Benny Westcott
For the first time, a major Oregon Jamboree tune-up gets a hometown showcase with the Music & Brews series, running Friday and Saturday, April 15-16, at 1306 Long St.
In the past, the Jamboree has scheduled its mystery concert and pre-festival events in other zip codes, like Portland, Bend and Corvallis. However, according to executive director Robert Shamek, the pandemic allowed time to consider other opportunities.
“When COVID struck, everything came to a screeching halt, and we decided it would be a really good time to restructure,” he said. “Since our mission statement includes bringing economic development to Sweet Home, we decided to bring it to Sweet Home. Next year we want to have a ‘second annual.’ That’s always the goal.”
And locals are looking forward to it.
“The response has been really good,” he said. “Everybody is so hungry to get out and do something in our community, and when you add live music to that mix, it just fans the fire.”
This inaugural event launches with free all-ages activities at noon Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday. Days are packed with cornhole tournaments, face-painting, balloon animals, professional line-dance lessons, karaoke and music. Onsite vendors will offer everything from food and homemade goods to wooden signs, knitted items and jewelry.
“There will be more kids games than you’ll know what to do with,” Shamek said. “It will be family-friendly fun up until the actual Music & Brews. Earlier in the day it will be like ‘Come have a great time. If you want to have a drink, go for it. If you don’t, have fun with your kids.’ Then once the Music & Brews time hits, it will be a 21-and-over [and ticketed] event.”
Tickets for the two-day series, which also features limited camping, are available for $25-$140 with applicable fees. Visit https://oregonjamboree.com/music-brews/ for more information.
Shamek focused on bringing not just any live music, but quality performers, to Music & Brews.
“Quite a few of our acts are national, which is something you don’t typically see at a brewfest-style event,” he said. “Being the Oregon Jamboree, we wanted to make sure we have national acts that are a good draw. They really have some buzz around them. Most are going to be playing at the Oregon Jamboree.”
Night 1 culminates Friday with one of those up-and-comers, Jesse Daniel, who hits the stage at 9:30 p.m. The small-town Californian – name-checked in such outlets as Rolling Stone, American Songwriter and Saving Country Music, and hailed by country royalty and Sirius XM Outlaw Country DJ Shooter Jennings – has two albums to his credit, a self-titled 2018 debut and 2021’s reflective “Beyond These Walls,” recorded by Grammy-nominated producer Tommy Detamore.
The evening begins with The Boondock Boys at 5 p.m., followed by Summer Dean at 6:30 and Jacquie Roar at 8.
Hailing from the hills of Grand Ronde, The Boondock Boys, a four-piece heeled in Southern-style rock and country, are responsible for a pair of releases, “Free” (2018) and “Another Shade of Blue” (2021). Former Fort Worth, Texas, school teacher Summer Dean made her musical presence known with a 2016 EP, “Unladylike,” followed by the full-length “Bad Romantic” in 2021. Music & Brews promotional materials describe Roar as “a native Oregonian with big, powerful vocals, and an ability to seamlessly fly between the genres of country, rock ’n’ roll, blues and pop.”
Kurt Van Meter wraps Saturday at 9:30 p.m.
The Southern Oregon native has long been a jack of many trades as well as a familiar mid-valley sight. He played football and rode bulls at Oregon State University and served as a police officer in Dallas before picking up the guitar at age 33. He’s performed with Garth Brooks and shared the stage with country icons such as Blake Shelton, Eric Church, Gary Allen, Montgomery Gentry, David Alan Coe, and Justin Moore.
He’s preceded by Twain Tribute, a Shania Twain homage, at 4 p.m., Fogline at 5:30 and Jessie G at 7.
The Rogue Valley-based Fogline has released two efforts since launching in 2015: an eponymous three-song EP in 2016 and a single, “Nice Rack,” in 2018. Brookings native Jessie G traded a childhood gig of fishing for Dungeness crab and albacore tuna on a hand-built family boat for a music career, spending time in Nashville working and recording with such icons as Gretchen Wilson. Her songs include “Whatever This Is,” “Timeless” and “Army Ranger,” which was featured on CMT and GAC Family; its video has amassed more than 1 million online views.
When the weekend ends, Shamek said he doesn’t want the fun to stop.
“If this is even halfway successful, we will start pushing to have other events,” he said.
Other events that have already launched include last September’s Tune-Up Tuesdays,which occurred at the same site as Music & Brews. This year’s performances will take place in June as a precursor to the Jamboree.
“We definitely want to promote it a little bit more this year, and we have a couple other events that we are trying to help partner with,” Shamek said. “It’s fun that we are able to be a part of a lot of different events this year.”
MUSIC & BREWS
WHEN: Friday and Saturday, April 15-16
WHERE: 1306 Long St., Sweet Home.
SCHEDULE
FRIDAY (free from noon to 5 p.m.): Professional line-dance lessons with Oregon State Country Western Dance Club’s Lila Reid, noon and 1 p.m .; Can’t Stop Entertainment karaoke, 1 and 4 p.m .; Jake Nacrelli (music), 2 p.m.
CONCERTS (ticketed): The Boondock Boys, 5 p.m .; Summer Dean, 6:30 p.m .; Jacquie Roar, 8 p.m .; and Jesse Daniel, 9:30 p.m.
SATURDAY (free from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.): Professional line-dance lessons with Oregon State Country Western Dance Club’s Lila Reid, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m .; Jayden Noble (music), 1 p.m .; Can’t Stop Entertainment karaoke, noon and 3 p.m.
CONCERTS (ticketed): Twain Tribute, 4 p.m .; Fogline, 5:30 p.m .; Jessie G, 7 p.m .; and Kurt Van Meter, 9 p.m.
TICKETS: $25-$140, with applicable fees. Dry-camping opportunities are offered on the grounds at Sweet Home High School, 1641 Long St. Direct camping passes are available; they can also be bundled with weekend passes. Generators are allowed outside of quiet hours between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
INFORMATION:https://oregonjamboree.com/music-brews/