Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM JULY 27 - AUGUST 2, 2022 UCW 13 Shoot To Thrill set to shake AC/DC fans all night long during Summer Concert Series by ASHLEY SHIRLEY COVER STORY e Summer Concert Series at Gates Four Golf & Country Club will be "Back in Black" on Aug. 5, with head- lining band Shoot To rill set to take the stage. Presented by Fayetteville Dinner eatre, the all-female AC/ DC tribute band will grace the stage at 7:30 p.m. prepared to rouse the crowd in grand fashion. e family-friendly event is intend- ed "For ose About to Rock," and the buzz around one of the hottest bands out of Raleigh couldn't be louder. e concert series has proven both successful and popular amongst those looking for good music and good vibes on a lazy Friday night. e show offers concert-goers a little bit of everything up on the stage. Heartbreaker, Tuesday's Gone, and Mostley Crue, cover bands for Heart, Lynard Skynard and Motley Crue, re- spectively, are just a few of the bands still destined for the Gates Four stage before the concert series is over. e relaxed, outdoor event will have food for purchase as well as beer with liquor provided by Healy Whole- sale Co. Inc. Guests are encouraged to unfold their camping chairs and spread out their blankets to enjoy this awesome show against the backdrop of a fiery North Carolina sunset. e gates open at 5 p.m. and lo- cal musician, Judah Marshall, will open the show shortly thereafter. e "Hometown" crooner's folksy, acous- tic-driven offerings will undoubt- edly be the perfect counterbalance to Shoot To rills' hard rock riffs. Shoot To rill, featuring the talents of Kara (Vocals), Susan (Guitar), Jai (Bass), Wendy (Guitar), and Kate (Drums), are a powerhouse ensemble that brings the Australian rock n' roll band to which they pay tribute boldly to mind during their high voltage sets. e five Raleigh women often take to the stage in a mix of lingerie and thoughtful nods to AC/DC, like Angus Young's classic school boy uniform and Brian Johnson's iconic newsboy cap. e energy and heart they bring to the stage as the crowd before them whips into a frenzy, stomping along to the first heart-stopping chords of "Dirty Deeds" is quite an experience, and the Gates Four audience should prepare for a wild ride. "We love to have a lot of audience participation," Wendy, Shoot To rill's guitarist, told Up & Coming Weekly. "We really try to put on a show." Shoot To rill's journey started around five years ago with Kate, Susan and Wendy. Originally a southern rock cover band, the response to their hard-rock covers, especially AC/DC, caused the band to shift focus and drill down on their niche. From there, Shoot To rill was born. "People were just going crazy," Wendy joked. "We thought maybe we should just do an AC/DC tribute band, and here we are." Despite their success, popularity, and undeniable talent, the road isn't always easy. As an all-female band, the women have had to deal with the challenges of sexism throughout their careers. "People think we have it easier because we're women, but we get rejected a lot," Wendy said candidly. "People are concerned that women won't show up to see us, but our audience is about 60% women. We definitely have our own fight to get in, but we're working hard, and we're re- ally happy, we're having fun, and we're all friends." Fans of the classic rock band will hear hits from throughout their catalog, and there will be plenty of opportunities to sing or scream along. From Bon Scott era "Highway to Hell" to Brian Johnson's powerful anthem "Back in Black," Shoot To rill aims to please and knows how to get a crowd going. "We watch a lot of live AC/DC, and we try to change it up, even the more obscure stuff. We try to design the sets, so the die-hards are happy, as well as the people who've never heard a single AC/DC song," Wendy said. Off the stage, the women all lead lives very different than their rock-star stage personas. Wendy has worked at IBM for the past 22 years, Jai is a vet- erinary surgeon, Kara is a salon owner, Susan is a professor of music at Elon University, and Kate is an architect. To accommodate the demands of their two worlds, the band tries to maintain a three-week on, two-week off sched- ule to ensure there's room in their lives for all the things that matter. "We were going non-stop, and then COVID happened, and it helped us realize we need to find a balance, to take our time for our family vacations. We don't want to miss anything." e Gates Four performance will be the band's second time playing Fayetteville, and they're excited to return. After Shoot To rill wraps for the evening, guests are invited to hit the free after party at the Sand Trap Sports Lounge, which promises more fun beginning at 10 p.m. with an op- portunity to meet the band. ough the event is free and open to the public, the Gates Four Summer Series offers an experience for every taste and budget. VIP packages are available for those that crave a more exclusive experience. Four packages range from $38 for single tickets, including table seating and all food, beer and wine, to $500 for a table seat- ing eight inside the pavilion with food and beverage included. Guests can also look forward to door prizes. As the summer season winds down, there is no shortage of opportunities for people to come together for a good time in all corners of Cumberland County, a primary goal for the Fayetteville Dinner eatre. Businessman and Up & Coming Weekly publisher Bill Bowman recon- ceived the Bordeaux Dinner eatre intending to bring premium entertain- ment options to Cumberland County residents living outside of downtown Fayetteville. With a name change and a move to Gates Four, Bowman and many talented performers have more than made good on that intention. Additionally, events held under the banner of Fayetteville Dinner eatre support Cumberland County educa- tion by contributing to Kidsville News Literacy and Education Foundation. "rough Fayetteville Dinner eatre, we get to create new cultural events and help fund an education initiative," Bowman said. Gates Four Golf & Country Club is at 6775 Irongate Dr. in Fayetteville. For more information about Gates Four, visit www.gatesfour.com/. For more information concerning the Fayetteville Dinner eatre and to purchase VIP tickets, visit www. fayettevilledinnertheatre.com/. To keep up with Shoot To rill, visit www.shoot2thrillband.com/. For those about to rock, we salute you. Shoot To rill will perform Aug. 5 as part of the Gates Four Summer Concert Series. (Photos courtesy Shoot To rill) ASHLEY SHIRLEY, Staff Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcom- ingweekly.com. 910-484-6200.