 major suppliers' products - 42 TVs are housed throughout the building, all displaying demonstrations of said name-brand products so customers know exactly what to expect. It's a formula for success that's put Dreamland at the forefront of the fireworks industry and resulted in a lot of happy shoppers this time of year. "There's not a single customer who's come here that says they just blew up all their money or it wasn't worth it. They say that every dollar they spent was worth it for each single bang."

Dreamland Fireworks is open now through July 11. Come in today for explosive savings!

Just how many marquis concerts and festivals are on the books this summer? Well, too many to fit into one guide, if that tells you something. Next month we'll give you the 411 on events happening in August and September but for now let's not overdo it. As it stands, there are so many cool events happening through mid-summer that you might need to request vacation time at work to clear your schedule. Don't quit your job or anything; that would be unwise. Still, we'd hate for you to miss out on all the fun. (Side note: you could always call in "sick" if push comes to shove.) So take a look at all the good stuff going on in the tri-state in June and July and start marking your calendarthere's truly something for everyone!

Music In The Park

EVANSVILLE PARKS / JUNE-AUGUST

Hosted by the Evansville Parks Foundation, Music in the Park offers free bi-weekly concerts with on-site food trucks for an evening of familyfriendly fun. Live performances run from 6-8 p.m. at various locations. This month catch Haywire (6/1 @ Franklin Street Park), 2 Miles Back (6/15 @ Bayard Park) and JustUs4 (6/29 @ Sunset East Park).

REARVIEW: TRIBUTE TO PEARL JAM

Got a case of Saturday night fever?

Then Live on the Banks is your remedy. This beloved free concert series in downtown Owensboro is back with a fantastic lineup of local and regional acts performing on the Overlook Stage and at the Allen Street Gazebo. This month catch the likes of Cynthia Murray & The End Times, Blackford Creek, Arnie Weiner and more.

Sounds On 2nd

Rearview is the premier Pearl Jam tribute act, delivering dynamic live shows that cover the entirety of the Seattle band's celebrated catalog. Remarkably, frontman Ed Wood effortlessly captures the grunge vocal stylings of Eddie Vedder, while the rest of Rearview mimics PJ's relentless energy. Expect to hear all the band's classics along with a few deep cuts.

Candlebox

This popular series of free concerts on Second Street in downtown Beaver Dam, KY, returns to rock your Friday

Seattle's Candlebox burst onto the scene in 1993 via the rock staples "You" and "Far Behind." Now, after three decades of performing, singer and founding member Kevin Martin is gearing up for a big farewell that will include a final run of shows, a new album and a documentary film. Catch Candlebox while you can and sing along to all their hits one last time!

That's the way, uh-huh, uh-huh, we like it... KC & The Sunshine Band are forever synonymous with disco. No other band from that funky era created such a legacy of hits or made such a mark on the culture. Put your dancing shoes on and get your ready to boogie to "Get Down Tonight," "That's the Way," "Shake Your Booty" and many more 70's classics.

Owensboro Porchfest

OWENSBORO, KY / JUNE 10

Boasting 46 acts on 15 stages, this free, all-ages community event in Owensboro promises a full day of great live music, food and fun. Every year PorchFest makes Griffith Avenue come alive with sweet melodies and beautiful harmonies and proceeds from merchandise sales go to support a local charity, ensuring the event is a win-win for everyone.

They don't call it the party event of the season for nothing. If you're looking for a wild time this summer, make a beeline for Haubstadt. This hugely popular festival is back and guaranteed to be bigger than ever. Along with a bierstube, food booths, rides and a parade, enjoy concerts featuring Dylan Wolfe and That's What She Said as well as an opening night DJ dance party!

Headlined by The War & Treaty and Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, one of the nation's biggest free music festivals returns with four days of incomparable live blues music performances - and crazy delicious BBQ - in Audubon Mill Park. Also scheduled to take the stage:

Chubby Carrier & The Bayou Swamp Band, Shemekia Copeland, Bywater Call and many more.

Haubstadt Sommerfest

A member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and one of the greatest songwriters alive today, Jackson Browne's music is utterly timeless. Self-composed songs such as "Running on Empty," "Tender is the Night" and "Somebody's Baby" - not to mention co-written tracks like "Take It Easy" with the Eagles - stand as examples of the best that rock & roll has to offer.

Chicago

show will see the multi-genre singer-songwriter performing many of his classics such as "Cowboy Man" while also dipping into 2022's acclaimed 12th of June which features both Lovett originals and beloved standards.

Romp Fest

Self-described as a "rock & roll band with horns," Chicago has achieved classic status through a series of instantly memorable songs, including "25 or 6 to 4," "Saturday in the Park," "Feelin' Stronger Every Day," "Hard to Say I'm Sorry," "You're the Inspiration" and many more. 55 years on, their mix of pop, rock, classical and jazz sounds as fresh as ever.

LYLE LOVETT & HIS LARGE BAND

The tri-state's premier folk & bluegrass festival makes a welcome return to Yellow Creek Park with a star-studded lineup featuring Sam Bush, The Infamous Stringdusters and many more acclaimed acts. In addition, you can take part in instrumental workshops, jam sessions, arts & crafts demonstrations and enjoy the delights of organic food vendors.

A tri-state institution, ShrinersFest always signals the true beginning of summer, offering up two days of fun in the sun by the downtown Evansville riverfront. Activities and events include a car show, corn hole, Dock Dogs, inflatables, live music, military reenactments and more. Plus, enjoy a variety of food trucks and peruse offerings from local vendors. It's a blast!

