From a Beatles cover band to a celebration of Bob Marley, the Kent Stage will host 10 different performers throughout the month of March.
The variety of performances ensures that no matter what one’s music taste is, there will be something for everyone this month at the Kent Stage.
The performance slate for the month of March is as follows:
- March 7: An Evening With Crystal Gayle
- March 11: Dervish
- March 13: Paul Thorn and Steve Poltz — In The Ring Together Tour
- March 14: The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band — Porch Stomp Tour
- March 21: Here Come the Mummies
- March 24: An Evening with Karla Bonoff and Livingston Taylor
- March 27: Samantha Fish — Bulletproof Tour with JD Simo
- March 28: The Ark Band — Celebration of Bob Marley
- March 29: Colin Hay
Ticket information can be found at https://kentstage.org/events/.
“The Kent Stage is popular for three reasons,” said Tom Simpson, The Kent Stage’s executive director. “One, it’s a very nice space with great acoustics. Two, we only book high quality entertainment. And three, we do a lot of market development.”
Simpson said the stage hosts between 100-150 shows each year, making entertainment in the city of Kent easily accessible.
For some performers, such as Here Come the Mummies, this will be their first performance at the Kent Stage. Whether it’s a band’s first time playing at the stage or if they perform there frequently, the staff makes sure the audience is getting their money’s worth.
“If they (the audience) paid $50, they got a $60 show out of it, and everybody’s happy,” Simpson said.
Simpson said there is value to The Kent Stage being a smaller venue, noting the environment and experience of the stage is not something that can be cultivated at larger venues.
“We’re the kind of place where a person can come up to the people who run the place and say, ‘Hey, I have an issue with my seat,’” he said.
Simpson said at larger venues, interactions like this are slim to none because of their size. The Kent Stage creates not only an intimate performance but gives the rare opportunity for interaction with the audience.
The Kent Stage provides a platform for music to continue to be a unifying factor amongst the people in the community.
Being able to provide entertainment for all people, despite their age, is something The Kent Stage strives for. Simpson said age groups across the board, whether they are 18 or 78, can enjoy the performances being hosted by the stage.
“It’s a really unique place,” Simpson said. “The quality of the entertainment and the name of the entertainers that we have are beyond the size of the venue and the size of the town.”
Lauren Vaughn is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].
