North Alabama’s favorite barbeque and entertainment weekend is just around the corner…WhistleStop Weekend is May 4-5 in downtown Huntsville at the Historic Huntsville Depot. Survivor and Spin Doctors will be the highlight of what is sure to be an exciting weekend of music, friends, food and fun! Tickets for the 18th WhistleStop Weekend are on sale now and you can get an earlybird ticket special…$20 for a weekend pass.
Survivor will headline Saturday night. Survivor released their first album in 1980 on Scotti Brothers. Their first Top-40 on the Hot 100 came the next year with “Poor Man’s Son.” Their big break would come in 1982 when the band was asked by Sylvester Stallone to provide the theme song for Rocky III. That single, “Eye Of The Tiger,” hit # 1 – staying there for seven weeks, winning a Grammy for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal, a People’s Choice Award, and Academy Award & Golden Globe nominations. The song came in at #18 on the “Top 100 Singles” chart in Billboard‘s 100th Anniversary issue and it’s well over the 7 million mark worldwide on iTunes, where it’s currently holding strong at #9 on their “Top Soundtrack” chart. The band also struck paydirt as a result of a Stallone movie when “Burning Heart” appeared on the soundtrack of Rocky IV in 1985, hitting No. 2 on the singles chart. Their followup record Vital Signs was another huge success for the band, peaking at #16 on Billboard‘s “Top 200 Albums” chart thanks to the Billboard Top-20 hits “I Can’t Hold Back” (#13), “High On You” (#8) and “The Search Is Over” (#4). With a new team on board and new energy in the air, the future couldn’t be brighter for Survivor!
On Friday night the Spin Doctors will headline the entertainment. To the wider world, the Doctors might be the multi-million-selling icons behind hits like "Two Princes" and “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong,” not to mention the classic “Pocket Full Of Kryptonite.” But in 2014, Chris Barron (vocals), Aaron Comess (drums), Eric Schenkman (guitar) and Mark White (bass) are reconnecting with the flat-broke twenty-somethings who scraped for dollars at the sharp end of the Big Apple blues circuit. The Spin Doctors have come full-circle.
Regional favorites Black Eyed Susan will open for Survivor on Saturday night and Sunset Guns will open for the Spin Doctors on Friday night. Rounding out the entertainment will be local bands The Beasley Brothers, Dirt Circus, JedEye and Triple Play. “This year’s entertainment is the best lineup we’ve had and will cross all genres,” said Bart Williams, executive director of The EarlyWorks Family of Museums. For a full schedule of entertainment presented by Venturi Aerospace go to www.whistlestopweekend.com.
The EarlyWorks Family of Museums is working hard preparing for WhistleStop Weekend. 150 cook teams in the Shadetree and Professional divisions have already registered to compete. Also returning this year are the crowd favorite Wing Thing Contest on Friday night and the People’s Choice barbeque tasting contest on Saturday from 1pm-3pm. Not to mention the always full of surprises CornHole Tournament and a fun and exciting kids area. Registration and information on all WhistleStop Weekend Activities can be found at www.whistlestopweekend.com.
Tickets for the event can be purchased online at www.whistlestopweekend.com. Weekend passes are $20 until April 1st then the price increases. Go to WhistleStop Festival on Facebook and Like our page for ticket specials and announcements.
All proceeds from WhistleStop Weekend benefit the educational initiatives of The EarlyWorks Family of Museums