Jackson Browne Returns to Steel Bridge Songfest

Jackson Browne (left) performs with pat mAcdonald at the culmination of 2006’s Steel Bridge Songfest. Photo by Dan Eggert.

Longtime Steel Bridge devotee and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Jackson Browne, will perform during this year’s Steel Bridge Songfest in Sturgeon Bay on June 16.

Browne performed at the first Steel Bridge Songfest in 2005 and returned every year through 2008. Since then, he has kept a rigorous worldwide touring schedule that also included two intimate house concerts at The Holiday Music Motel in 2010 and 2011.

Browne’s performance will take place in the parking lot of The Holiday Music Motel as part of the Steel Bridge festivities from 1 – 7 pm, which also includes performances by a host of acts primarily involved in the Construction Zone (the week-long songwriting/recording marathon preceding the weekend performances). Construction Zone 2013 will be the biggest yet, with over seventy songwriters attending.

General admission passes are required for Sunday’s outdoor performances at The Holiday (passes are not required for Saturday’s performances, which are free and open to the public). In case of rain, the concert will be moved to the Third Avenue Playhouse (TAP). Due to the limited seating of this venue, a special “rain insurance pass” is required to guarantee admission to the theater. If you have already purchased a general admission weekend pass and wish to upgrade to the “rain insurance pass,” you may do so by stopping by The Holiday Music Motel or by calling TicketStar at 920.494.3401. The general admission weekend pass will need to be returned in order for the rain insurance pass to be issued. There are only 250 passes available.

Further clarification about the rain insurance pass is best told in the words of pat mAcdonald, co-founder, Creative Director and event organizer: “Weather permitting, Jackson Browne and his band will perform in The Holiday Motel parking lot on June 16. In case of rain – and only if it rains – all performances, including Jackson’s, will be moved to the Third Avenue Playhouse. If you need absolute assurance, rain or shine, that you won’t miss anything – or if you’d just like to invest in the possibility of seeing Jackson Browne with his band and all the Steel Bridge artists in a cool little theater, then pay the extra $25 and rest easy.”

General Admission Weekend Passes will not be required for the outdoor daytime performances on June 15 at The Holiday Music Motel, but in the event of rain, Saturday’s festivities will also move to TAP where General Weekend Passes will be required. Rain Insurance Passes are only required to gain entry to TAP on June 16 in case of rain.

“Jackson has always been a huge help, but we’ve been thrilled to find that ticket sales are not solely driven by any one artist. Most of the people buying tickets are long-time devoted fans of the entire festival,” notes Steel Bridge organizer and Artist Liaison melaniejane notes. “Of course they’re wanting to see Jackson, too, and many have bought the rain insurance passes for that reason, but the fact that they are coming with the same spirit as in years past is a wonderful sign that the festival’s on the right track. It’s always been about discovering new original music.”

The rain insurance pass was added after the general admission weekend passes had already been made available when Steel Bridge organizers realized that the rain venue’s limited capacity could create major issues. “Of course, we wish we’d had this in place when the general admission passes were launched. As we’ve always had great weather in the past, it was more an afterthought. We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience this may have caused,” says Eric Leyendecker, SBSF organizer and event director, “but if it rains on Sunday, at least we know we’ll have 250 very happy people.”

For the latest news and announcements, visit http://www.facebook.com/SteelBridgeSongfest or http://www.SteelBridgeSongfest.org.