Get ready to rock ‘n’ roll outdoors in Everett this August

Everett Music Initiative’s Fourth of July concert drew 800 to Boxcar Park near Port Gardner.

After so much time indoors because of COVID-19, Everett was more than ready for an outdoor show. Nite Wave, Petty or Not and Road Trip performed.

“The Fourth of July was incredible,” said Ryan Crowther, Everett Music Initiative founder. “It exceeded all expectations. We had a really good time. It was the perfect first show for everyone to get back.”

August holds a lot of promise, if you’re looking to go to more outdoor concerts.

In Everett alone, there are two monthlong events — the Music at the Marina and Dicks Drive-In Summer Series — with eight outdoor shows scheduled through August between the two of them.

Thursday Music at the Marina concerts, presented by the Everett Events Foundation, formerly the Everett Fourth of July Foundation, are 5 to 9 p.m. at Port Gardner Landing.

When the all-ages event was canceled last year by COVID-19 and city budget cuts, the Everett Fourth of July Foundation teamed up with the Everett Music Initiative and Lombardi’s Italian Restaurant to bring Music at the Marina back to Everett.

The Thursday lineup: Lady A kicks off Music at the Marina on Aug. 5, followed by The Dusty 45s on Aug. 12, LeRoy Bell and His Only Friends on Aug. 19 and Eldridge Gravy & The Court Supreme on Aug. 26. Doors open at 5 p.m., shows start at 6:30 p.m.

“The city has done an incredible job bringing these artists year after year that people love, so we wanted to take some of the favorites from the previous years, which are The Dusty 45s, LeRoy Bell and Eldridge Gravy, and we wanted to bring one artist that was new to the mix, and that’s Lady A,” said Crowther, a member of the Everett Events Foundation.

“Lady A has a big name in Washington, and Everett is such a blues town, so she’s a fun addition to the event.”

Lady A is the stage name of Seattle blues singer Anita White. She was nominated as Best Blues Performer of the Year 2020 by the Washington Blues Society.

Lady A’s new hit single “My Name Is All I Got,” which she’ll sing at her Aug. 5 show, responds to the lawsuit filed by the country band formerly known as Lady Antebellum, over White’s use of the trademarked name “Lady A.”

“It’s about the Lady Antebellum fiasco,” White said. “Black lives, Black music, Black language — it matters. Sometimes our name is all we have. That song came out of an interview I did with Rolling Stone magazine.”

The Dusty 45’s, led by Billy Joe Huels, is an Americana band. Huels, who sings, plays guitar and trumpet, is joined by Jerry Battista and Rod Cook, who share lead guitar, Robin Cady on upright bass and Kohen Burrill on drums. The Seattle band has backed Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Wanda Jackson and opened for Adele.

LeRoy Bell and His Only Friends features Terry Morgan on bass, Davis Martin on drums, and Daniel Walker on guitar and keyboards. LeRoy Bell, of Bainbridge Island, who appeared on TV’s “The X-Factor,” has shared the stage with Idina Menzel, B.B. King, Etta James, Joe Cocker, Van Morrison and Sheryl Crow, among many others.

Eldridge Gravy & The Court Supreme is a Seattle funk band. The 13-member band led by frontman Eldridge Gravy is a favorite to dance to at Seattle’s Bumbershoot, the Fourth of July at Gasworks Park and, of course Everett’s Music at the Marina.

At Port Gardner Landing, there will be El Mariachi Tacos And Churros and Sugar & Spoon food trucks — plus one more weekly rotating food truck — and the Everett Makers Market, as well as a beer garden with Elysian beer, Tito’s cocktails and Pasek Cellars wine.

“The dance floor will be inside the beer garden for this one,” Crowther said. “We want to allow people to bring their drinks to the dance floor.”

Friday Dick’s Drive-in Summer Series concerts, presented by Dick’s Drive-in and Everett Music Initiative, are 5 to 9 p.m. at Wetmore Theatre Plaza.

Unlike Music at the Marina, however, this concert series isn’t free and isn’t all-ages. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door.

The Friday lineup: The Moondoggies, Chris King and the Gutterballs and Small Paul kick off Dick’s Drive-In Summer Series on Aug. 6, followed by Smokey Brights and Shaina Shepherd on Aug. 13, Nite Wave on Aug. 20 and The Black Tones and Tres Leches on Aug. 27. Doors open at 5 p.m., shows start at 6:30 p.m.

