Summer rarely leaves Fayetteville quietly. This year, it will bow out beside the Cape Fear River with a familiar guitar riff, a hometown band’s hard-earned history and the music of two women who changed the sound of rock.
Rock’n On the River’s next installment will take place on Friday, Sept. 18, with Krossroadz opening at 6 p.m. and Heart Breaker taking the stage at 8 p.m. at Deep Creek Outfitters, 1122 Person St. Admission is free, parking is $10 and gates open at 5:30 p.m.
The pairing gives the concert two distinct kinds of tribute. Heart Breaker honors the catalog of Heart and its celebrated sisters, Ann and Nancy Wilson. Krossroadz carries the memory of Keith Ross, the musician whose name became part of the band’s identity.
Krossroadz vocalist Jami Moore grew up on a farm near Tar Heel in Bladen County. The other members come from Gray’s Creek, Lumberton and the Robeson-Bladen county line. Together, they reflect the communities surrounding Fayetteville as much as the city itself.
The present lineup also brings together pieces of three regional groups. Moore and bassist John Gales performed with Big Daddy Drive for about 18 years, traveling from Fayetteville and Myrtle Beach to the Raleigh area. The guitarists came from the Lumberton band Mirror Image, and the drummer played with Reflections II.
Their name is personal. Moore met Ross after deciding to take guitar lessons in his mid-30s. The teacher soon became his bandmate and friend. After Ross died unexpectedly three years ago, Moore wanted the new group to carry something of him forward. Krossroadz begins with “KR,” a quiet nod to Keith Ross.
“Just keep on keeping on,” Moore said when asked how the group honors the musicians it has lost. He described a regional music community in which players support one another, step into new lineups and keep songs alive after circumstances change.
That spirit shapes a set list built around songs the members can sing well and enjoy playing together, not a strict genre or formula.
“It’s all about fun, really,” Moore said. “If it sounds decent, it’s for the love of the music.”
Moore pointed to two songs that show the group’s range: the Allman Brothers Band’s reflective “Melissa” and ZZ Top’s hard-driving “Sharp Dressed Man.”
Opening the season finale carries weight for a local band. Moore said earning a place on the Rock’n On the River lineup feels like an accomplishment and an affirmation that Krossroadz belongs among the area’s established acts.
“We’re honored to get to do it,” he said.
Then Heart Breaker will raise the volume.
Led by Staci McBeth and Joan Burton, the North Carolina tribute band takes on demanding classics including “Crazy on You,” “Alone,” “These Dreams” and “Barracuda.”
McBeth said the process begins with respect for Ann and Nancy Wilson and careful attention to the qualities that make Heart unmistakable: the power, harmonies, emotion and musical details. Still, Heart Breaker is not interested in becoming a copy.
“We don’t want to simply imitate them,” McBeth said. “We bring our own personalities and chemistry to the stage. The goal is to honor Ann and Nancy and give the audience that Heart experience they came for while still allowing who we are as performers to come through.”
The band studies the guitar tones, arrangements, presentation and energy of a Heart concert, hoping the opening notes return listeners to when they first heard the music.
“Authenticity is more than recreating a recording,” McBeth said. “It’s creating the excitement and emotion of a live Heart concert.”
Heart Breaker also folds Led Zeppelin into its performance, reflecting Zeppelin’s influence on the Wilson sisters. Those songs carry the show from Heart’s beauty and emotion into rawer rock.
The group has played Rock’n On the River before, but McBeth said this year’s performance will arrive stronger, tighter and shaped by more experience. What she remembers most is the Fayetteville audience returning the band’s energy in real time.
“Fayetteville, to me personally, is like family,” she said. “There’s something special about performing when the audience is completely engaged and giving that energy right back to you.”
Few moments test that connection like the opening riff of “Barracuda.” McBeth said the crowd’s energy changes as soon as the guitar hits. Older fans recognize a song tied to their own history, while younger listeners sing beside them.
“It doesn’t belong to just one generation,” she said. “Great songs keep finding new audiences.”
One band keeps a friend’s name alive by playing. Another reintroduces landmark songs while preserving its own identity. Between them stands a riverfront crowd sharing music across generations.
Guests should bring lawn chairs or blankets. Outside coolers and containers are not permitted, but food and beverages will be available for purchase.
When the last note fades over the Cape Fear, summer will have its send-off. What remains will be the reason live music matters: memory passed forward, strangers singing together and old songs finding someone new.
Due to weather, concerts this summer have been rescheduled. For more information on the rescheduled events, visit https://www.facebook.com/p/Rockn-On-The-River-100049990406810/