Ad Nothing says the start of Summer like free music, food, a cold drink and an opportunity for fun and entertainment on a Friday night. On April 1, the Gates Four Summer Concert Series will kick off with the Throwback Collaboration Band.

This will be the second year the Gates Four Summer Concert Series will be held. Bill Bowman, the publisher of Up & Coming Weekly and sponsor of the Gates Four Summer Concert Series, says he is very excited to bring this event back to the community, especially in the Hope
Mills area.

"It was very successful last year as a first-time event, and this year we're actually extending it for one month. So we're going to add a concert. And it's going to run from April through September," Bowman said.

The Summer Concert Series will present all concerts outdoors at the Gates Four Golf and Country Club Pavilion. The Concert Series includes a variety of musical acts, from a Lynyrd Skynyrd cover band to R&B.

The first concert features headliners, the Throwback Collaboration Band (TCB). This seven-person band has been performing together since 2016, and they are all local to Fayetteville. The band members consist of A.D. Thomas, Mark “Duce” Thomas, Michael Counts, Larry Ludgood, Moshe Haire, Richard Bradford and Sybil Pinkney. Their music group shares a strong passion for playing R&B and smooth jazz. According to the band, their goal is to help keep the old-school funk alive.

The next concert on June 26 will be the Heart Breaker, which will present a Heart-Led Zeppelin Tribute. June 3 picks up with Mostley Crue, a Motley Crue tribute band. On July 1, the concert series will host the versatile and local musicians Rivermist. The concert on August 5 will promise an all-female tribute to the rock band AC/DC. Shoot To Thrill is based out of Raleigh and tours all along the East Coast.

The grand finale of the Summer Concert Series on September 2 is set to showcase the ultimate tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd. Tuesday's Gone, a band formed in 2005 in Raleigh, has dedicated itself to reproducing the original sound of what they call "one of the greatest and most legendary bands of all time."

For the premiere of the concert series, Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner, as well as other local political names such as Rep. Diane Wheatly and Rep. John Szoka, will be at Gates Four on April 1 to help officially kick off the Summer Concert Series in Hope Mills by doing a red ribbon cutting.

The gates open at 5 p.m. Starting at 6 p.m., a pre-entertainment show will start with local acoustic musician Judah Marshall.

The concert will officially kick off at 7:30 p.m. with TCB. Individuals and families are invited to bring their chairs and blankets to enjoy the outdoor show.

An afterparty will kick off at 10 p.m. The afterparty will take place at Sand Trap Sports Lounge, in Fayetteville on Purdue Street, and is free to attend. The afterparty will feature raffles, door prizes and more. Proceeds will support the Kidsville News Literacy and Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to improve literacy, education and character development among America's young children by supporting various early literacy and learning-based initiatives nationwide.

Unlike last year, this year's concert series is free to attend. Food and beverages will be available for purchase and provided by Gates Four. There is an opportunity to buy VIP tickets and tables. VIP Concert Tickets are $65 per person, and each ticket entitles you to the concert, table seating inside the Pavilion and includes food, beer, wine and other beverages.

VIP Tickets can be bought at https://www.fayettevilledinnertheatre.com/tickets/ or by calling 910-391-3859.