The Dubuque Arts Council, in partnership with the Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, will bring spectators back to the Packard Pavilion for more spectacular summer evening outdoor concerts with Music in the Gardens.
Concerts are held Sunday evenings at 6:30 PM from June 6 through August 29, with tri-state area residents gathering on the lawn to enjoy a wide variety of popular musical attractions that range from swing to country, jazz to blues, classical to rock, and big band to pop.
The Dubuque Arts Council has announced their lineup for the 29th season of Music in the Gardens, located at 3800 Arboretum Drive. Audience members are encouraged to bring a lawn chair and pack a favorite bottle of wine and picnic lunch, or take advantage of food and beverages available for sale at each concert. Free-will donations are accepted.
The Dubuque Arts Council’s 2021 series features:
June 20 – Hunter Fuerste’s American Vintage Orchestra (Big Band)
Hunter Fuerste and his American Vintage Orchestra present an authentic musical recreation of the Big Band era, the music of 1935 to 1945. The show features recreations of the original hits of Glenn Miller, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Harry James, Count Basie, and many others.
Concert Sponsors: Steele Capital Management and MidWestOne Bank.
June 27–Dubuque Symphony Orchestra (Summer Melodies)
The Dubuque Symphony Orchestra (DSO) returns for its annual Summer Melodies concert. Enjoy a program of light classics, movie music, and patriotic pieces. The concert will feature many musical favorites, such as the theme from Star Wars, the William Tell Overture, the 1812 Overture, Copland’s Hoe-down, and the Colonel Bogey March.
Jason Weinberger, Music Director and Conductor of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony, will wield the baton this year as guest conductor. The symphony will also feature a new piece by young Dubuque composer Evan Erickson. As the 2020 winner of the symphony’s annual Youth Concerto Competition, Mr. Erickson will also be performing a clarinet solo in a movement of a Weber concerto for clarinet. And Jack Schmid, the 2020 winner of our Pursuit of the Podium, will get his chance to conduct the DSO in the rousing “Stars and Stripes Forever” march.
Concert Sponsors: Green State Credit Union, Trappist Caskets at New Melleray, and The Wahlert Foundation.
Sunday July 4 – Heart like a Wheel (Rita Harvey)
Rita Harvey’s “Heart Like A Wheel” – A Tribute to the Music of Linda Ronstadt celebrates one of the most beloved and versatile pop singers of the past five decades. Hear the hits that Linda Ronstadt helped make famous (“You’re No Good,” “Blue Bayou,” “It’s So Easy,” “Desperado,” “Heat Wave,” and many others). These timeless favorites are performed by Broadway star Rita Harvey, backed up by four incredible rock musicians.
Concert Sponsors: Conlon Construction Company; Home+FloorShow; Burkart Brothers Flooring; Burkeys Bar & Grill; and Dubuque Home Improvement.
July 11 – A Carole King Tribute (Luke Viertel)
The Tapestry Show is a little different from typical cabaret shows. The first half focuses on King’s songwriting from the 1960s and 1970s, while the second half is a straight performance of King’s Tapestry album.
Mirage features Luke Viertel on keys and vocals, Rich Wagor on bass, Ryan Phelan on guitar and vocals, Natalie Brown on violin, and Jim Viner on drums.
Concert Sponsor: DuTrac Community Credit Union.
July 18 – June’s Got the Cash (Johnny Cash and June Carter Tribute Band)
June’s Got the Cash, now celebrating their 12th year in entertainment, is a musical tribute to Johnny Cash and June Carter. What started off as a simple tribute band has now blossomed into a traveling musical theater show.
Enjoy Cash’s collection like “Walk The Line, ” “A Boy Named Sue,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Ring of Fire,” and many more!
Concert Sponsor: Premier Bank.
July 25 – The Moonlighters (Rock, Motown, Pop, and Country)
With over 1,000 songs in their repertoire, The Moonlighters’ songlist ranges from country, pop, Motown, rock, and just about any other genre you can imagine from the ‘50s all the way up through today.
Concert Sponsor: Dupaco Community Credit Union.
August 1 – Kids From Wisconsin Present “Live! In Living Color”
An iconic Kids From Wisconsin performance is a professional, fully staged Vegas-style performance designed for a multi-generational audience. After a quiet year of no performances, the Kids From Wisconsin are ready for their 53rd year, bringing you the “Live! In Living Color” performance. The show will highlight the greatest American live music venues and the musical artists that helped define the legacy of such storied places as The Ed Sullivan Theater, Ceasars Palace, The Grand Ole Opry, House of Blues, and Broadway. The brilliant costumes and the magnificent talent of the high- energy dancers and musicians will take the audience back to those magical musical moments.
The talented performers’ bios and the entire list of 2021 tour dates can be found at KidsFromWisconsin.org.
Concert Sponsor: The Fuerste Eye Clinic.
The Music in the Garden’s concert series is brought to you by the Dan Rousch Memorial, in conjunction with the above additional sponsors.
In addition to the Music in the Gardens program, the Dubuque Arts Council sponsors the Artists in Residence program, which brings four live performance residencies to tri-state area schools each year.
The Arts Council’s “Educating and Entertaining” mission is to provide diverse, multi-disciplinary, artistic, and educational opportunities to expand cultural horizons and improve the quality of life.
Contributions to sustain these programs may be sent to Dubuque Arts Council, 2728 Asbury Rd., Suite 910, Dubuque, IA 52001.
The Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Gardens sponsored concerts:
June 6 – The Sax Section of the Neophonic Jazz Orchestra (Jazz)
Concert Sponsors: The McNamer Family and The Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Gardens.
June 13 – Mama Tess & the Chain of Fools (Rock, Blues, and Jazz)
Concert Sponsors: Riley Subaru and The Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Gardens.
August 8 – The Fortunate Sons (Credence Clearwater Revival Tribute)
Concert Sponsors: Premier Bank and The Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Gardens.
August 15 – Ted Vigil Trio (John Denver Tribute)
Concert Sponsors: Cottingham & Butler and The Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Gardens.
August 22 – Denny Diamond (Neil Diamond Tribute)
Concert Sponsors: Fidelity Bank and The Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Gardens.
August 29 – Celebration of the Beatles (Beatles Tribute)
Concert Sponsors: Anderson-Weber and The Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Gardens.
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