Organizers of the Foot Levelers Down by Downtown Music Festival and Blue Ridge Marathon are once again expanding the schedule in Downtown Roanoke as a part of the 6th Annual event (April 16-18). The weekend of live music kicks off Thursday night at over a dozen venues, continues with a free concert Friday evening featuring March Fourth!, followed by Saturday’s headliner Big Head Todd and the Monsters.
“Each year we try to grow the event,” said organizer Bruce C. Bryan of B2C Enterprises. “The purpose is to draw attention to the developing live music scene in Downtown Roanoke and the partnership with the Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon allows us to draw big national acts to help promote the area. It also gives the visitors to our region something fun to do in conjunction with the marathon.”
Big Head Todd & The Monsters, a national touring act with roots in Colorado, will headline Saturday evening in the Elmwood Amphitheater. This platinum selling group is known for their spirited live show and chart topping songs like “Bittersweet”, “Broken Hearted Savior”, and “Circle”.
New this year is a free concert Friday evening in the Elmwood Amphitheater. The Friday concert is open to everyone and features Portland-based band MarchFourth! – a lively and engaging musical and entertainment act that is sure to draw attention. This 20-person troop is said to wow audiences with a show that takes them from the swamps of Louisiana to the gypsy camps of Europe, and through the deepest grooves of American funk, rock, and jazz. Add high-stepping stilt-acrobatics and dazzling burlesque dancers, and you get a musical evening that Roanokers are not likely to soon forget.
“We want musical energy to match the energy of our running participants,” said Pete Eshelman, chair of the Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon. “Both these concerts will definitely do that. Adding the Friday free show and building on the success of the G. Love & Special Sauce concert last year, were our priorities and I think we were able to do that with this year’s lineup.”
“The marathon by itself is fantastic, but when you add in national acts like MarchFourth! and Big Head Todd, it helps shine a well-deserved spotlight on the event and all the good it does for the Roanoke region,” said Chris Cummings, Foot Levelers Media and Public Relations Manager.
Big Head Todd & the Monsters tickets go on sale February 25, 2015 at 10am through the Jefferson Center box office and online at DownByDowntown.com. General admission is $22 and special discounted rates will be available to marathon participants through their race registration process.
MarchFourth! is a free first-come-first served concert. Shows both evenings will start early enough to draw concertgoers to other live music events happening throughout Downtown Roanoke as a part of the Down By Downtown Music Festival. Local food and craft beers will be featured at both concerts for those who are interested in purchasing them.
