Second annual Red, White & Blue Concert on tap

Longtime local architect Larry Abell is accustomed to providing the blueprints for buildings designed to last an extended duration and now he is among the primary organizers for the Red, White & Blue Music Festival, which is still in its infant stages but among the budding popular Memorial Day destinations in the Southern Maryland area.

“Last year’s event was a big success and we believe that this year it will be even bigger,” Abell said. “It’s something that people can attend and enjoy. And the nine local bands that are performing live on Saturday are donating their time and their talents for this performance because they wanted to do their part to honor fallen heroes and honor the memory of so many who have died in combat.”

The nine bands slated to perform on Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. and include Ocean King-Tim Ramsey, Chillhaven, Topside, Rob Cord, Mike Trujillo, the Tim Elder Band, the Runaway Guns, shallowDeep and HydraFX. All nine bands have genuine Southern Maryland ties and Abell is appreciative of their talents and willingness to dedicate their time.

“Memorial Day is the time to honor all of the veterans who were lost in combat and pay tribute to what they gave in order for all of us to enjoy our freedoms,” Abell said. “But it’s also a day for families and friends of those veterans to share their memories with one another. The bands that perform at this concert give their time to help make the occasion that much more fun and enjoyable for everyone that can attend.”

Ocean King-Tim Ramsey will take the stage at 10 a.m. for 30 minutes each then both Chillhaven and Topside will perform for an hour apiece at 11 am and noon, respectively, then solo acts Rob Cord and Mike Trujillo will each perform for 30 minutes. Then the Tim Elder Band, the Runaway Guns, shallowDeep and Hydra FX will then cap the occasion by each performing for an hour with the show slated to end at 10 p.m.

“It’s really a great start to the weekend for a lot of people that will be in the area for Memorial Day,” Abell said. “These bands represent Southern Maryland and they’re more than willing to do their part to honor the memory of our fallen heroes, which is at the center of the Memorial Day weekend celebration. It’s basically an entire day of music from our great local musicians who are donating their time for this event.”