PBPulse.com Stage: The northernmost (and largest) stage, located on the lawn behind the old library (i.e. between Clematis and Datura Streets) is now sponsored by a new entertainment website just launched by The Palm Beach Post, on account of its old banking sponsor being one of the early casualties of the current financial crisis.
Tire Kingdom Stage: This is the current Sunfest name for the Meyer Amphitheater, located between Datura and Evernia Streets.
Coors Light Stage: This is the southernmost (and smallest) of the main stages.
So now for my personal Sunfest picks, listed day-by-day:
Wed. April 29th -- Day 1:
311 (PBPulse Stage, 9:15 p.m.) -- I was never much of a fan of '90s alternative rock, but this reggae/rock outfit is one of the bands for which I make an exception. This is the headlining act for Sunfest's opening night.
Thurs. April 30th -- Day 2:
Black Finger (PBPulse Stage, 5:30 p.m.) -- Since I reviewed their 2008 release, Black Finger Forever, this Lake Worth Americana/indie band has parted ways with my friend Bill Meredith, their former drummer, but his work can be heard on their most recent release, 2009's Where's My Parade?
Risa Palmer (PBPulse Stage, 7:15 p.m.) -- I must admit I'm more familiar with the name of this artist than I am with her music. But I think I'll stick around after Black Finger to check her out, especially since next up on that stage is...
James Taylor (PBPulse Stage, 8:45 p.m.) -- Sweet Baby James makes his Sunfest debut, much to the delight of fans of his brand of acoustic fingerpicking and mellow singer-songwriter fare.
Fri. May 1st -- Day 3:
The Nouveaux Honkies (Tire Kingdom Stage, 7:15 p.m.) -- My friend Ginny Meredith, violinist and fiddler around town, assures me that this local band is pretty cool, so I may just have to check them out.
Collective Soul (Coors Light Stage, 9:00 p.m.) -- This Georgia-based quintet has strung together a number of hits over the years, notably "December", "Run", "Better Now" and "The World I Know".
Sat. May 2 -- Day 4:
Tonic (PBPulse Stage, 2:00 p.m.) -- To be honest, I only know one song by these guys, "If You Could Only See", which is the one song by these guys that everybody else knows, so I probably don't have to get to this show early.
Sly And Robbie (Coors Light Stage, 3:00 p.m.) -- I have the opposite problem with this legendary reggae rhythm-section/production team. From the late '70s through the present day, Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare have been responsible in one way for some of the most classic grooves in reggae, and have worked with artists as varied as Black Uhuru, No Doubt and Bob Dylan. Needless to say, even their tuning up should sound groovy.
Gin Blossoms (PBPulse Stage, 4:00 p.m.) -- In the '90s, if your band didn't sound like Nirvana, it probably sounded like these guys, the main purveyors of that catchy-but-mopey rock that came to symbolize the non-grunge portion of that decade's music. But popmeister Marshall Crenshaw did pen "Till I Hear It from You" with them, so it wasn't all pointless angst.
UB40 (Tire Kingdom Stage, 9:00 pm) -- A high-school reunion will keep me from seeing this latest incarnation of the veteran two-tone English reggae band. This group was always better than the purists thought they were, especially in concert. But its original lead singer Ali Campbell is no longer with the group, leaving brother Robin Campbell and his other bandmates to fend for themselves. I've heard that another English reggae artist Maxi Priest has been touring with them as frontman; will he be doing so on Saturday night?
Sun. May 3 -- Day 5:
The Pretty Faces (Coors Light Stage, 12:30 p.m.) -- What promises to be my favourite day at Sunfest this year will start off with a bang. These New Wave garage-rockers put on an energetic show, so come cheer on their large-stage debut. (For more on The Pretty Faces, please consult the article "Pretty Faces in the Palm Beaches" on the main Type M page)
Cerveza (PBPulse.com Stage, 12:15 p.m.) -- If they weren't playing at virtually the same time as The Pretty Faces and at the other end of Sunfest, I would want to re-visit the ska-punk band whose foot-stomping fans threatened to sink the Captain Morgan barge upon which they played their Sunfest gig last year.
B-Liminal (PBPulse.com Stage 2:00 p.m.) -- This popular reggae/rock band is comprised of alumni of former local favourites Doorway 27 and Boxelder.
Shauna Sweeney & Friends (Coors Light Stage, 3:45 p.m.) -- This talented singer/songwriter performs up and down Lake Ave. in Lake Worth and elsewhere in South Florida, mostly as a solo artist or with fellow guitarist Jason Montero. But for her Sunfest appearance she'll have in addition to Jason the following musicians: Ben Seffer on lead guitar and mandolin , Chris Bonelli on bass , Brett Segal on drums and Shaen Huser on percussion.
Matt Nathanson (Coors Light Stage, 6:15 p.m.) -- Before Yahoo! Music was swallowed up by Rhapsody, my personalized streaming station used to recommend this adult-alternative artist to me all the time, and I always liked the selections.
The Steve Miller Band (PBPulse.com Stage, 7:30 p.m.) -- The '70s rockers put on a great show last time they performed at Sunfest, so they should do so again this time around.
The Paul Green School of Rock (YouthPark Stage, Fri. 5:30-8:30, Sat. 6:30-8:30, Sun. 4:30-8:30) -- These kids rock! Musicians ranging in ages from 7-16 from the local franchise of The Paul Green School of Rock will be performing selections from their recent concerts, featuring material from The Beatles, AC/DC and Pink Floyd. They may be young in age but they're certainly not lacking in talent, so drop by for a few songs and prepare to be pleasantly surprised.