Luzerne County concert series drives bands through 6 neighborhoods on flatbed truck every Friday from July 10-Aug. 7
From a press release:
Last year, music filled the air near the Luzerne County Courthouse and brought the community together for the first Rockin’ the River Summer concert series along the Wilkes-Barre River Common.
This year, the coronavirus pandemic is keeping people closer to home, but Luzerne County is not going to let COVID-19 stop the music or dampen the community spirit seen during last year’s shows, so a new series announced today will bring the concerts right to the community.
Presented by DiscoverNEPA in partnership with Luzerne County government and Visit Luzerne County, Rockin’ the County will drive local bands through neighborhoods in different regions for five Fridays this summer. The musicians will perform on the back of flatbed truck parade-style so residents can enjoy the live music from their front yards and porches.
The truck will make its way through the neighborhoods from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. each Friday, and residents are being asked to follow current public health guidelines and remember social distancing.
Rockin’ the County lineup:
Friday, July 10: Wilkes-Barre – Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen
Friday, July 17: Hazleton – Indigo Moon Brass Band
Friday, July 24: Pittston – The Mule Team
Friday, July 31: Nanticoke – The music of Woodstock with the Husty Bros. and Ellie Rose
Friday, Aug. 7: Kingston/Forty Fort – Joe Nardone’s Rockology Americans
Additional information, including the routes, will be posted as it becomes available. For more on Rockin’ the County, go to visitluzernecounty.com.
Capturing the vibe of late ’60s and ’70s blues-laced rock ‘n’ roll, Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen mix retro style and groove (à la Jimi Hendrix Experience, SRV, Joe Bonamassa, Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top) for a lightning-charged vintage sound all their own.
Led by transcendent lead guitarist, singer, and songwriter Dustin Douglas (Lemongelli, The Badlees), The Electric Gentlemen – Tommy Smallcomb on drums and Matt “The Dane” Gabriel on bass – leave even the most discerning music fans with little left to ask for at the end of any live performance.
With a reputation as one of the area’s hardest working musicians, Dustin Douglas (born Dustin Drevitch) brings an energy to the stage and delivers some hard-rocking blues with an attitude that’s all his own. Since the time he learned to walk, he had a guitar in his hands and a song in his soul. Performing his first show at the age of 13, Douglas has never stopped, first gaining popularity with his original power trio, Lemongelli. Lemongelli released three independent records and shared the stage with Heart, Cheap Trick, Def Leppard, and Eddie Money, to name a few.
Becoming one of the most sought-after live and session guitarists in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Douglas joined the legendary Pennsylvania rock band The Badlees, in which he recorded “Epiphones and Empty Rooms” and supported Bob Seger on his 2013 arena tour.
In 2014, Douglas released “Black Skies and Starlight,” his first solo record, to rave reviews. Self-proclaimed as “a mix of big guitars with pop-laced hooks and an alternative attitude,” “Black Skies and Starlight” propelled him back into the lead role, leaving his side-man days behind.
The following year, he was ready to get back to his blues rock roots. The self-titled debut record “Dustin Douglas & the Electric Gentlemen” sold out of its first pressing in 2016, garnering attention from fans and critics alike. Tracks such as “Baby Girl” and “Ain’t Your Poppa’s Blues” found Douglas right back where he belongs – leading a bombastic power trio.
The summer of 2017 saw the release of “Blues 1,” a collection of classic blues covers including cuts by John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Albert King, and Freddie King, as well as a new original song. With “Blues 1,” Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen cemented themselves in the blues world.
On June 1, 2018, the band released “Break It Down,” to rave reviews worldwide. Co-produced by Paul Smith (The Badlees, The Cellarbirds) and Douglas, it features 12 new tracks recorded at Eight Days a Week Studios in Northumberland by Smith, along with “No More Tears to Cry,” which was previously released on “Blues 1.”
Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen played a stunning release show for their latest album at the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre on June 2, 2018.
Beginning to play the drums at the age of 10, Tommy Smallcomb grew up in a drumming family. His father, brother, nephews, and sister all found themselves behind the kit. Playing his first gig at the age of 14, He became one of the region’s premier session and live drummers, working with John Plantania of Van Morrison on his solo material and touring the East Coast with Strawberry Jam, supporting such acts as Steppenwolf and Edgar Winter, among others.
Beginning his career in the college circuit at Bloomburg University, Matt “The Dane” Gabriel has played bass in a wide array of original progressive rock, bluegrass, instrumental post-rock, bluegrass, jam, and folk bands, along with tribute acts of Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead, Motown, and Led Zeppelin.
Prior to the Electric Gentlemen, The Dane toured the East Coast and the Midwest with MiZ from Scranton, playing clubs, theaters, and festivals supporting such acts as The Allman Brothers Band, Lukas Nelson, and America.
See NEPA Scene’s photos of Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen performing with Ed Randazzo at the Mauch Chunk Opera House in Jim Thorpe in 2018 here and listen to all three members of the band talk about blues music, the local music scene, and more in Episode 35 of the NEPA Scene Podcast:
Photo by Robb Malloy/Moon’s Eye Media/NEPA Scene
