It’s going to be a showdown between Night Ranger’s “Sister Christian” and Confederate Railroad’s “Queen of Memphis.” The two bands will be sharing the amphitheater stage on Saturday, Feb. 15 at Marathon Community Park. The gates open at noon, with the headliners taking the stage later in the evening.
This is the latest installment of the Coral Head Music Festival that raises funds for a variety of veterans’ charities such as Project Vet Relief. It is organized by the local chapter of the Riders of Post 154 Marathon.
Organizer Rich Anderson said he’s hard pressed to guess at what might be the favorite part of the evening.
“I love all the bands. This is going to be a killer show all the way through,” Anderson said. “It’s a great show from start to finish.”
Joining Night Ranger and Confederate Railroad will be a mix of other acts. The Taylor King band is from Key Largo. Southern Blood is out of Fort Lauderdale. Caffeine Carl and The Buzz are, of course, from Key West and big favorites down that way.
“This will be the first time Night Ranger has ever performed in the Florida Keys, so that’s a big deal,” Anderson said.
Almost as important as the music itself are the incredible fundraising raffles happening in the tents around the field. Folks can bid on rock-star autographed guitars, a cooler of booze, an assortment of items donated by the founder of Easy Rider Magazine and even a chance to win a vintage Corvette autographed by Jay Leno. That drawing will take place later in the year, on Veterans Day.
But on the day of the concert, someone is going to win a restored-to-original 1965 Harley Davidson Electra Glide (Pan Head) motorcycle. Raffle tickets are $100 each and only 500 will be sold. The winner need not be present to win, and the drawing will be broadcast live on Facebook.
“The restoration was done by George Marakas of K&G Cycles in Florida City. It’s a beautiful bike,” Anderson said.
Admission to the one-day concert is $27 in advance at coralheadmusicfest.com or $35 at the gate. There are only a few VIP tickets left at $150 apiece. General admission guests should bring a blanket or lawn chair. No coolers, but beer and wine will be available for sale.
SCHEDULE
1 p.m. – TAYLOR KING BAND
2:45 p.m. – SOUTHERN BLOOD
4:30 p.m. – CAFFEINE CARL & THE BUZZ
6:45 p.m. – CONFEDERATE RAILROAD
9 p.m. – NIGHT RANGER
[ROCK] Night Ranger, a rock band from San Francisco formed circa 1979, is best known for its power ballad “Sister Christian,” which peaked at No. 5 in 1984. The band’s first five albums sold more than 10 million copies worldwide and the band has sold 17 million albums total.
[COUNTRY] Confederate Railroad’s best-known song is a tie between “Trashy Women”and “Queen of Memphis.” The Georgia band has released six studio albums, and 18 of its singles have hit the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.
