PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
April 2, 2015
Media Contact
Jane Gendron
(435) 640-3315
jgendron@jgendron.com
Park City Institute Announces
The 2015 Summer Season Line-Up
St. Regis Big Stars, Bright Nights
Concert Series at Deer Valley Resort
PARK CITY, UT – Park City Institute celebrates its 12th summer of presenting the St. Regis Big
Stars, Bright Nights concert series at Deer Valley Resort with its most dazzling line-up yet: 10
powerhouse concerts, ranging from alt-rockers Toad the Wet Sprocket to country star Lee Brice to
jazz trumpeter Chris Botti to the sizzling Esperanza Spalding… All concerts are slated to be held rain
or shine at Deer Valley Resort’s Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater. Early-bird tickets go on sale to
Park City Institute Members on Monday, April 6 at 10 a.m. (via phone and box office only).
Tickets are available for purchase by the general public on April 20. For information: 435-6553114 www.BigStarsBrightNightsConcerts.org
The 2015 Big Stars, Bright Nights Line-Up:
Toad the Wet Sprocket, Smash Mouth and Tonic
June 30, 2015
It’s a triple billing of chart-topping, California-bred, alt-rock bands. The folk-pop lyricism of Toad
the Wet Sprocket (named for an obscure Monty Python reference and fronted by Glen Phillips) is
best known for spawning runaway hits “Walk on the Ocean,” “All I Want” and “Fall Down.” Smash
Mouth continues its party – which hit full throttle in the late ’90s and 2000s – with surf/garagetinged pop, notably “All Star,” “Walkin’ on the Sun” and Shrek’s “I’m A Believer.” And the oh-sofantastically yearning Tonic delivers rootsy rock reflective of its Billboard toppers “If You Could
Only See” and “Take Me As I Am.” Three bands. Three interpretations of powerhouse rock.
Taste of “Treme:” Funky Meter, Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Lucia Micarelli
July 3, 2015
Let the good times roll. Crescent City-seasoned performers – all of whom contributed to the rich
score of HBO’s hit show “Treme” – spice up the night with blues, jazz, funk, rollicking horns and a
brazen violin. The Funky Meters, comprised of Art Neville and George Porter Jr., Brian Stoltz and
Russell Batiste Jr., blends rich, decades-honed musicianship with a distinctively N’leans’ groove.
Combining R&B, jazz, funk, Afro-Latino and Caribbean flavor, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band is
pure, musical jubilation. As The New York Times puts it, “[The Dirty Dozen’s] ability to be funky –
to play complex syncopated rhythms with carefree flair that automatically makes listeners want to get
up and dance – has never been in doubt.” And “mind blowingly talented” (Portland Examiner),
Lucia Micarelli – who, aside from an acting/musician gig as a violinist on “Treme,” has toured with
Josh Groban and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra – unleashes sizzling virtuosity that ventures into the
realms of jazz, classical, rock and beyond.
Warren Haynes with Gov’t Mule
July 16
One of Rolling Stones 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, Haynes’ prowess on the six-string has
garnered Grammy awards, a Lifetime Achievement nod – and plenty of jams. The Allman Brothers
alum and Gov’t Mule co-founder has also forged a solo path. He sings. He composes. He rocks. And
he’s slated to release a new album “Ashes to Dust” this summer. Celebrating 20 years, bluesinflected Gov’t Mule has hundreds of songs imprinted in those string-callused fingertips. It’s an
acoustic grab bag.
Easton Corbin with Parmalee
July 23, 2015
“A country music throwback with an easygoing, old-school style” (USA Today), Corbin crafts
authentic tunes with understated delivery. His No. 1 hit singles, “A Little More Country Than That”
and “Roll With It,” thrust the young, “molasses-voiced” (Washington Post) star into a beyond-thehonky-tonk spotlight. Since his debut (and earning 2010 American Country Awards “breakthrough
artist" honors), Corbin has quietly delivered solid hooks and lyrics in a guitar-driven outpouring of
“neo-traditional” country tunes – including a just-released third album. Bluegrass-inflected, charttopping (“Musta Had a Good Time”) country-rock band Parmalee – comprised of brothers Matt and
Scott Thomas, cousin Barry Knox and longtime friend Josh McSwain – opens the show.
