EDWARDSVILLE - The historic Wildey Theater in downtown Edwardsville, in keeping with its tradition of bringing top-notch acts to its intimate setting, will present Band of Friends, a tribute band to the late Rory Gallagher, a long-time St. Louis favorite, to the state on Saturday, Sept. 12, in a show set to begin at 8 p.m.
The band features two men who were longtime players with Gallagher, a well-known electric blues guitarist and singer from Cork, Ireland, who died in 1995, in Gerry McAvoy, who played on all of Gallagher's recording sessions, and Bendan O'Neill, who was his drummer.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
Ticket sales have been very brisk for the show, but are still available, and fans who are considering attending are being urged to buy their tickets as soon as possible in order to avoid disappointment.
"We've sold a good number of tickets, but we still have a good number available," said Wildey general manager Al Canal.:"We have 325 seats, and all of our seats are about 50 feet from the stage. It's probably the best place in the Midwest to see a concert."
Canal said that many people from around the area, the region, and even across the nation have come to see shows at the Wildey. Many music fans have come from Chicago to the north, Carbondale to the south, from all over the St. Louis area and Southwest Missouri, among other areas, to attend concerts from all sorts of musical genres in a very intimate setting. Seats are very comfortable, with plenty of legroom, and also have cup holders for various beverages that fans may purchase during the shows.
"The only bad seat is the one you didn't get," Canal said with a laugh, "because you waited too long."
Gallagher to this day enjoys a wide-following in the St. Louis area to this day, with his music being played regularly on local radio stations. Born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland in 1948 and raised in Cork, Gallagher was a man of many musical talents, playing various instruments such as his specialty, the electric guitar. His biggest musical influence was famous blues artist Muddy Waters, and was also influenced by Woody Guthrie, Big Bill Broonzy and Leadbelly. After touring with various bands in his youth, Gallagher then went solo, and found success with various albums, and became a popular worldwide artist, touring around the world regularly, including many stops in St. Louis. Gallagher died from complications of a liver transplant in London in 1995, aged 47.
Canal attended one of Gallagher's St. Louis shows, and is very excited to present the tribute band on the Wildey stage.
"I'm a big Rory Gallagher fan," Canal said. "I got to see him live, and that's one of the reasons why I'm so excited to be able to bring the show to the Wildey."
When asked why he thought that Gallagher still had a very loyal following in St. Louis 25 years after his passing, Cana has many more good things to say about him.
"He's a unique guitar player, a unique performer," Canal said. "When you heard his voice and his guitar riff, you knew it was him."
Canal is also hoping that he's going to be able to relax and enjoy the show as well.
"It's really nice to have a tribute show with people who actually played with him," Canal said, "and I'm so very much looking forward to the show. I'm actually hoping to sit down and enjoy the show instead of running around and working," he also said with a laugh.
Canal also encouraged concert-goers to made a complete evening of the event, and dine at local restaurants before the show to support local businesses, who have been hurt very badly by the current COVID-19 pandemic.
"I'm asking people to make an evening of it," Canal said, "go to dine at restaurants beforehand and help support the local businesses that are struggling right now.
For ticket and show information, or to purchase tickets, please call the Wildey ticket office at (618) 307-1750, or by logging on to the theater's website, www.wildeytheater.com.
