Music in the Park Returns to the Bradenton Riverwalk; Realize Bradenton’s free, eight-part concert series brings live music to the Mosaic amphitheater on the Riverwalk in downtown Bradenton

BRADENTON, Fla. — Realize Bradenton’s popular Music in the Park series returns to the Mosaic Amphitheater at the Bradenton Riverwalk every Friday evening, March 8–April 26, 6–8 p.m., at 606 3rd Ave W, in downtown Bradenton. This free, eight-part live music series features a variety of genres played by talented musicians. Craft beer, wine, and other beverages, food, and snacks will be available for purchase with proceeds supporting Realize Bradenton’s youth, art, and music programs that are free to the community.

“Music in the Park is a well-loved event that draws hundreds of residents and visitors to the Riverwalk every Friday evening,” said Holly Eisemann, Events and Creative Services Manager for Realize Bradenton. “Once on the Riverwalk, people naturally explore the one-and-a-half-mile long park and are exposed to the fantastic collection of public art, and the many restaurants, shops, and businesses in downtown Bradenton.”

Attendees may bring picnic baskets, blankets, chairs—and their furry companions on leashes. Food from JD’s Dog House will be available for purchase, along with beer, wine, and snacks. The series is made possible with support from the City of Bradenton, the Bradenton Herald, Manasota Commercial Construction, Gold Coast Eagle Distributing, and Realize Bradenton.

Johnny Rawls is a soul blues legend. In fact, the term “soul blues” was invented to describe his music. With a career spanning more than 50 years, he’s done it all. He’s an internationally recognized recording artist, music producer, and songwriter who tours extensively throughout North America and overseas. The Blues Music Awards, Blues Blast Awards, Living Blues Critics Poll Awards, and the W. C. Handy Awards have all acknowledged Rawls with multiple awards and nominations, including Soul Blues Album of the Year and Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year. Rawls is honored to be mentioned on two markers along the Mississippi Blues Trail.

BABYL, Benjamin Jacobs, is a high-energy singer/songwriter/entertainer based in Sarasota, FL. BABYL, also performs with musicians Jack Berry on bass, Thomas Nagy on Guitar, and Paul Shuler on Drums. Each musician displays great on-stage chemistry in a unique way.

Kettle of Fish plays “festiblues”—the kind of festival music that features blues, soul and funk with the energy of rock n roll. They make old songs new again, and their originals sound like classics. Kettle of Fish is one of the hottest live acts in Southwest Florida, headlining to thousands, and opening for such acts as Eddie Money, Marshall Tucker, Elvin Bishop, Dickey Betts and many more, playing mostly originals and deep-track covers.

Passerine’s distinctive sound combines vocal harmonies, the crisp rhythms of an acoustic guitar, the haunting voices of the fiddle and dobro (resonator slide guitar), the resonant lows of an acoustic bass. With inventive vocal harmonies and song-writing, supported by the sounds of acoustic strings, Passerine offers a fresh take on traditional folk and bluegrass music as well as a repertoire of original songs that range from sweet ballads to the edgier side of contemporary Americana.

Doug Deming is an American blues and roots guitarist/vocalist, born and raised in the Detroit area, currently residing on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Doug is the 2013 recipient of the Blues Blast Music Awards’ Sean Costello Rising Star Award. Drawing influence from greats like T-Bone Walker, Charlie Christian and Robert Jr. Lockwood, Doug’s traditional taste and style are evident in his original music, with three recordings of primarily original tunes to his credit. Doug Deming & the Jewel Tones play traditional blues, West Coast and Texas swing, and early 50s roots rock.

The Glass Onion is dedicated to faithfully reproducing the songs of the Beatles. They use many of the same instruments and amplifiers that the Beatles used to create that “classic sound,” including Rickenbacker, Gibson, and Epiphone guitars, a Hofner bass, and Vox amplifiers. The Glass Onions play all the Beatles most loved classics, as well as songs rarely performed by bands.

With their unique take on “Country influenced Rock Music,” Rye Road is quickly gaining their place in the Independent music industry as a band that is passionate about music and true to their origins. Once a childhood dream of its original members it is now a reality to them and their adoring fans. The band describes its sound and feel as “Wanted Dead or Alive” meets “Sweet Home Alabama” and resembles Texas’ Red Dirt Country if you had to fit them into any category. Rye Road believes in crossing barriers and moving mountains in the music industry. With musical influences ranging from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Bon Jovi, Rye Road is determined to continue being successful and being true to their roots which has led to their rapid rise on the Florida Country and Pop Music charts.

Ari and the Alibis infuse funk, jazz, and samba with blues, soul, and rock to create a memorable ear-catching sound. In 2016, they were nominated for best local band in Tampa Bay, and Ari for best Jazz vocalist. They also received Grammy nods in two categories: Best Rock Song (Dirty Little Secret) and Best Rock Performance (Dirty Little Secret and Bon Appetit). Ari and the Alibis played at the Bradenton Blues Festival “Appetizer” Concert in 2016.