CARBONDALE, Ill. (KFVS) - The first concert on Carbondale’s Robbie Stokes Memorial Stage took place on Thursday, June 25.
According to the city, The Way Down Wanderers headlined the concert.
The event celebrated both the opening of the new downtown stage at the New Era Events Plaza and the legacy of Robbie Stokes.
Organizers described Stokes as a beloved musician, sound engineer, mentor and champion of southern Illinois music.
According to the city, the concert began earlier than the traditional Sunset Concert start time, with activities beginning at 6:30 p.m.
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Representatives from the city and the Stokes family were there to give remarks before the performances began.
Southern Illinois singer and songwriter Jeremy Todd was the opening act at the annual Sunset Concert series.
“It is a tremendous honor for the 47th Annual Sunset Concert to be the first concert held at New Era Plaza and the Robbie Stokes Memorial Stage,” Tena Bennett, assistant vice chancellor for Auxiliary Enterprises & Student Affairs at SIU Carbondale, said in a news release. “We are excited to partner with the City and the Park District on this inaugural event and to help launch what we know will become a treasured gathering place for our community for years to come.”
Todd said performing on the Robbie Stokes Memorial Stage carries special significance.
“As someone who has been around the Southern Illinois music scene for the better part of the last 20 years, playing in bands like Forgetting Paris, Clocktower Showdown, and Run Kid Run, it’s hard to overstate what an honor it is to perform on the Robbie Stokes Memorial Stage,” he said in the news release. “Robbie helped build the kind of music community that allows artists like myself to dream a little bigger and have a community here of like-minded dreamers. I’m grateful to be even a small part of that legacy.”
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The new stage is located at 200 S. Washington Street.
The concert was free and open to the public. All ages were welcome.
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