This is a big year for Kings Island… the Amusement park is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and after the last couple of years it seems like it might be a perfect time to celebrate with the return of live music to the park! I’m going to talk in just a minute about the actual concert series… because it’s pretty spectacular, but this is a beer blog – so we most definitely have to talk about the beer, first.
The Beer Collaboration
A great concert series needs a beer sponsor to bring it to life – and Platform is making sure that it all comes together, not just sponsoring the series – but bringing a collaboration beer to the party too. This beer, called ‘Happy Place’ is going to be available at the park all season, but will also be available to purchase in local grocery and convenience stores near the park, too.
‘Happy Place’ is a golden lager and according to the brewery is sessionable and designed to pay tribute to a collision of old and new world hops. Do you see how this all plays into the 50th anniversary of Kings Island, now? Kings Island is one of the best examples of an amusement park that does a great job by combining old-world nostalgia and the modern amusement park industry, head to head.
I haven’t had a chance to try the beer, yet, but the tasting notes from the brewery definitely have my interest. They say that the beer is easy-drinking but loaded with subtle notes of cereal, floral hops, and soft spice.
About The Concert Series
We should definitely talk about this concert series, too. The 2022 music series not only includes some incredible acts, and marks the return of live music to the park – it’s also the most concerts that the park has hosted at Timberwolf in a single season since all the way back in 1995.
To help step things up for the 50th anniversary, it will also be the first time ever that Kings Island isn’t requiring concert-goers to also purchase admission to the park. Tickets will be available to the general public and parking will be free after 5 pm. To help facilitate all of this – they’re adding an exclusive entrance to TImberwolf before each show begins.
The Music Lineup
Here’s what you really want to know… who’s going to be performing? Oh, I gotcha covered!
- The Avett Brothers – June 28 – Gates 7pm, Music 8pm
- American folk rock band The Avett Brothers made mainstream wives with their 2009 major label debut, I and Love and You, landing at No. 16 on the Billboard Top 200 and garnering critical acclaim. True Sadness (2016) achieved the Avett Brothers’ highest career debut to date hitting No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Albums Chart, No. 1 Digital Albums Chart, No. 3 on Billboard Top 200 and scoring two Grammy nominations.
- Berlin + A Flock Of Seagulls – July 9th – Gates 7pm, Music 8pm
- This Los Angeles-based synth pop group, Berlin, founded by bassist John Crawford, singer Terri Nunn, and keyboard player David Diamond, topped the charts in 1986 with the single “Take My Breath Away”, the love theme from Tom Cruise movie Top Gun.
- A Flock of Seagulls may well be known for their bizarrely teased haircuts as much as their hit single “I Ran”. A Flock of Seagulls were among the prime movers in the ’80s new wave era.
- 3 Doors Down with special guest Candlebox – July 22 – Gates 6pm, Music 7pm
- Grammy Award-nominated multi-platinum Mississippi rock band 3 Doors Down first found their own voice in 1995. It’s only gotten louder over the past two decades. Everything kicked off with their 2000 debut, The Better Life. The album went six-times platinum and introduced the world to their now-classic “Kryptonite”. Their fan base continued to grow with 2002’s triple-platinum Away from the Sun – which yielded the smashes “When I’m Gone” and “Here Without You”.
- Throw out any preconcieved notions you may have about who Candlebox is. Wolves, the bands seventh album which debuted this year at #7 on the Billboard Chart, is rife with brutal lyrical honesty and songs that run the gamut from dirty rock stompers to timeless, radio-ready pop-rock tunes. This multi-platinum selling band is best known for singles like “Far Behind”, “You”, and “Cover Me”.
- Skillet with special guest Jordan St. Cyr – July 23rd – Gates 6pm, Music 7pm
- Skillet is an American Christian rock band formed in Memphis Tennessee, in 1996. The band currently consists of husband John Cooper and wife Korey Cooper alongside Jen Ledger and Seth Morrison. The band has released eleven albums, two of which, Collide and Comatose, received Grammy nominations.
- It was when Jordan St. Cyr served with Youth with a Mission (YWAM) as a teen that he found the inspiration to pursue music as a career. now in 2022, after releasing more music along the way, Jordan St. Cyr debuted his first full-length album with BEC Recordings. The self-titled ten-song project was released on March 4.
- Five For Fighting with special Guest The Verve – August 20 – Gates 6pm, Music 7pm
- John Ondrasik, the songwriter and performer known as the platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated, Five For Fighting, has penned major hits including the chart-topping “Superman (It’s Not Easy)”, “100 Years”, “The Riddle”, “Chances”, “World” and “Easy Tonight”, which have earned tens of millions of streams and place him as a top-10 Hot Adult Contemporary artist for the 2000s. Five For Fighting’s music has also been featured in more than 350 films, television shows, and commercials including the Oscar-winning The Blind Side, Hawaii Five-O, The Sopranos and the CBS drama, Code Black.
- With a reputation for spectacular life performances, the multi-platinum alternative rock band The Verve Pipe are recognized worldwide for their radio hits “Photograph”, “Hero”, “Happiness Is”, “Never Let You Down”, and the No. 1 smash single “The Freshmen”.
For more information, and to buy tickets, make sure you visit Kings Island’s website. Also, if you find yourself with a beer in hand at one of the shows this summer, make sure you tag me on social media… I always like seeing what you’re up to!