Roanoke, VA / March 8, 2023 – Dr Pepper Park at the Bridges in Downtown Roanoke adds its 5th show to the Northwest Ace Summer Concert Series this season. KIX makes their way to Dr Pepper Park on Saturday, May 27th ,2023. Regional original rock artists, Red Reign will be opening the show after taking a year off to produce new music.
Nathan Overstreet, Operations Manager of Northwest Ace commented, “We love sponsoring a concert series that brings our community together to enjoy great live music!” President of Dr Pepper Park, Waynette Anderson stated, “Rockers in the region have supported Dr Pepper Park since day one. We try to create balance in our schedule to match the demand of our Dr Pepper Park family. KIX puts on a high energy rock show that will thrill the audience! We can’t wait to bring an action-packed season to a community we love so much!”
The people know what’s best. Platinum-selling, hard rock icons KIX heed the audience’s call. At every live show, and with every new release, KIX raises the bar higher – not only for themselves, but also for their rock band peers. Steve Whiteman [vocals], Brian “Damage” Forsythe [guitar], Ronnie “10/10” Younkins [guitar], Jimmy “Chocolate” Chalfant [drums] and Mark Schenker [bass] continue to deliver their signature brand of raucous, roaring, and real rock ‘n’ roll. KIX was founded in 1978 in Hagerstown, Maryland, and after slugging it out as a local band, they were signed to Atlantic Records in 1981. Their self-titled debut album was released the same year, and featured concert-favorites like “The Itch,” “Heartache,” and traditional KIX showcloser “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah,” which is now incomplete without an originally unique ad-lib performance by Whiteman. Their second album, Cool Kids yielded “Body Talk,” and the ballad, “For Shame.” KIX then partnered with producer Beau Hill (Ratt, Warrant) to create the powerhouse album Midnite Dynamite, released in 1985, which yielded another concert favorite, “Cold Shower.” When the members of KIX traveled to Los Angeles in early
1988 to begin recording Blow My Fuse, they knew that the album could make or break the band. And sure enough, upon its release in September of 1988, Blow My Fuse outperformed its predecessors. A video for the song “Cold Blood” dominated MTV’s popular “Dial MTV” program for so long that the network was forced to change the show’s rules to knock KIX out of the top slot. “We had diehard fans who felt that our success was long overdue,” says Whiteman. “They all felt compelled to call in and vote every damn day.” Blow My Fuse was certified Gold. Then, “Don’t Close Your Eyes” was released, and it peaked at #11 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, propelling the album to platinum status. Blow My Fuse cemented KIX as one of the Eighties’ preeminent hard rock acts. “That album gave us a legacy. And something to stand on,” says Whiteman. “It’s the reason we were able to come back and still do this. I’m convinced of that.”
Tickets went on sale Friday, March 10th at 8am. With the season Dr Pepper Park has lined up, season passes are the best option to save money. The season pass gives you access to every Dr Pepper Park event in 2023. Season passes are available for general admission, PIT access, and the VIP Skybox. New this year, Dr Pepper Park is offering payment plans, making season passes affordable for all. Event information, season passes, and tickets can be found at www.DrPepperPark.com.
