With the ice rink now closed for the season, Headwaters Park focuses its attention on its summer festival calendar. Soon the facility will be chock-full with an array of festivals including Germanfest, Three Rivers Festival, Greek Fest, and Pride Fest. I can smell the corn dogs and elephant ears now.

One of the first on tap will be the fourth annual Fort Wayne Music Festival taking place May 9-11. As of press time, only two of the nights have been announced thus far, starting with Throwback Thursday on May 9. That evening, you’ll be able to enjoy live music by a number of rappers, including Yung Joc, Paul Wall, Twista & Do or Die, Lil Flip, and DJ Unk with Kenny Redd & DJ RC. There will also be a few adult games to challenge your entourage such as beer pong, cornhole, and flippy cup. Tickets are as low as $15 and can be purchased through Eventbrite.

Next up, The Fort Wayne Music Festival will feature Rock on the River on Saturday, May 11. This will be a day of in-your-face rock and metal with P.O.D., Nonpoint, Tantric, Flaw, Cane Hill, Islander, Nine Shrines, and our very own Hell Came Home embracing the stage.

A number of these acts have made a stop or two here in the past but having them all together for one evening is going to be one for the books. Tickets for this barnburner are also available through Eventbrite. Once the entertainment has been announced for May 10, Whatzup will be the first to let you know. Get ready, it’s festival time!

A tribute to Steely Dan

In 1978, Steely Dan released the song “FM,” the title theme for the film with the same moniker. It was Steely Dan’s first single released on MCA Records and made the US Top 40 that year.

Now some 40 years later, a group of Fort Wayne musicians are referencing the song title for a special tribute taking place on Saturday, April 6. The C2G Music Hall will be the setting for FM: A Tribute to Steely Dan, an evening of nothing but Steely Dan favorites performed by some of our cities elite including Tony Didier (lead vocals), Sunny Taylor & Beth Toth (background vocals), Greg Hough (guitar), Jon Durnell (guitar), Joe Savino (bass), Jim Steele (keyboards), Al Parr (trumpet), Farrell Vernon (sax), and Jeff Minard (drums).

Whether you’re a Steely Dan fan or not, the talent that will be in the room that evening is undeniable. If I were a betting man, I would say that tickets for this show won’t be around long, so you had better act quick.

Kyle Haller Band Album Release party

What if I were to tell you that you have the pleasure of seeing Bending Mercury, Jim Barlow, the Kyle Haller Band, and Taj Maholics all in one setting? All four acts will join forces on Sunday, April 14, at The Phoenix for the Kyle Haller Band album release party.

This all-ages event will get under way at 3:30 p.m. with Bending Mercury taking the stage. You should get home at a decent time with Taj Maholics being the last band around 7 p.m. Ten bucks will get you in the door and that includes a copy of Haller’s Boundless and Free.

The new gem has 13 tracks and features guest appearances by Felix Moxter on viola, Matt Cashdollar on flute, and Haller’s 15-year-old daughter Ruby Haller on glockenspiel. Additionally, 96.3XKE’s JJ Fabini, Doc West, and Jason Lee have spoken parts. This will be one of the most sought out local releases for 2019. Can’t wait to feast my ears on it.

Out and About covers Northeast Indiana’s most interesting music and arts events. Send your announcements to info@whatzup.com.