Esperanza Spalding, Perla Batalla and Anna Wilson
July 30, 2015
Three women unleash a jaw-dropping triple billing of sizzling sets. Esperanza Spalding – “a spark
plug who dances as she grooves through a funked-up and rocked-out repertoire” (Billboard) – serves
up the soaring vocals and bass-playing chops that earned her Best New Artist Grammy in 2011 and a
tidal wave of critical acclaim. The prodigy-turned professional sings in English Portuguese and
Spanish and plays a mean funk, scat and improv with Brazilian- Latin- and African-inflected styles
added to the mix. With a “voice full of color and nuance” (Cosmopolitan), Perla Batalla blends
Latin, American, gypsy, gospel, folk and pop. Formerly a Leonard Cohen back-up singer, the
Grammy-nominated composer-vocalist casts a warm spell – there’s magical realism here alongside
American standards and Cohen tunes. Paying homage to her Mexican heritage, her rich and glorious
vocals seamlessly transition from English to Spanish and back. Nashville-inflected Anna Wilson
adds sultry vocals to the line-up. With “an inner metronome that swings wildly from age to age,”
(Jazz Times) this smooth chanteuse ventures from standards to “countrypolitan.” A prolific
songwriter (she’s penned tunes for Reba McEntire, Brooks & Dunn and Billy Ray Cyrus), her newest
album “Jazzbird/Songbird” sparkles with originals as well as covers ranging from Gershwin to
Fleetwood Mac.
Grace Potter and The Nocturnals
August 4, 2015
The Huffington Post proclaimed Grace Potter and The Nocturnals: “The best band you aren’t
listening to yet.” Not. For. Long. Grace and the gang revel in rowdy, bluesy rock reminiscent of the
’60s and ’70s. The singer-organist front woman – who Rolling Stone likened to Bonnie Raitt and
Janis Joplin and USA Today calls “the best female rock singer in the country right now” – dominates
the stage with pitch-perfect, electrifying vocals. While their albums shimmer with tight harmonies
and wickedly good song craft, live performance is this band’s hallmark.
Chris Botti and Joshua Bell
August 15, 2015
Matinee idol good looks meet out-of-this stratosphere musicianship. Grammy-winning jazz trumpeter
Botti and classical violinist Bell team up to deliver impassioned, ageless music. Botti has proved
over and over again that he is an exceptional balladeer – whether performing the “Star Spangled
Banner” in the New York Giants’ stadium (which brought an NFL player to tears) or captivating
audiences at the Blue Note Club. Bell, a prodigy who is considered “the greatest American violinist
active today” (The Boston Herald), has all the prestigious accolades of a superstar classical musician;
he also served as the incognito subway busking subject of Pulitzer Prize-winning Gene Weingarten
story about art and context. Both Botti and Bell have collaborated with A-list musicians; Botti has
shared the stage with Sting and Paul Simon while Bell has wielded his 18th century French bow
across the strings of his 1713 Stradivarius alongside Plácido Domingo and Alison Krauss. It’s a
double billing of musical brilliance.
The Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes and Tonino Baliardo
August 22, 2015
“The best thing to come out of Arles, France since Vincent Van Gogh,” according to People
magazine, this band of cousins – the Reyes and Baliardo families – blends Catalonian acoustic roots
of pop-flavored flamenco and salsa with a spicy mix of party-inducing world music influences. The
Grammy Award-winning hit-makers behind 'Bamboléo' have topped the charts for more than two
decades. And their reign is just beginning. Olé!
Continued…
Lee Brice
August 29, 2015
A former Clemson lineman and a legit country rocker, Brice has transitioned from Nashville’s go-to
songwriter (Garth Brooks' “More Than a Memory” and Tim McGraw's “Still” – among others) to a
chart-topping, CMA award-winning performer. “One of the finest singer-songwriters country music
has to offer right now,” according to USA Today, Brice can deliver a sweet love song and a good ol’
party song with equal aplomb. His hits – from “Hard to Love” and “I Don’t Dance” (penned for his
own wedding) to “I Drive Your Truck” and “Drinking Class” – this “sensitive macho man” (The New
York Times) puts on an unforgettable show, peppered with powerful ballads.