4th Fest

MADISONVILLE, KY / JUNE 30 & JULY 1

Four-time Grammy Award-winner Lyle Lovett is a multi-faceted artist whose acting chops are also welldocumented. This highly-anticipated

Shrinersfest 2023

One of Kentucky's biggest annual events, 4th Fest is jam-packed with family-friendly fun and incredible live music. June 30 is country night featuring Clay Walker, Coffey Anderson and 101st Airborne Rock Band; July 1 is all about the 90's with Vanilla Ice, C+C Music Factory, Tag Team and DJ Shay all taking the stage. Plenty of food and activities on tap, too!

Praise In The Park

For over a century, the Vanderburgh County Fair has entertained the tri-state, featuring a full schedule of fun events, including a mid-week concert by big name performers. This year's headliner is country star Michael Ray supported by Sean Stemaly. Other highlights include BKA cart racing, a car show, demolition derby, ice cream crank off and plenty of fair food.

Rock The Dam 6

Happening right on the heels of 4th Fest in Madisonville, Praise in the Park is a free annual event featuring some of the best performers in Christian music. This year's headliner is Matthew West, supported by Anne Wilson and Ben Fuller. There will also be a variety of food trucks, a beer garden, various vendors and activities for kids.

Sandy Lee Songfest

The "Hair Band" era lives on! Every summer, Beaver Dam Amphitheater in Kentucky puts together a great lineup of acts from the rocking '80s and the 6th annual edition is no exception with headliner Winger supported by Firehouse, Jack Russell's Great White and Steelheart. Your head will bang non-stop to classic tracks from these metal giants.

Vanderburgh County Fair

Featuring four nights of intimate, acoustic live performances in Henderson's historic downtown, the Sandy Lee SongFest is quite unlike any other event. Every year a handful of Nashville's greatest songwriters make the trek to tell the stories behind their biggest hits, up close and personal. 2023 host venues: The Elm and Rookies.

Ace Frehley

There a few more iconic guitarists than Ace Frehley. As one of the original members of KISS, he helped to shape the history of rock & roll alongside Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Peter Criss thanks to the band's legendary live shows and timeless hits such as "Rock and Roll All Nite" and "Shout It Out Loud." Catch the "Spaceman" himself at the area's most scenic venue.

Charting a slew of irresistibly funky hits in the mid-70's, KC & The Sunshine band defined the disco era. Songs like "That's the Way (I Like It)," "Get Down Tonight," "Shake Your Booty" and "Keep It Comin' Love" put the Florida-based ensemble at the forefront of a new musical movement that quickly spread worldwide. Suddenly, nightclubs everywhere were packed, teeming with people from all backgrounds dancing all night long to R&B-influenced jams that put the focus squarely on the groove. To paraphrase KC, that's the way everyone liked it - peace, love and an unstoppable beat.

As the decade turned and the electronic sound of the 80's started to emerge, KC & The Sunshine Band - along with many other disco iconsfound themselves out of favor. But time has a way of rewriting the script; as the raw guitar attack of grunge took off in the early 90's and anguished anthems became all the rage, there was an underlying yearning for carefree dance music. After a lengthy hiatus, KC & The Sunshine Band were back in the spotlight, once again performing to big crowds across America. 30 years later, the demand for their disco classics hasn't dipped a bit; seems we all need that jolt of groovy positivity more than ever.

KC kindly spoke with News 4U ahead of the show at the Beaver Dam Amphitheater.

2023 marks a major milestone for KC & The Sunshine Band - 50 years since the group's formation and you're still performing. That's a pretty exclusive club.

It seems like my 10th decade [laughs]. All of a sudden it was 50 [years]. As long as I can keep doing it, I'll do it. After the pandemic I was just going to call it a day, but I really enjoy it; it's fun; I just love being on the stage and the people, so there's no reason to stop right now.

There are so many working parts in your songs - how did you find the right balance in the studio?

Usually we'd go in with the rhythm section first; then we might overdub some guitars or keyboards. Originally, it's just four or five people or whatever it is. And you make that the guts of the song - kind of like when you're painting a picture, so there's the white canvas or whatever and then you start adding the colors; music is kind of layers of colors. Then we'd bring in the horns separately; background vocals separately; percussion separately. So there might be three or four different sessions that happen after the initial recording.

When bands like Blondie and KISS began to incorporate elements of disco into their music in the late 70's, did you take that as a compliment?

It was great. You know, recently I read an article where ABBA said that our song "Rock Your Baby" influenced them to write "Dancing Queen". That same song also influenced John Lennon to write "Whatever Gets You Through the Night". And there were a lot of songs that, you know, picked up on what we were doing and that sound at the time because it was very popular. So it was very flattering even though, you know, the press discredited us - never gave us the credit we really deserved, or the credit I deserved as a writer.

Of course, the punk and new wave bands at the time claimed to be pushing back against disco.

It's so funny because new wave to me was just disco sideways. It was so funny to watch this supposedly new sound come out and the only difference in the new sound was that it was more electronic. If you read some of my original articles where they say, "Where you do you see music going?" I say it will be more electronic. And so it was so funny to see that - Madonna and all of the new wave and punk rock of that era was just us sideways; it's really interesting. But I love all that music, tooyou know what I mean?

All these years later, your sound is still having an impact - current music is littered with elements of KC & The Sunshine Band. That song "Young Hearts Run Free" by Candi Staton - it's just amazing what's happening out there. You know, all this stuff that Bruno Mars has done, Justin Timberlake and these other artists - it's all retro, just nothing but what we did 30 or 40 years ago. I've been in this business, of course, more than the 50 years that I'm celebrating with the band and I've been on this planet a long time...I've never seen anything in the history of music refer back to another era the way that it refers back to the 70s sound or that early 80s sound the way it's happening now. I don't know if they've run out of ideas, you know, but it was great music; it was music that had real melodies and real instruments playing before the digital world really took over.

For tickets and more info, visit beaverdamtourism.com.