Festival tickets are hot sellers

SANDPOINT — Festival director Dyno Wahl cannot go anywhere these days without being asked if there are tickets left for the Ziggy Marley concert.

“Every where I go people ask me if Ziggy is sold out,” she said.

Rumor has it that the concert is sold out, but that is not true, Wahl said. The Festival still has between 800 and 900 tickets available for the reggae performer’s Friday, Aug. 15 concert.

The Festival’s concert series opens Thursday, Aug. 7 ands run through Aug. 17.

Tickets for four acts are selling quite well and are “running neck and neck,” Wahl said.

This is a bit different than last year when the sale of Lyle Lovett tickets far outpaced other performers. Lovett’s concert sold out before the series began, while Los Lobos came close to selling out.

Those performers with the most sales (in order of most tickets sold) include Super Saturday with the Richie Furay Band, Marshall Tucker Band and Pure Prairie League, followed by Ziggy Marley, Smokey Robinson and Wynonna.

Super Saturday’s ‘70s-era music seems to be a hit — perhaps because it will be a walk down memory lane for so many people, Wahl said.

“I think we really struck a chord with what people like around here,” she said.

One woman who purchased tickets to the Super Saturday event Wednesday told Wahl that she had attended a Marshall Tucker concert in the 1970s and had a great time.

“I think maybe people have great memories of seeing them before,” Wahl said.

All four shows will potentially sell out, she said.

Tickets have not sold as well for Brett Dennen and Donavon Frankenreiter (Aug. 8), but that may because the performers appeal to a younger set who do not tend to purchase concert tickets until the last moment, Wahl said.

The same audience that enjoyed Nickel Creek also should enjoy this concert.

Dennen has opened for Sheryl Crow, John Mayer and Dave Matthews and won fans at festival’s like Bonaroo and Bumbershoot.

You may not be familiar with Donavon Frankenreiter, but if you listen to local or contemporary radio, chances are you have heard “Free” or “It Don’t Matter.” His debut album was released on Brushfire Recordings, run by his friend — surfer and musician Jack Johnson.

“He’s even a little funkier and livelier than Jack Johnson,” Wahl said.

The Festival will host a second free movie night — this year featuring the second half of Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival.

It will feature free kettle corn and drinks sponsored by Coca Cola. Festival street will not be open, but people can bring in own food .

About 300 people attended last year’s movie, which did not have ticket takers or lines. “We just leave the front gate open,” Wahl said.