This year’s Concert at the Creek at Pebble Creek featured three bands with one charging up the crowd, one energizing them and the final one literally blowing the lid off the event!
Chris Hawkey was the headliner and halfway through his first song of the night, the concert area went dark and quiet when his huge sound and light show blew a breaker and halted the show.
Within minutes, the power was restored and Hawkey and his band resumed their playlist only to have the power go out again due to excessive voltage.
Pebble Creek Manager Troy Malo was surprised, since Hawkey came with the same setup he had from the previous year.
“We did have a minor power glitch,” said Malo. “We blew the breaker in the panel so had to replace it. We're going to upgrade to a larger breaker and should avoid any issues down the road.”
Malo was very pleased with the turnout and even more pleased with the volunteers and the support from local merchants.
“The event was a success again,” he said. “We had good numbers in attendance from the residents, great support from community members and businesses by way of financial support, and several people stepped up and volunteered to help out the night of the event.”
The concert venue was a 21-and-over event for adults only.
The event kicked off with Tim Mahoney playing for a little over an hour to the delight of the band’s followers. Mahoney, from Minnetonka, is highly-regarded in these areas for his covers of some of the most popular tunes heard on the radio today. He’s also well-known for his appearance on The Voice in 2011, where he made it to the battle-round stage before losing to 16-year-old Casey Weston.
Outside Recess is a rock 'n roll cover band from central Minnesota that plays a wide variety of high energy rock 'n roll from the 70's, 80's, 90's and today. The band is comprised of four teachers and a principal including Tom Uecker (vocals), Angie Beutz (keys/vocals), Chad Hammershmidt (lead guitar), Pat Kealy (lead guitar), Billy Fish (bass guitar) and Marty Kiebel (drums).
Chris Hawkey is a country artist from Ohio who now makes Minnesota his home. He is probably best known for being part of the PowerTrip radio show on KFAN in the Twin Cities. Hawkey has numerous solo records and has spent time on the Billboard National Country charts. His brand of music is loud and in your face and he really connects with the crowds with his playful banter.
Dozens of volunteers sported bright, neon-yellow shirts to help concert-goers find the food, drink or bathrooms throughout the night. Sandwiches, hot dogs, brats and snacks were served while several booths featured hard-liquor drinks as well as a variety of choices of ales and lagers for the beer-lovers.
Most guests brought their own chairs while dozens preferred to stand during the seven-hour event or dance to the music in front of the stage.
The weather was ideal with moderate temperatures and very few bugs (except the power, which didn’t seem to bother the listeners too much) and the event was deemed a huge success.
“All-in-all it was a great event for the community,” said Malo. “It seemed to be well received by the residents and those from outside the community who attended. People are respectful and responsible so it's really a fun night for everybody involved.”
Malo said — as of now — his plan is to hold the event again next year as long as the businesses and the public show their support. He says some people suggested he change the music lineup for the next year and Malo says he is considering it.
“However, I like the energy Mahoney, Outside Recess and Hawkey bring,” he says. “They seem to do a great job of engaging the crowd and just plain old having fun on the stage, that's what I like to see.”
