Arts & Entertainment
Park City Institute announces additions to the 2021 Big Stars, Bright Nights Season
PARK CITY, Utah. — Park City Institute announces additions to the 2021 Big Stars, Bright Nights Season at the Eccles Center. Country artist Justin Moore performs on July 24, and Grammy-award-winning blues legend, Robert Cray, performs on August 10th. Tickets for all performances go on sale June 1 at the Box Office and online at parkcityinstitute.org.
Adding to the 2021 Big Stars, Bright Nights Concert Series, Park City Institute announced two additions to the season’s lineup at the Eccles Center: Country music recording artist Justin Moore will perform on Pioneer Day, July 24th. Robert Cray will return to the Eccles Center stage on August 10th. The previously-announced show for Upstate on July 10th will feature free general admission tickets.
“We are ready to host live shows again, and artists can’t wait to return to the Eccles Center,” PCI Executive Director Ari Ioannides said. “We are fortunate to have been contacted by representatives of Justin Moore. He will perform on our stage for the first time, on Pioneer Day. And it’s an honor to welcome back Robert Cray for one of his first 2021 performances. And as a way of thanking the community for their support during the last year, the board has asked that we offer free general-admission tickets to the Upstate show.”
The full season lineup includes:
July 3 – Complexions Contemporary Ballet – STAR DUST: From Bach to Bowie
More than innovative choreography and exquisite movement (though there’s plenty of both), Complexions brings to our stage its central mission: Dance should be about removing boundaries, not reinforcing them. Blending styles, periods, and cultures, the company creates an evolving form of contemporary ballet that reflects the movement of our world.
Founded in 1994 by Master Choreographer Dwight Rhoden and the legendary Desmond Richardson, Complexions’ accolades include The New York Times Critics’ Choice Award. It is one of the most recognized and respected performing arts brands in the world. They have performed their entirely new and exciting vision of human movement on 5 continents, over 20 countries, to over 20 million television viewers, and well over 300,000 people in live audiences. Complexions comes to the Eccles to perform their innovative program, STAR DUST: from Bach to Bowie.
July 10 – Upstate
The genre-blending band known for its harmonies and blend of rock, folk, R&B, gospel, and jazz influences include founding members Mary Webster, Melanie Glenn, Harry D’Agostino, and Dean Mahoney. Atwood Magazine praised the band: “With its warm soul-tinged folk core, strong pop sensibilities, and a taste for gorgeous harmony, Upstate are all too easy to fall in love with. Blending folk, R&B, gospel, rock, and jazz influences into an alluring … sonic identity, the band has garnered respectable comparisons to early Lake Street Dive and Phox—acts who, like Upstate, broke genre molds without missing a beat.” Count on what the group has always been known for: musicianship, harmony, and a “leave-it-all-up-there” show.
As a way of thanking our community, Park City Institute will offer free General Admission tickets (Rows K through W on the main floor and all seats in the balcony) on a first-come-first-served basis. Each household may receive up to four tickets. Rows A-J are reserved, and tickets may be purchased for $45.
“This concert is our way of thanking everyone who supported us during the past 15 months when we could not present any shows,” Ioannides said. “Without the support of our community, we would not be in a position to reopen and present this season.”
July 17 – Jocelyn and Chris Arndt
Their high-energy rock is backed with an undeniable sibling synergy that caught the attention of The Hollywood Reporter, Huffington Post, and Daily Mail. Jocelyn and Chris Arndt became a blues-rock duo after taking music lessons in elementary school. With Jocelyn on lead vocals and piano and Chris on lead and rhythm guitar, this pair quickly found their eclectic sound from a large mix of musical inspirations. Often compared to Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix, Jocelyn and Chris possess musical mastery well beyond their years. During their NBC’s Today Show performance, the duo was praised for “putting a millennial spin on classic rock.” They have also been featured at Sundance, Summerfest, SXSW, and many more festivals across the country. Both recent graduates of Harvard, the siblings managed to balance college life with performances from coast to coast, recordings with special featured guests, and three studio albums with a fourth slated to release within the next year. Get ready for an on-your-feet rock performance.
