Well, the wait is finally over for everyone wanting to know who is coming to The Villages Amphitheater in Fayetteville this year. The 2009 “Southern Ritz/Classic Hits” series lineup presented by Mercedes Benz of South Atlanta was officially announced today, and will offer a healthy mixture of current and classic artists.

Kicking off the season on May 9 are classic Southern rockers, The Marshall Tucker Band, who will offer up their down-home blend of rock, country, and jazz as they perform their classic hits, “Can’t You See”, “Take the Highway”, and “Heard it in a Love Song”.

On June 20, Fayetteville will welcome the #4 finalist of American Idol’s season 2, Josh Gracin. Gracin won over the hearts of millions with his smooth country voice and also with his personal story of serving in the Marine Corps. He will be performing his hits, “Nothin’ to Lose”, “Stay With Me”, and “I Want to Live”.

July 11 brings country music superstar Randy Travis to The Villages stage. Travis turned the country music world upside down in the mid-1980’s when he brought back the classic sounds of an earlier generation. He’ll be treating the fans to a night of elegant country and gospel favorites from his vast catalog of hits.

Aug. 1 will be a night to relive some fun memories with the 1960’s pop group, Gary Lewis & the Playboys. Gary promises to bring an exciting and energetic show with such classics as “This Diamond Ring”, “Count Me In”, and “Save Your Heart For Me”.

Finishing out the month and the series is the pop-country trio SHeDAISY on Aug. 29. Over the last decade, SHeDAISY has released four Top-10 Country albums, and were often spotted last summer in their commercials for Sleep Number mattresses. Their exhilarating live performances will be a memorable closing to the season when they perform their top-10 hits, “Little Good-Byes”, “I Will…But”, and “Don’t Worry About a Thing”.

Brian Wismer, amphitheater manager and Main Street director for the city of Fayetteville, explained the selection process.

“We received a large number of customer surveys from last year. The surveys allowed patrons to select their top choices of who they wanted to see, and we used that as our main guide. We also assessed which genre of performers typically generated the most interest and tried to capitalize on that as well.”

Only one month into the manager’s position, Wismer had to move quickly to put together this year’s lineup.

”We already knew that our loyal patrons were used to a December announcement, so we really strove to create an exciting lineup for them as quickly as possible,” said Wismer. “We were fortunate that most of our top picks were available on the dates we were considering.”

Series ticket renewals begin Wednesday, Feb. 4, and will be a flat price of $150 for reserved seats, and $120 for lawn tickets. A select number of tables for eight are available for $2,000. Series ticket holders will have a pre-sale opportunity for additional tickets to individual shows at that time as well. Series tickets will be available to the general public on Mar. 9 and offer a savings of 20-30 percent from individual ticket prices. Tickets to individual concerts will go on sale Mar. 23, and range from $30 to $35 for lawn tickets, and $35-$40 for reserved seating. Tables for eight are $500 ($62.50/person). All tickets are sold at the Historic Train Depot in downtown Fayetteville. You can also download an order form at www.villagesamphitheater.com. For sponsorships and other info, please call 770-719-4173.

The Villages Amphitheater is owned by the Downtown Development Authority and managed by the Main Street Tourism Association of Fayetteville.

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