There is something fitting about live music beside the Cape Fear River.
As the sun settles over downtown Fayetteville, the rhythm of guitars, drums and familiar songs drifts across the water, creating an atmosphere that feels less like a concert and more like a community gathering. For years, Rock’n on the River has become one of the city’s signature summer traditions, bringing together local musicians, tribute acts and music lovers for evenings that celebrate both the region’s talent and its enduring appreciation for live performance.
The series continues Friday, Aug. 21, at Deep Creek Grill, 1122 Person St., with an evening that pairs two bands separated by style but united by a love of classic music. Harley & Big Country opens at 6 p.m., followed by ZZ Top Notch at 8 p.m., delivering a night that moves from Southern rock and country favorites into the unmistakable sound of one of rock’s most recognizable bands.
For Harley Wright, frontman of Harley & Big Country, the performance is more than another stop on the calendar. It’s a hometown show.
“We’re playing for people we grew up with,” Wright said. “Family, friends, people we went to school with. Being on the river makes it feel like home.”
That connection runs deep.
Four members of Harley & Big Country are graduates of Cape Fear High School, and the band’s roots stretch across East Fayetteville, Beaver Dam and Cedar Creek. While the lineup has changed over the years, its commitment to making music has remained remarkably steady.
The road hasn’t always been easy.
During the past decade, the band lost three members to illness, including founding guitarist Jimmy Salazar and guitarist Ronnie McIntosh. Each loss forced the group to rebuild, but never to quit.
“We’ve taken some hard hits,” Wright reflected. “But music makes people smile. There are songs that make you laugh and songs that make you cry, and we’ve learned to keep playing through both.”
Today’s lineup blends experience with youth, including guitarist Evan Wade, whom Wright describes as “the future of the band.” Together, they perform a mix of Southern rock, country and classic rock, refusing to confine themselves to a single genre.
“We’re just a local band,” Wright said. “We’ve all got jobs and families. This is fun for us. If people leave knowing they had a good time listening to good local music, then we’ve done what we came to do.”
Following Harley & Big Country, the stage belongs to ZZ Top Notch, a tribute band dedicated to preserving the music and spirit of Texas rock legends ZZ Top.
For Chuck Sirko, recreating the band’s sound is about much more than playing familiar songs.
“We grew up on this music,” Sirko said. “Whether people realize it or not, they’ve heard these songs. When you see people tapping their feet and singing along, you know you’re connecting with them.”
That connection extends beyond the music itself.
Sirko sports the signature long beard associated with Billy Gibbons, prompting comparisons long before the tribute band was formed.
“People would walk up and call me Billy Gibbons,” he laughed. “Eventually I figured, if everybody already thinks that, maybe it’s time to get paid for it.”
The band doesn’t simply perform ZZ Top’s catalog, it recreates the experience through costumes, stage choreography and faithful renditions of classics like “La Grange,” “Tush,” “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs.”
If Sirko had to choose only one favorite?
“It has to be ‘La Grange,’” he said. “We roll right into ‘Tush,’ and that’s the climax of our show. It’s just cool to play.”
Though the members of ZZ Top Notch are veterans of the stage, Sirko says the motivation remains unchanged.
“We want to keep this music alive for people who never had the chance to see ZZ Top perform,” he said. “Getting on stage and playing these songs is an absolute thrill.”
Both musicians also credit Rock’n on the River organizer Greg Adair for creating opportunities that extend beyond a single performance.
Wright praised Adair’s commitment to showcasing hometown musicians, while Sirko thanked him for bringing tribute acts and local artists together on one stage, helping the series grow into one of Fayetteville’s most anticipated summer events.
For audiences, the evening offers more than live entertainment.
It celebrates a community where musicians still know the people standing in front of the stage, where local talent shares the spotlight with legendary music, and where the banks of the Cape Fear River continue to provide one of Fayetteville’s favorite places to gather.
Sometimes, the best concerts aren’t measured by ticket sales or stadium lights.
Sometimes they’re measured by familiar faces, timeless songs and a summer evening spent listening to music by the river. Rock’n On the River is a free event held at Deep Creek Outfitters at 1122 Person St. The concert is free, but parking is $10. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. Outside coolers are not permitted. For more information, visit the Rock’n On the River Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100049990406810