July 24 – Justin Moore
Chart-topping powerhouse Justin Moore proves that he’s still just the same country boy he’s always been on his stellar new album, ‘Late Nights and Longnecks.’ An Arkansas native who grew up idolizing Dwight Yoakam and Keith Whitley, Moore landed his first country #1 with “Small Town USA,” the breakout single off his 2009 self-titled debut. The record went platinum, as did its 2011 follow-up, ‘Outlaws Like Me,’ which yielded yet another #1 single with “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away.” In 2014, Moore landed the coveted New Artist of the Year trophy at the ACM Awards after releasing his critically acclaimed third album, ‘Off The Beaten Path.’ In 2016, he dropped ‘Kinda Don’t Care,’ his third consecutive #1 record. The New York Times hailed Moore as proof that “old forms can stand even stronger with injections of new ideas.” At the same time, Billboard celebrated his “down-home personality and wry sense of humor,” and Rolling Stone praised the “upbeat mix of contemporary country and honest twang that he perfected.” Moore’s songs have racked up more than a billion on-demand and programmed streams, and he performed everywhere from Kimmel to The Today Show in addition to headlining arenas and amphitheaters around the country. Expect a high-energy, boot-stomping performance.
After bringing down the house four years ago, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy returns to the Eccles Stage with their famous contemporary swing and New Orleans-tinged blues sound. Touring together for over 25 years, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy has sold out shows from the Hollywood Bowl to Lincoln Center. Not only does the band create a fun-filled, electric atmosphere, but they “perform with sincerity, style, and musicianship” (Variety). BBVD has shared its mission to celebrate and revitalize jazz music with audiences worldwide, with millions of records sold and massive commercial success. In the 1996 film Swingers, they appeared at the Super Bowl Halftime Show and played alongside the nation’s most prestigious symphony orchestras. Don’t miss the chance to hear that NOLA sound—you won’t be caught sitting still for long.
The five-time Grammy-winner and blues legend returns to the stage with his band, sharing their signature sound, which blends the blues with everything from pop to gospel. Cray has played to sold-out audiences all over the world. The band’s latest album, “That’s What I Heard,” was released in February 2020 and captured the band’s virtuosity and versatility. The Associated Press wrote, “Robert Cray and Steve Jordan continue their fruitful partnership on “That’s What I Heard”…The band’s sound explodes right out of the gate…[the album] expertly balances blues, R&B and soul…” Fans who have experienced Cray at the Eccles Center know there’s no better way to catch every note than in this intimate space.
August 14 – Stephanie Land
Part of the PCI Equity Initiative
New York Times Bestselling Author Stephanie Land’s debut memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive recounts her tale as a single mom, navigating the poverty trap. Her unflinching and inspiring testimony exposes the physical, economic, and social brutality that domestic workers face, all while radiating a parent’s hope and resilience. Land’s work clarifies the systemic class barriers and inequalities, dispelling the myth that poor people are responsible for their own predicament and need to try harder. Instead, Land reveals the real culprits of the situation: domestic violence, untenable minimum wages, high housing costs, and government assistance programs that fail the people they ostensibly serve. The book has been adapted for Netflix by John Wells, the showrunner behind ER and The West Wing. The series stars Margaret Qualley and just wrapped filming in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, and is expected to premiere later this year. In a thoughtful talk, Land will offer insights on what steps might right the wrongs of a system that seems built to reinforce—rather than alleviate—poverty.
August 21 – Marty Stuart
Country Music Hall of Fame musician Marty Stuart performs on the Eccles Center Stage for the first time. Stuart is a legendary country and bluegrass singer/songwriter with a rich, illustrious, experimental career. Stuart broke out as a solo artist in the early 1980s, after touring with Lester Flatt, and later in Johnny Cash’s road band, The release of his 2003 album Country Music, which included the breakout single “If There Ain’t There Oughta Be” as well as as a cover of Porter Wagoner’s “A Satisfied Mind,” caught the attention of Country Weekly who marveled, “It’s unusual for every song on a CD to be a standout, but that’s what you’ve got here.” Some of Stuart’s highest-charting songs include “Hillbilly Rock,” “Arlene,” and “The Whiskey Ain’t Workin’”; the latter of which Stuart co-wrote with Travis Tritt and won him his first Grammy. Marty Stuart’s career has spanned over 40 years, and with five Grammy wins to date, sixteen nominations, over twenty studio albums, and over thirty songs to hit the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. This acoustic show will span his entire discography, featuring his virtuoso mandolin work.
Tickets start at $39 for most shows, and Super Fan packages are available in the first 9 rows. All students in grades K-12, in the North Summit School District, South Summit School District, and Park City School District, receive $5.00 tickets. Discounts are available for teachers, veterans, and first responders. Tickets for all performances may be purchased online at parkcityinstitute.org or the Box Office 435-655-3114. Discounted tickets are available for purchase at the Box Office only.
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