Wichita River Festival 2013 Lineup

Wichita Festivals 2013 announced today Riverfest’s full schedule of concert lineup, an array of national stars and diverse performers festivalgoers can enjoy for just the price of a Riverfest button. Chris Mann will perform on opening night, May 31, with the Wichita Symphony Orchestra at the Koch Twilight Pops Concert. Mann, a Wichita native and graduate of Wichita High School Southeast, was a finalist on NBC’s The Voice. His debut full-length album, Roads, shot straight to No. 1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Chart and Top 5 on Billboard’s Classical Chart.

June 1, Mike Finnigan and the Phantom Blues Band will entertain with its eclectic mix of Texas Blue
, Memphis Soul, and Jamaican R&B during the Spirit Aerosystems Rockin’ on the River concert. The two-time Grammy award-winning group, with roots in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, has performed with Bonnie Raitt, Joe Cocker, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Elton John, and others.

On Learjet Throwback Sunday, June 2, the entertainment will have a retro feel and feature five decades of music, capped off by popular The Beatles tribute band, American English. Any year’s festival button will give admittance to the festival on Throwback Sunday, and attendees are encouraged to show off their button collections.

The dynamic country duo Montgomery Gentry will take the stage Wednesday, June 5, sponsored by The Coleman Company, Inc. and Ford. The team has 14 top-ten singles, including “Something To Be Proud Of,” “If You Ever Stop Loving Me,” Lucky Man,” “Back When I Knew It All” and “Roll With Me.” That same evening, the Riverfest Block Party will showcase multiple genres of music, spanning the WaterWalk Pavilion stage and three others.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy will headline the Thursday, June 6, Cajun festivities on Kennedy Plaza. The Los Angeles-based group, which first achieved music stardom in the late 1990s with its New Orleans-inspired album, Save My Soul, has played its high-energy blend of swing music, jazz, and Dixieland at the Super Bowl, ESPN’s The ESPY’s, and other international events.

On June 7, Big Head Todd and the Monsters will bring their rock and blues melodies to the Friday-night festival crowd. On their latest album, 100 years of Robert Johnson – which includes songs from the late blues musician – the group was accompanied by blues legends including B.B. King.

June 8 will pack extra excitement as First Council Casino & Hotel, in Newkirk, Okla., presents the first-ever Riverfest appearance of 1980s pop-rock sensation, the Go-Go’s, at the Riverfest Beach Party. The Go-Gos, featuring lead singer Belinda Carlisle, will kick off their 2013 national tour at Riverfest and perform their lineup of smash hits, including “We Got the Beat,” “Head Over Heels,” “Turn to You” and “Vacation.”

Also on June 8, American Texas Country/ Red Dirt singer Wade Bowen and country artist and Clearwater, Kan., native Logan Mize will entertain crowds at the Waterwalk Pavilion. WaterWalk pavilion will also host live jazz by Nouveau Quintette on June 6 and a Neon Dance Party featuring DJ Carbon on June 7.

“What an amazing musical lineup,” said Mary Beth Jarvis, Wichita Festivals, Inc.’s president and CEO. “And all you have to do is grab a Riverfest button and head down to the festival with your friends and neighbors.”

Adult buttons are $5, and the new Children’s button (available while supplies last for kids ages 6-12) is $3. Riverfest buttons will be available at Riverfest major button retailors (Dillons, QuikTrip, AAA) beginning May 10.

For more information about Wichita Festivals, Inc. or its events, contact Brett Foltz at (316) 267-2817 or brett@wichitafestivals.com.