MUSIC ON THElake

What to Expect from the Three Bands New to This Year’s Lineup

BY ANNA SWARTZ

Summer in St. Clair Shores means that guitar riffs, drumbeats and nostalgic tunes will be blasting from the amphitheater at Veterans Memorial Park. While favorites like Captain Fantastic (Elton John tribute), Joey Vee Band (country) and Air Margaritaville (Jimmy Buffett tribute) will be back for everyone to enjoy, The Stone Blossoms, Blue Water Kings Band and Sunset BLVD are new to the scene this year.

The Stone Blossoms

The Stone Blossoms will play June 21. While the band didn’t return a phone call from The Shores for comment, their website has this to say about their music: “This 4-piece cover project will have you scouring the b-sides of your most beloved records, in search of the songs you've heard. ‘We try to play all of the tunes, the other bands don't...’ says Mike Adkins (guitarist of Uncle Kracker). The Stone Blossoms draw heavy influence from the Classic Rock genre; and, while specializing in 'deep tracks', these 4 aren't shy about taking some of your favorites into uncharted territory either.”

In addition to Adkins, the band includes Matt LaPinta on bass guitar, Bobby Myers on drums and as the vocalist, and Matt Hamann on guitar.

For more information about the band, go to thestoneblossoms.com

Bluewater Kings Band

A collective of musicians totaling up to 14 depending on the event, Bluewater Kings Band will be playing high energy favorites from a wide variety of genres on June 28. For Music on the Lake, the City of St. Clair Shores requested their six-piece band which includes male and female vocals, keyboard, bass guitar, guitar, drums and trombone.

“We try to play stuff that is coming out on the radio right now,” says Danny Kimosh, one of Bluewater King's founding members who will be playing the drums at Music on the Lake. “So, I think it'd be fun for parents and their kids to be there. It's all clean, appropriate music for all ages.”

What kind of music do they play exactly? Kimosh says to expect anything from Earth Wind and Fire to Dua Lipa. Vocalist Athena Johnson, who will be singing at the show, says “we can bring top 40....Motown, country, you name it, pop, rock, funk, soul, R&B.”

Bluewater Kings was founded in 2012, and multiple members have joined since then. Kimosh says that the collective includes “a few different drummers, a few different bass players, and things like that.” This allows them to play together as a large group or to split up into smaller groups for events such as Music on the Lake.

In addition to festivals, this group of musicians frequently plays at weddings, corporate parties and holiday parties. They won Best of Weddings by The Knot, 20212023 and Couples’ Choice Awards by Wedding Wire, 2023.

For more information about Bluewater Kings Band, go to bluewaterkingsband.com

Sunset BLVD

According to Sunset BLVD’s bass player Mike Scott, having both a female and male singer sets the ’80s tribute band apart. “We have a little broader scope of what we can cover live. So, it's not just all the hard rock stuff which we specialize in. But also, you know, we can mix it up and throw in everything from Pat Benatar and Michael Jackson and Heart and everyone in between."

On August 16, Sunset BLVD is likely to play crowd favorites such as “Living on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses, “Panama” by Van Halen, as well as “Separate Way” and “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey.

While most of the band members previously played together in another musical project, Sunset BLVD has been playing together for just under two years. Their dynamic shows have not gone unnoticed. The band was selected after a nationwide search for an ’80s band for a themed cruise on Royal Carribean. During their cruising and other travels, Sunset BLVD has played with ’80s icons such as Bret Michaels, Morris Day & The Time, Lou Gramm from Foreigner and Culture Club.

“It's very important for us to make the audience feel like they've been in a time machine and really get to experience that ’80s stage show – the sound and the lights and the look and all of it,” Scott says.

At age 47, Scott notes that it’s not just people like him who are reliving their childhoods through their concerts. Plenty of those in the younger generations, including three of his bandmates, appreciate the music style. “There’s definitely been a huge resurgence in that era,” Scott says.

For more information about Sunset BLVD, go to sunsetblvd1987.com