As graduations come to a close, the celebrations begin, and for those who enjoy celebrating by attending a good concert, the Virginia Arts Festival has just the ticket: Williamsburg Live, the weekend-long outdoor event that offers a blend that includes country, rock and a tribute to one of the most successful pop bands of all time.
Williamsburg Live spans from Friday through Sunday, with the concerts at a location that’s just as historic as one would expect from the area: the lawn of the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.
The event kicks off with The Concert: A Tribute to ABBA, a group which, per its website, “continues to be the top ABBA tribute group in the world, dazzling with their fantastic performance while playing the most iconic hits from ABBA.” While that may be the sort of thing one would expect a group to say about itself, the internet offers a plethora of reviews praising its performance and presentation.
“Their voices, crystal perfect, and their harmonies, exactly in step with the ABBA sound,” wrote Chris Daniels on “The Show Report.”
“Having lived through the 70’s and having committed to memory all of ABBA's songs, I can attest to the fact that The Concert was spot on, almost indistinguishable to the original … and that’s not an easy thing for me to say.”
On Saturday, The Band Perry headlines the evening, with Celeste Kellogg opening. Although still arguably an up-and-comer, Kellogg has found fame on Music Row, thanks to singles such as “Country Swagger” and “There’s a Beach Somewhere.” Shania Twain added the latter track to her Spotify playlist of “Kick Ass Women of Country Music,” while the videos for both songs found their way onto CMT’s “Next Up Now.”
Country fans will already be well aware of The Band Perry, given that their 2010 self-titled debut LP went platinum and the follow-up, 2013’s “Pioneer,” topped the Billboard Country Albums chart, with the band scoring three No. 1 hits: “If I Die Young,” “All Your Life” and “Better Dig Two.”
Sunday brings Williamsburg Live to a conclusion with a performance by some true rock and roll legends: The Beach Boys, who are stopping by as part of their Sounds of Summer tour. The current lineup of the band features founding member Mike Love, longtime member Bruce Johnston, and musical director Brian Eichenberger, alongside instrumentalists Christian Love, Tim Bonhomme, Jon Bolton, Keith Hubacher, Randy Leago and John Wedemeyer.
As one of the band’s first performances since the recent passing of Brian Wilson, founding member and the genius behind the iconic “Pet Sounds” album, it’s reasonable to expect a few poignant moments, but they’ll be surrounded by so many classic Beach Boys hits that it’ll be hard to keep from smiling.
“Brian Wilson wasn’t just the heart of The Beach Boys—he was the soul of our sound,” Love wrote on Instagram in the wake of Wilson’s June 11 death. “From the first time we sang together as kids in my living room, I knew there was something otherworldly in him. His musical gifts were unmatched. The melodies he dreamed up, the emotions he poured into every note—Brian changed the course of music forever.”
Gates open at 5:30 p.m., with performances kicking off at 7:30. Tickets are on sale online at vafest.org, by phone at 757-282-2822, or in person at the Virginia Arts Festival box office, 440 Bank St., Norfolk.
