Piqua Arts Council and Mainstreet Piqua are excited to announce that the Rock Piqua Drive-In Concert is happening this Saturday, August 15, 2020 from 7pm to 10pm at the Miami Valley Centre Mall. Performing at the concert will be Jamie Suttle at 7pm and Clark Manson at 8pm. The Drive-In style concert will happen in the parking lot between the old Elder Beerman and JC Penney with parking beginning at 4pm.
In addition to the Rock Piqua Drive-In, there will also be a food truck rally from 4pm to 7pm featuring Susie’s Big Dipper, Yummy Gyro, Buckeye Burger and Cumberland Kettle Corn. Organizers ask that anyone attending for the Food Truck Rally maintain social distancing and wear a mask when not consuming food.
“We are excited to be able offer one of the planned concerts for the year, even if it is in a different format,” said Piqua Arts Council Executive Director Jordan Knepper. “These events are great for bringing the community together, but that’s the one thing we aren’t allowed to do right now, so we worked with the City’s Health Department and Special Events coordinator to make sure we could do something that fit within the rules and guidelines.”
Piqua Arts Council and Mainstreet Piqua want to remind attendees that alcohol is not permitted, but they should feel free to bring their own food and drinks to the event.
“We want everyone to have a good time and stay safe. As this is a drive-in style concert, we won’t be offering any alcohol for the concert and we hope that attendees will make wise choices as well,” continued Knepper.
Kentucky born singer-songwriter Jamie Suttle has roots that reach deep into the rich soil of American music. The seeds of her inspiration were planted at a young age while singing in church. As she grew, it flourished under the sweltering heat of soul, R & B, and rock, all the while being suffused with gospel and classic country music.
Jamie’s music pays homage to classic country music while effortlessly creating her own style. While playing shows with people like Ashley McBryde, Lee Brice, Tyler Farr, the Kentucky Headhunters and Shooter Jennings; Jamie’s knack of blending soul with heartfelt lyrics provides a connection with her audience that cannot be broken. Jamie’s newest single, “Pissed Off and Reckless” was released, April 24 and can be found on iTunes, Spotify and more.
“Jamie has been on our radar for a while,” said Knepper. “She’s a phenomenal talent and I love her originals as much as the covers. She actually sang for our Sounds of the Season Holiday Concert one year, so she has been to Piqua.”
Closing out the night will be Covington’s Clark Manson. A small town in Ohio and a guitar are the ingredients that make up Clark Manson. It all began when Manson was a 12-year-old. A hand-me-down guitar caught Clark’s eye, so he picked it up and a few months (and several country concerts) later, he knew he had found his calling. Fast-forward some years later and Clark began playing bar shows while attending school. Soon the shows began to spread farther and farther from his college, but nothing could take the “hometown” out of him. Writing and co-producing all of his own music today, Clark resides back in his hometown with his wife and their children. The catalogue of Clark Manson reads like a well written novel from his young rowdy beginnings, to growing into the loving husband and father he is today. June of 2020 has brought with it a new music with his EP – “Lotta Bout You” which is available on iTunes, Spotify, and more.
Rock Piqua is a free event made possible through the generosity of our sponsors, Emerson, City of Piqua, Polysource Inc., Premier Health – Upper Valley Medical Center, French Oil Mill Machinery Co., Park National Bank, Edison State Community College and Vectren Energy. Additional sponsorship provided by McColloch Baker Insurance, Hartzell Industries, WPTW Classic Hits, Troy Community Radio, Koverman Staley Dickerson Insurance, Michael Web Solutions, and Buckeye Insurance Group.