Atlantic City’s Mardi Gras Concert Series Offers Free Entertainment

Entertainment is not for the poor man these days. The cost of a game with parking and food and beverage included? Prohibitive for many. Big name concerts? Forget it.

When the guy who wrote “Johnny 99” with lines like “I got debts no honest man can pay” has the audacity to allow dynamic pricing you know there’s a problem. Next week there’s a Fleetwood Mac tribute band playing Stone Pony and I saw tickets for $54. For a tribute band. Which really is another easy of saying a cover band with a gimmick.

So when free concerts are announced maybe we should all be interested.

Atlantic City is bringing back their Mardi Gras on the Boardwalk for the summer. They’ve announced their lineup for the free concert series so take note to the dates reported by NJ.com.

June 24: Tony Mart Allstars Superstar Rock Tribute featuring Billy Walton, Patty Balbo, Danny Eyer, Patty Blee and others

July 1: Ana Popovic and her Fantastafunk big band

July 8: Tab Benoit with special guest Sgt. Splendor

July 15: Shemekia Copeland, a five-time Grammy nominee

July 22: George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners, with John “Papa” Gros in a tribute to Billy Preston, Allen Toussaint and Levon Helm

July 29: Mitch Ryder joins the Tony Mart Allstars

Aug. 3: Gary U.S. Bonds & the Houserockers, with Anthony Krizan

Aug. 5: Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience

Aug. 10: Tommy Castro & the Painkillers

Aug. 12: Ivan Neville and Dumpstaphunk perform songs from Sly & the Family Stone

Aug. 17: Dana Fuchs, with Funktastic Voyage

Aug. 19: Booker T. Jones, with the Billy Walton Band and the Plaid Salmon Horns

Aug. 24: Allman Brothers’ Live at Fillmore East celebration featuring Melody Trucks, Vaylor Trucks, the Fitzkee Brothers, Peter Levin and Lamar Williams

Aug. 26: Dead Zep featuring Hayley Jane

Sept. 2: “Love TKO,” a Teddy Pendergrass tribute featuring original band members

Shows are held at Kennedy Plaza in the Atlantic City Boardwalk at 7 p.m. and you need to bring your own chairs.

Travel back in time to a colorized Atlantic City circa 1919

Atlantic City was once considered 'America's Playground,' one of the most popular destinations along the eastern seaboard. This video shows what the boardwalk looked like during its peak. These are some standout screengrabs.

Gallery Credit: Joe Votruba

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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LOOK: Most common domestic destinations from Atlantic City International Airport

Stacker compiled a list of the most common domestic flights from Atlantic City International using data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

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