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Trace Atkins at Innsbrook After Hours in 2011
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The Band Perry
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ZZ Top Photo by Chapman Baehler
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The Avett Brothers
Spring and summer bring a Richmond tradition: outdoor concerts. And this year, if you are a fan of roots music (country, blues, soul and the like), you're in luck, because there are plenty of opportunities to see musicians both famous and up-and-coming. Here's a partial concert calendar for the Far West End of Henrico and Goochland, plus a couple of shows worth a short drive.
May 9
Willie Nelson at Innsbrook After Hours, gates open at 6 p.m. Tickets: $20 to $45. Do we really need to introduce Willie? A 1998 Kennedy Center honoree, he still tours all over the country and spends nights in a bio-diesel bus. innsbrookafterhours.com
May 11
Lynyrd Skynyrd at Hooper Park in Crewe, 6:30 p.m. Tickets: $25 to $45. The tickets are going fast for the Southern-rock stalwarts, but maybe you'll get lucky. virginiacrossroadslive.com
May 18, June 15, July 20, Aug. 17
Friday Night Socials at Grayhaven Winery, 6 to 9 p.m. Free. Details are coming later, but this is a family-friendly outing that allows lawn chairs and picnicking, with live music. grayhavenwinery.com
May 23
The Band Perry at Innsbrook After Hours, gates open at 6 p.m. Tickets: $21.50 to $45. Part of country's new crop of stars, this band of siblings has fashion-cover looks but a sound that harkens back to country's roots. innsbrookafterhours.com
June-August
Short Pump Town Center Summer Concert Series, 6 to 8 p.m. Free. The lineup hasn't been announced yet, but these Thursday-night concerts have offered a good array of different genres in past years, including folk singer Susan Greenbaum, beach music's Ron Moody & the Centaurs, and Cyrus McCormick and the Reapers, who perform rock from the 1950s and '60s. shortpumpmall.com
June 1
Delbert McClinton at Powhatan Live (Old Buckingham Road), gates open at 6 p.m. $12.50 to $15. It's a little drive to Powhatan Courthouse, but McClinton is one of this country's most respected singer-songwriters. powhatanlive.com
June 5
ZZ Top with 3 Doors Down and Gretchen Wilson at Innsbrook After Hours. Tickets: $21.50 to $45. The bearded men of Southern rock! And a redneck woman! innsbrookafterhours.com
June 13
Country Throwdown Tour at Innsbrook After Hours, gates open at 4 p.m. Tickets: $21.50 to $45. Featuring Gary Allan, Rodney Atkins, Josh Thompson, Eric Paslay and Sunny Sweeney. innsbrookafterhours.com
June 14
The Temptations at Powhatan Live (Old Buckingham Road), 6 p.m. Tickets: $16.50 to $20. Ages 10 and under are free. "My Girl," "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone." What else do you need? powhatanlive.com
June 23
Summer Solstice Wine Festival at Grayhaven Winery, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets: $15. A wine festival (featuring wines from Grayhaven, James River Cellars, Lake Anna), plus live music. grayhavenwinery.com
July 20
The Avett Brothers at Innsbrook After Hours, gates open at 6 p.m. Tickets: $30 to $50. This country-flavored folk act has a major following, so our suggestion is to get a ticket soon. innsbrookafterhours.com
July 28
Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers with Leftover Salmon at Innsbrook After Hours, gates open at 5 p.m. Tickets: $16.50 to $35. If you have a jam-band bone in your body, this show is absolutely for you. innsbrookafterhours.com
July 29
K95 Countryfest 2012 with Darius Rucker at Innsbrook After Hours, gates open at 2 p.m. Tickets: $25 to $50. Pop fans from the '90s remember Rucker from Hootie and the Blowfish, but he's reinvented himself as a country musician. innsbrookafterhours.com
Aug. 8
Steve Miller Band at Innsbrook After Hours, gates open at 6 p.m. Tickets: $21.50 to $45. He's a joker, he's a smoker, he's a midnight toker, and he really wants to shake your tree. innsbrookafterhours.com
