Beatlemania Now to headline Bradenton Area River Regatta concert

MANATEE -- If you are a Beatles fan and aren't sure a tribute band can match the realism of the legendary leaders of the 1960s British Invasion, Paul McCartney offered his opinion to one of his own concert promoters.

"I've promoted concerts for both Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr and talked to Paul awhile back about Beatlemania Now," said concert promoter and talent provider Rich Engler. "He said he was able to see them one time and thought they were incredible. He said it was quite an honor to him."

And the Beatlemania Now concert is free for those attending the Bradenton Area River Regatta on Feb. 6.

"People are paying $50 to $60 in New York and other major cities, so the fact that we are bringing them down there for free is absolutely phenomenal," Engler said in an interview from Pittsburgh, Pa. "We'll have a state-of-the-art sound system and a spectacular stage we are bringing in."

Beatlemania Now is North America's No. 1 Beatles tribute band. They regularly play in Las Vegas and their home base of Atlantic City, N.J.

"They only tour a certain number of dates and we got them coming in for this," said regatta organizer ISM-USA president Mike Fetchko. "What's unique about them is they do three costume changes a show for each era of the Beatles and have a huge video board that plays images of the Beatles."

Due to time constraints, the Beatlemania Now performance will coincide with the start of contemporary Christian star Brandon Heath's concert in Palmetto. Both shows begin at 4:30 p.m.

The Del Couch Foundation will once again organize local and regional talent to play in Bradenton throughout the day beginning at 11 a.m. Fetchko said he is trying to secure Bradenton's own "American Idol" star Sam Woolf, who opened for last year's headliner Jefferson Starship.

In Palmetto, Woodland, Bayside and Bridge churches are working to organize local and regional Christian talent to begin playing at 11 a.m. up until Heath takes the stage at 4:30 p.m. Like Beatlemania Now, Fetchko said Heath's concert will feature a state-of-the art stage system for optimal viewing and experience. As such, the concert venue will be moved from Sutton Park to across from Regatta Point to accommodate the stage.

Heath's promoter, Creative Arts Agency, "is really orchestrating a big platform for Heath's appearance," said Fetchko. It Works! Global is the official sponsor of the Heath concert, which will be free.

"I've been doing shows for 40 years and promoted more than 5,000 shows, including Paul and Ringo," said Engler. "ISM-USA is one of the top event managers in the country that I deal with, so I sat them down and told them we had an opportunity for these performers."

Engler signed Jefferson Starship for last year's concert and said he's proud to be a part of such a great event.

"We wanted a great family act and Heath is another one who draws anywhere from 7,000 to 10,000 people a show," said Engler. "The fact that your two cities on the Manatee River will be hosting these two great events for free is phenomenal."

Food, transportation, fun

Fetchko said the regatta will feature more than double the food from last year with more than 30 vendors participating. They will be equally split between both sides of the river, and Fetchko said he has asked the Florida Department of Transportation permit to include some food and beverage vendors on the Green Bridge, which will be closed for the event. Also included in the permit is a request for a transportation service to shuttle people between the two cities.

"We are optimistic those requests will be successful," said Fetchko. "The permitting process is moving forward in a positive direction and we anticipate a formal approval in the weeks ahead."

XPOGO will move to the Palmetto side of the river. A Kids Zone will be in both cities. The dry pit area is being reconfigured to better accommodate spectator viewing. Fetchko said the boats and equipment will remain off limits for security reasons, but: "A lot of work went into that because we knew it was important to Palmetto."

Competitors gearing up

Formula 2 is being inundated with entries for the Bradenton Area River Regatta from drivers across the country, according to Fetchko. The river can only accommodate a field of 12, so the best drivers based on wins and points from last season will be invited, making the 2016 series opener keenly competitive.

The Florida Winter Hydrocross Championship series is experiencing the same issue and is bringing two divisions of competitors featuring 35 professional jet skiers.

Zambelli International Fireworks is finalizing the regatta's grand finale show, and Bright House Sports Network will do a one-hour live broadcast from Old Main Street during the driver awards ceremony.

It's safety first for marine life during the regatta, with ISM-USA and Sea 2 Shore doubling its manatee and marine life watch efforts. Sarasota-based Heli Aviation is providing the helicopters, and Fetchko said more of them will be in the air.

"We've got them coming in on a large scale because marine life is an absolute priority for us," he said.

Sponsorships for the 2016 Bradenton Area River Regatta are still available.

Information: Call Fetchko at 412-298-2884 or Michael Dongilli at 412-492-9911.

Mark Young, Herald urban affairs reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7041 or follow him on Twitter@urbanmark2014.

This story was originally published November 20, 2015 at 5:49 PM with the headline "Beatlemania Now to headline Bradenton Area River Regatta concert ."