Beaches keep rocking with tribute acts, more, plus two big Ocean City events coming up

Roger Hillis
·4 min read

The new year is upon us, and it was ushered in by crowds of visitors who partied hardy at beach hot spots. Live music was a huge draw all throughout 2023, and it is expected to be just as popular this year.

While things traditionally slow down in January, there are still some interesting events on tap.

The Listening Booth keeps booking popular acts

In coastal Sussex County, local music promoter Marissa Levy Lerer had a success on her hands right off the bat last year when she opened The Listening Booth and vowed to feature all original music.

National touring act The Honey Badgers will play its acoustic Americana songs at The Listening Booth on Route One at Midway at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 5 ($35). The evening will also include a set by The Rough & Tumble.
National touring act The Honey Badgers will play its acoustic Americana songs at The Listening Booth on Route One at Midway at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 5 ($35). The evening will also include a set by The Rough & Tumble.

The concert venue in the Tanger Outlets Surfside shopping center on southbound Route 1 at Midway has hosted sold-out performances by touring folk-rock artists including Jill Sobule, Dar Williams and Beth Nielsen Chapman.

The Listening Booth’s first concert of 2024 will be a double-bill of national talent at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 5. The show will feature acoustic sets by The Rough & Tumble as well as The Honey Badgers ($35). Both are duos which blend indie-rock with the sounds of Americana.

The Listening Booth will shift gears the following week for a hip-hop showcase of rappers and deejays. The triple shot of all-local talent will include sets by Trevaile, Jeef and Cesar “See The Real” Flores ($15 for those under 16, $30 for ages 17 and up).

Room at Cedar Grove shows sell out, but a hot one added

Local guitarist Keith Mack, who has toured with Scandal, Joe Cocker and Cyndi Lauper, will play a sold-out songwriters circle at the Room at Cedar Grove near Lewes on Friday, Jan. 5. The dinner-concert will include Mack's fellow musicians Cliff Hillis and Ed Shockley.
Local guitarist Keith Mack, who has toured with Scandal, Joe Cocker and Cyndi Lauper, will play a sold-out songwriters circle at the Room at Cedar Grove near Lewes on Friday, Jan. 5. The dinner-concert will include Mack's fellow musicians Cliff Hillis and Ed Shockley.

On a similar note, the nearby Room at Cedar Grove is also continuing the success that started when it opened in 2023. Located west of Midway, the dinner-concert venue also highlights original music — and these pairing are sold out more often than not. How often?

Well, all six shows scheduled for the month of January have sold out in advance. That includes this weekend’s songwriter circle with local favorites Keith Mack, Cliff Hillis and Ed Shockley on Friday, Jan. 5, as well as a Sunday, Jan. 7 jazz brunch featuring Fifth Avenue.

The Room at Cedar Grove has, however, just placed tickets on sale for a spring two-nighter by Grammy nominee John Ford Coley. Known for his hits such as “Love Is The Answer” and “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight,” he will perform Saturday and Sunday, April 13-14 ($65 includes dinner).

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Tribute acts and comedy heat up Milton Theatre stage

Elsewhere in Sussex, the Milton Theatre kicks off 2024 with a host of shows that will either get your foot tapping or tickle your funny bone. It will start with the return of tribute act Good Stuff at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 4 ($30). The group is unique in that it mixes rock, pop and R&B by paying homage to four specific artists — Sting, Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan and Gino Vannelli.

At 8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 5, the Milton Theatre will be open to ages 18 and over only when it hosts its Eff New Year’s Resolutions: Stand-up Comedy Show ($14, $19). It will feature sometimes-bawdy humor from a quartet of comedians: host Keith Purnell, opening act Lon Kieffer, featured performer Troy Moore and headliner Johnny Watson.

The Milton Theatre will present a sold-out performance by Kick It Out: A Tribute to Heart at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 6.
The Milton Theatre will present a sold-out performance by Kick It Out: A Tribute to Heart at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 6.

At 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, the theater will present the sold-out return of Kick It Out: A Tribute to Heart, playing the classic-rock hits of sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson.

Details on two big upcoming Ocean City events

In Ocean City, Seacrets has announced the date of this year’s Love on Tap: Shore Craft Beer Fest. The event will take place 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24 ($40). Live music will be provided by both the Big House Band and Mike Donato. A list of participating breweries is to be released soon and is to include a dozen suds makers.

Elsewhere in OC, Fager’s Island has place tickets on sale for the 10th Annual Oyster Garden event. It will occur noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17 ($72). Music will be courtesy of Baltimore jam band Blue Miracle.

Email Roger Hillis at rogerhillis@gmail.com

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This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Tribute acts heat up stages, plus 2 big Ocean City events return soon