Full stage for Riverfront Music Festival

By Katherine Landergan
StUDENT Writer

June 11, 2009 12:14 am

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The '90s pop/rock band Fastball pairs with the piano pop and acoustic soul of Eric Hutchinson and Canadian rockers The Sam Roberts Band to deliver the high notes for Newburyport's eighth annual Riverfront Music Festival next month.

The trio of performers — with a bonus of singer-songwriter Katie Herzig, whose music has been featured on "Grey's Anatomy" — will take the outdoor stage in Market Landing Park along the Newburyport waterfront on Saturday, July 11, from 2 to 7 p.m. for the free show.

Presented by WXRV-92.5 The River radio station and the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the outdoor concert typically draws thousands to Newburyport for the day. This year's event will also feature a Bud Light Beer Garden.

"We're so excited about this summer's Newburyport Riverfront Festival," Catie Wilber, music director of 92.5 The River, said in a press release. "It promises to be the best yet.

"Fastball is back with a new record, and are sure to rock the party with old faves, along with fast rising star Eric Hutchinson blowing up with his song "Rock & Roll," plus longtime River favorite Sam Roberts and his band coming off a big night of wins at the Juno Awards (Canadian Grammys)."

Formed in 1994 in Austin, Texas, Fastball fuses Beatles-inspired pop with late-'90s rock to produce its trademark sound. The band — guitarist-vocalist Miles Zuniga, bassist-vocalist Tony Scalzo and drummer Joe Shuffield — is best known for its hit songs "The Way" and "Fire Escape."

Hutchinson, a Maryland native who first began performing while at Emerson College in Boston, got discovered as an unsigned artist thanks to an online plug by Perez Hilton. His songs, "OK, It's Alright With Me" and "Rock & Roll," have been enjoying considerable air play.

The Sam Roberts Band has built a solid name in the rock world in Canada, with hits like "Brother Down" and "Them Kids." Rounding out the lineup is Herzig, who, in addition to her exposure on "Grey's Anatomy," was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2007 for one of her songs, "Heaven's My Home," performed by the Duhks.

Past Riverfront Music concerts have featured such big names as Blind Melon, Matt Nathanson, the Damnwells, Low Millions, Bruce Cockburn and Raul Malo.

Taiwanese-American pianist and singer-songwriter Vienna Teng will kick off the weekend of music in Newburyport with a paid event at the Firehouse Center for the Arts in Newburyport's Market Square on Friday, July 10.

Teng's musical style incorporates pop, folk, a cappella and classical piano. She has released four studio albums, and her latest recording, "Inland Territory," was introduced in the U.S. this spring. She'll perform at 8 p.m. Tickets for the Firehouse show are $22, $20 for members.

For more on the Riverfront Music Festival, visit www.wxrv.com or www.newburyportchamber.org. For more on Teng's concert or reservations, call the Firehouse box office at 978-462-7336 or visit www.firehouse.org.