'Dock Jam' to bring big country music stars to Pocomoke's Dockside. Find out all about it.
Husband-and-wife duo Caitlin and Jamie Evans are eager to put Pocomoke City back on the map.
Get ready to jam out with multi-platinum, award-winning country music stars at the "Dock Jam," a brand new concert series presented by the pair's popular Pocomoke City restaurant and bar, Dockside.
"Dock Jam" is set to kick off May 20 with Sammy Kershaw, Aaron Tippin and Collin Raye from the "Roots and Boots" tour, and wind up on Oct. 7 with country music group Lonestar. The two events will take place rain or shine.
Caitlin and Jamie, owners of Dockside, have partnered with Andrea Sims, president and founder of Lion’s Share Communications, Inc., to bring their vision to life.
"When we got the restaurant, we said, 'What can we do with this river? It's here, we look at it every day, it has some of the best sunsets,'" said Caitlin, whose background lies in restaurant and hotel management. "So, we talked about concerts."
The Pocomoke river is often underutilized, said Caitlin and Jamie, and they believe it to be a hidden gem. This is why, according to the pair, it is the perfect, scenic backdrop for a large outdoor concert.
"There isn't a better backdrop," Jamie said. "This river, those trees - it's going to be absolutely gorgeous, especially the time of the year that we're doing it with spring just popping in May and fall just starting to take ease in October."
Pocomoke rallies around restaurant in tough times
For Caitlin and Jamie, community is everything.
When the two first acquired their restaurant in 2019, just a mere eight months before the nation was put on lockdown in response to COVID-19, fear set in.
Luckily for the pair, town residents rallied behind their local mom-and-pop restaurants, allowing places such as Dockside to stay afloat during a rough point in time.
"(Because of) what this town did for us - not the restaurant, I'm talking about us as a family, the Evans family - our loyalty to this town is through the roof," said Jamie, 51.
NEW IN 2023:2023 brings new restaurants, breweries to Ocean City, Salisbury and Eastern Shore
BUSINESS:More pie? The Ugly Pie says yes to new larger bakery in Salisbury
Together, he and his wife are looking forward to showcasing their small town through their concert series.
"What you see in this town you don't get across the bridge. This desire for community and closeness is something I want to preserve," said Caitlin, 36.
This is precisely why she loves the idea and, now, reality, of "Dock Jam."
"I want people to make memories here. I want them to think about where they had a great time - here at Dockside," she said.
Pocomoke's population will swell on big concert days
Dockside, with its slogan "middle of nowhere, halfway to everywhere", draws in countless visitors each summer, in addition to the small town's population which hits just over 4,000, Caitlin said.
Now, she and her husband are looking to double the population of Pocomoke City for just two days out of the year, when everyone will gather together at "Dock Jam" to dance and sing along to some famous country tunes.
Headliners of the "Roots and Boots Tour," Aaron Tippin, