Average White Band Rocks the Sweetwater Performance Pavilion

People from all walks of life, of all sizes and colors came together on a soft, moonlight night recently to be charmed by the soulful stylings of the world renowned Average White Band. "Pick up the Pieces" is a familiar, chart-topping soul and jazz song from this 1970's band, AWB. Alan Gorrie and Onnie McIntyre are still in the band, which tightly plays a combination of funk, dance music, rhythm & blues, and rock. They started in 1972, with several members coming from the University of Dundee, Scotland. 46 years after their formation, band members have come and gone, but the group is still together and are happily playing venues.

Trumpets, saxophone, percussion, guitar and great vocals come together for a seamless meld. Original members in Dundee, Scotland played venues here and there, but finally gelled in London after a Traffic concert. Jamming together, a friend remarked, " they're just too much (or too good) for the average white man." This was the origin of their name, legend says.

At the concert at Sweetwater mid-August, they were graced by brilliant vocalist Brent Carter (from Tower of Power) and percussionist Rocky Bryant. Horn players Fred Vigdor and Cliff Lyons help make up the band's impressive lineup. At Sweetwater, the crowd could not stay in their seats and were so moved to dance in place and in the aisles.

"Walk on By" was one of their ballads that got the crowd to sing, as did "School Boy Crush." Another crowd pleaser was "Put it Where You Want It," and people in Fort Wayne seemed to know all the words. The sound system at Sweetwater is state-of-the-art, so audiences members could hear band members' words distinctly. "A Love of Your Own" also got lots of vocal "back-at-yous" from the crowd. They responded so brightly to this band they seemed to unabashedly adore.

The outdoor performance pavilion at Sweetwater opened in August of 2017. 24,000 square feet of venue includes the canopy, free parking, and amazingly clean, air-conditioned restroom trailers. In a photo above, one can see a fire truck converted to a Whip and Chill food truck. Other food trucks that night offered pulled pork barbecue, Thai food, crab cakes and more.

The sound system at this venue is truly impressive. Although chairs are folding, apparently it allows for some versatility with room for 2200 seated or 3500 standing audience members. Beer and wine were also available for purchase inside the venue.

Sweetwater itself is, of course, the Fort Wayne business that is one of the largest US dealers in musical equipment. They sell instruments, music technology, and have a beautiful, state-of-the-art campus in Fort Wayne. With 1200 employees, the company started as a remote recording studio out of the founder's VW microbus. Now there's a 44-acre corporate campus, warehouse and retail store on site. The company headquarters is a tourist destination in town, with features such as a lovely cafeteria, hair salon, indoor theater, recording booths and shop. Their website is a resource for upcoming acts and online ordering for musical equipment. Sweetwater itself is a shining star in the mix of what's great about humble Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Foellinger Theatre Summer Concert Series Rocks Franke Park

I had no idea it had been in existence that long, but Fort Wayne's Foellinger Theatre was first constructed in Franke Park in 1949. According to the Parks department web site, the theatre, named for the late Oscar Foellinger, was a gift to the city from the owners of the newspaper News-Sentinel.

In 1972, the theater burned. It was rebuilt into its current incarnation in 1975 and reopened in 1976, with its wooden arcing roof and open sides, allowing summer breezes to cool attendees at events. New seating was installed and electrical systems were updated in 1994. Then in 2005, restrooms, concessions, a plaza, and entrance landscaping were all improved. The landscaping has filled in well.

By 2014, the annual summer concert series was going strong in this beautifully covered, yet outdoor, venue. That year Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, Styx and the Beach Boys all sold out. And in 2015, attendance at events at this special place next to the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo approached 50,000, with revenues over $1.7 million. Other improvements with structural beams, sound and rigging for equipment have kept acoustics and technology up to date.

So much smaller and more intimate than the Memorial Coliseum, the Foellinger is the place I'd rather see a concert. There are only about 2700 seats in the house. The back seats are much like metal bleachers, so unless there are no other tickets available I don't recommend seats in that section. Tickets for events can be bought online on the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation website, or at the theater box office. For concerts, there are concessions available. Drinks, including beer, wine, frozen margaritas, waters and sodas can be purchased and taken to seats. Hot dogs, popcorn, and other snacks are also available.

This year Heart played an amazing concert. Ann and Nancy Wilson have amazing voices, and included some Led Zeppelin in their final songs. Joe Walsh and Ringo Starr graced the stage this year. And I saw the band America, the founders of which have been playing together on stage since 1969. Boston also did a tremendous job this year.

I am looking forward to seeing the band Chicago for the first time next week. I'll try to get some photos and let you know how it was. Often a local performer, such as Kenny Taylor, starts the show as a warm-up act. Sometimes the opener has come along on tour with the band. Parking is free, and traffic isn't terrible when an event is over. It's just a few minutes to get out. I hope you go and see an act, and have a great time.