“As a partnership with Dick’s Drive-in, we wanted to deliver the biggest up-and-coming names in the Seattle scene, but also provide a variety in the sounds,” Crowther said. “This touches on a lot of different vibes musically.”

The Moondoggies are an Everett indie rock band fronted by Kevin Murphy. Murphy, who sings and plays guitar, is joined by Carl Dahlen on drums, Mike Gervais on bass, and Jon Pontrello on guitar and pedal-steel guitar. Dahlen and Gervais also provide backup vocals. The band has toured with the likes of Dawes, Blitzen Trapper, The Cave Singers, The Dutchess and the Duke and The Head and the Heart.

Murphy said The Moondoggies will perform two yet-to-be-recorded songs, “Bumpy Road” and “Down on Your Heart,” at the Aug. 6 show.

“It’ll be fun to play a hometown show,” Murphy said, adding that the band has enough new songs to record an album. “It’s nice, because my parents can come. I’m excited to do it.”

Chris King and the Gutterballs is a Seattle indie rock band featuring Chris King on vocals and guitar, Malcolm Roberts on bass and Tom Meyers on drums. The band has performed at the Capitol Hill Block Party in Seattle, opened for The Growlers and recorded an in-studio album at Seattle’s KEXP-FM.

Small Paul is a new project by Kevin Murphy of The Moondoggies and Chris King and Malcolm Roberts of Chris King and the Gutterballs.

Smokey Brights is a Seattle band fronted by husband-and-wife Ryan Devlin and Kim West. With Devlin on guitar and West on keys, as well as singing, plus Nick Krivchenia on drums and Luke Logan on bass, their sound is a mix of pop, rock ‘n’ roll and disco.

Shaina Shepherd is a self-described “anthem artist” inspired by poets Mark Twain, James Weldoyn Johnson and Maya Angelou. Known as the frontwoman to the soul-grunge band BEARAXE, the Seattlelite’s voice has led Shepherd to share the likes of Dave Matthews and Thunderpussy.

Nite Wave is Bothell’s own new wave cover band. Nite Wave has opened for Billy Idol and shared the stage with Jane Wiedlin of The Go-Go’s, 1980s icon Tiffany and Clive Farrington of When in Rome. Frontman Michael Henrichsen is joined by Evan Galt on bass, Dave Dodge on guitar, Jim Simbe on keyboard and Jeff Mills on drums.

The Black Tones are made up of twins Eva and Cedric Walker. Cedric is on drums; Eva is on lead guitar and vocals. The Seattle band plays rock ‘n’ roll with punk and blues mixed in. Brother and sister have shared the stage with Death Cab for Cutie, Mavis Staples and Weezer.

Tres Leches is a Seattle punk trio made up of Alaia D’Alessandro, Ulises Mariscal and Zander Yates. All three members switch off on guitar, bass and drums.

“Having the Dick’s food truck adds this classic Seattle touch to an event in Everett that will create a nostalgic feeling for folks who have spent a lot of time in Seattle. Having this institution on site for our event is exiting. They just rolled out their food truck during COVID.”

At the Wetmore Theatre Plaza, there will be a Dick’s Drive-In food truck, plus Elysian beer, Tito’s cocktails and Pasek Cellars wine.

Crowther is hopeful that August’s outdoor concert lineup in Everett is a sign of more to come — as long as COVID-19 infection numbers don’t spike.

“With this pick-up in numbers in the delta variety, we’re encouraging people to get vaccinated because that’s only going to help our odds of being able to continue these events,” he said. “That will be essential to continue putting these things on.”

Sara Bruestle: 425-339-3046; sbruestle@heraldnet.com; @sarabruestle.

If you go

Music at the Marina: The Everett Events Foundation presents free concerts, 5 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, through August, at Port Gardner Landing, 1700 W. Marine View Drive. Schedule: Lady A on Aug. 5, The Dusty 45s on Aug. 12, LeRoy Bell and His Only Friends on Aug. 19 and Eldridge Gravy & The Court Supreme on Aug. 26. More at www.musicatthemarina.com.

Dick’s Drive-In Summer Series: Dick’s Drive-in and Everett Music Initiative presents concerts from 5 to 9 p.m. Fridays in August, at the Wetmore Theater Plaza, 2710 Wetmore Ave., Everett. Schedule: The Moondoggies, Chris King and the Gutterballs and Small Paul on Aug. 6, Smokey Brights and Shaina Shepherd on Aug. 13, Nite Wave on Aug. 20 and The Black Tones and Tres Leches on Aug. 27. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Go to www.everettmusicinitiative.com.