Nothing cures the summertime blues better than live music, whether it’s inside a cavernous stadium, in a theater, or outdoors at a big amphitheater. This summer, Toledo has plenty of musical action scheduled at area venues.
While the coronavirus pandemic has not gone away, more than 60 percent of Lucas and Wood county residents have now been vaccinated, according to the Ohio Department of Health. According to Toledo promoter John Nittolo, who has booked seven shows at Centennial Terrace this season, live music is back, but from a music industry standpoint, it’s a busy world out there.
“This year is a new year for music, and it’s a very crowded summer out there,” Nittolo said. “With the economy being the way it is, it’s going to be hard to fight for dollars. COVID is in our rearview mirror right now, but that could change at any time.”
Nittolo said that while mask mandates are no longer in effect in Ohio many precautions are still being held over from the days of enforced mask use, including cleaning stations; venues are also still following recommended guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Over at downtown’s Huntington Center, general manager Steve Miller said he and his team are ready for some bombastic concerts, with appearances from everyone from country superstars Brooks & Dunn to northwest Ohio’s own Girl Named Tom, the winners of last season’s The Voice.
“After the last two years of the pandemic, there were a lot of artists who wanted to play and a lot of venues that wanted the artists, so we had to work farther in advance to make that work,” Miller said. “We had a few adjustments on our schedule that unfortunately changed some routing that we had to be flexible on. But it all worked out.”
Also on deck is The Blade’s 38th annual Northwest Ohio Rib Off, which includes musical entertainment by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame members Cheap Trick, country superstar Walker Hayes, and the AC/DC tribute band Thunderstruck.
Miller also books all of the concerts for the ProMedica Concert Series in Promenade Park, which this year includes such big-name acts as Common, Patti LaBelle, Pat Benatar, and more.
While the pandemic is not over, Miller said people are ready to come out and have a good time while still being cautious.
“We’re making sure the public is understanding what’s going on when they get to the venue,” Miller said. “We want everyone to have a good time but we want everyone to be safe as well, so we’re always updating folks with pandemic-related items, but we’re very hopeful that this is behind us now and we’re at the point now where everyone can just come out and enjoy themselves.”
Tickets are on sale for all of these concerts now.
JUNE
11: The Menus, Centennial Terrace; Swingtown (Steve Miller Band tribute), Hollywood Casino
16: Lee Brice, Toledo Zoo Amphitheater
17: Common, Promenade Park; Summer Disco Party, Centennial Terrace
24: Brooks & Dunn, Huntington Center; the Temptations and the Four Tops, Centennial Terrace; Night Ranger with Sebastian Bach, Promenade Park
25: Hotel California (Eagles tribute), Centennial Terrace
JULY
1. ZZ Top, Toledo Zoo Amphitheater; Killer Queen (Queen tribute), Promenade Park
6. Doobie Brothers, Toledo Zoo Amphitheater
8: One Nation Under a Groove Tour featuring George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Promenade Park
15: Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, Promenade Park
22: Craig Morgan, Promenade Park
28: Buddy Guy with John Hiatt, Centennial Terrace
29: Cheap Trick, Lucas County Fairgrounds (Northwest Ohio Rib Off)
30: Walker Hayes, Lucas County Fairgrounds (Northwest Ohio Rib Off)
31: Thunderstruck, AC/DC tribute band, Lucas County Fairgrounds (Northwest Ohio Rib Off)
AUGUST
4: Matchbox Twenty, Toledo Zoo Amphitheater
5: ‘90s House Party featuring Coolio, Rob Base, Kid ‘n Play, Montell Jordan, Color Me Badd, Promenade Park
12: Justin Moore, Promenade Park
19: Charlie Berens (comedian), Centennial Terrace
20: Get the Led Out (Led Zeppelin tribute), Centennial Terrace
24: Brad Paisley, Put-in-Bay Airport (Bash on the Bay)
25: Zac Brown Band, Put-in-Bay Airport (Bash on the Bay); Nate Bargatze (comedian), Toledo Zoo Amphitheater
26: Rick Springfield and Men at Work with John Waite, Toledo Zoo Amphitheater; KC and the Sunshine Band, Promenade Park; Air Margaritaville (Jimmy Buffet tribute), Centennial Terrace
30: Girl Named Tom, Huntington Center
SEPTEMBER
16: Patti LaBelle, Promenade Park; 1964 the Tribute (Beatles tribute), Centennial Terrace
21: Goo Goo Dolls, Toledo Zoo Amphitheater
27: Greta Van Fleet, Huntington Center
First Published June 5, 2022, 1:00 p.m.