Aloe Blacc
September 6, 2015
“Hailed as an artist with vision and a songwriter with limitless potential,” (Billboard), Blacc brings
relevance to old-school soul. The rapper-turned-singer is best-known for delivering the stirring
vocals to Avicii’s worldwide smash “Wake Me Up.” He also created the Billboard-topping “I Need a
Dollar” (which became the theme song for HBO’s “How to Make it in America”) as well as the selfaffirming hit “The Man.” The oft fedora-sporting folk/pop/soul singer blends joyful tunes with eyeopening, poetic lyrics.
“Thanks to incredible support from St. Regis Deer Valley as well as individual sponsors and
businesses, we’ve been able to book a powerful season of tremendous artists – icons of the stage as
well as newer stars,” says PCI executive director Teri Orr. “As always, we can’t imagine a better spot
to present these big stars, than outdoors on the slopes of Deer Valley Resort.”
CONCERT DETAILS
All St. Regis Big Stars, Bright Nights concerts take place at Deer Valley Resort’s Snow Park
Outdoor Amphitheater. Shows start at 7 p.m. (gates open at 5:30 p.m.) As of 10 a.m. on April 6,
members may purchase lawn and reserved tickets as well as summer season punch cards
(available to members only) at the Box Office of The George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Center
for the Performing Arts (1700 Kearns Blvd., Park City) or via phone at 435-655-3114. Tickets go
on sale to the general public on April 20 and will be available at the box office, via phone, online
and at several partner locations.
Gates open 90-minutes before show time. Coolers are permitted and a nine-inch chair height
restriction (i.e. you shouldn't be able to roll a basketball under the seat) is enforced. Concerts will
be held rain or shine.
2015 Line-Up & Pricing
Toad the Wet Sprocket, Smash Mouth and Tonic
June 30, 2015
Lawn seating: $40
Reserved seating: $55 and $75
Taste of “Treme:” Funky Meter, Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Lucia Micarelli
July 3, 2015
Lawn seating: $40
Reserved seating: $55 and $75
Warren Haynes with Gov’t Mule
July 16
Lawn seating: $40
Reserved seating: $55 and $75
Easton Corbin with Parmalee
July 23, 2015
Lawn seating: $40
Reserved seating: $55 and $75
Esperanza Spalding, Perla Batalla and Anna Wilson
July 30, 2015
Lawn seating: $40
Reserved seating: $55 and $75
Grace Potter and The Nocturnals
August 4, 2015
Lawn seating: $40
Reserved seating: $55 and $75
Chris Botti and Joshua Bell
August 15, 2015
Lawn seating: $45
Reserved seating: $65 and $85
The Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes and Tonino Baliardo
August 22, 2015
Lawn seating: $45
Reserved seating: $65 and $85
Lee Brice
August 29, 2015
Lawn seating: $40
Reserved seating: $55 and $75
Aloe Blacc
September 6, 2015
Lawn seating: $45
Reserved seating: $65 and $85
***
Upcoming Eccles Center Performances
and Park City Institute Events:
Mummenschanz - April 4, 2015
The Hot Sardines - April 11, 2015
An Evening with Neil Gaiman- April 18, 2015
Alonzo King LINES Ballet - April 25, 2015
* Please contact Jane Gendron for interview requests, review tickets and press information,
jgendron@jgendron.com or 435-640-3315.
ENTERTAINING, EDUCATING AND ILLUMINATING SINCE 1998
Park City Institute is a non-profit organization, dedicated to bringing world-class performances and
new ideas to the community. Since 1998, PCI has presented internationally renowned and cutting
edge musicians, actors, authors, comedians, dancers, speakers and film at The George S. and
Dolores Doré Eccles Center for the Performing Arts (a joint-use facility with the Park City School
District). The organization will present its 11th season of headliner concerts at Deer Valley Resort in
the summer of 2014. PCI is dedicated to introducing young people to the arts through free student
outreach workshops, shows and demonstrations. They proudly launched the Mega Genius Supply
Store and IQ HQ - an after school literacy program and very thinky retail store - in January 2010.
And the organization continues to illuminate with TEDx events, Curiosities evenings and the Park
City Institute / Strategic News Service Future in Review Speaker Series.
###