Rebel Heart plays free concert at Van Wezel in Sarasota

Summer’s winding down, kind of. You can’t tell by the 90-plus-degree temperatures and the frequent rainstorms, but the calendar says so. And that means that the popular Friday fest series at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota is nearing its end for 2016.

There are only two more Friday Fests left this summer. This Friday’s featured act is Rebel Heart, a local six-piece outfit fronted by singers Sarah Faye and Peter Ericksen that’s become one of the most popular country bands in the area. Guitarists Mike Opeka and Pete Tippett, drummer Matt Borror and bass player Chuck Reedy round out the lineup

Actually, even though the band bills itself as a country act, Rebel Heart’s set list is likely to include plenty of rock and pop hits, including Blink 182’s “All the Small Things,” AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long” and Nelly’s “Ride Wit Me.”

The Friday Fest concerts are all free, and they’re outdoors near the water unless it rains. Rain won’t cancel the show, it’ll just move it indoors. That’s not an altogether bad thing, because it’ll be a lot cooler indoors than out. You’ll miss out on seeing the sunset over the bay, though.

Besides the live music, there’s food and drink available for sale. Friday Fest is always free and runs until 9 p.m.

The last Friday Fest for this year is one Sept. 23 and features the Dr. Dave Band.

Details: 5-9 p.m. Aug. 26, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Free. 941-953-3368, vanwezel.org.

This story was originally published August 24, 2016 at 5:02 PM with the headline "Rebel Heart plays free concert at Van Wezel in Sarasota."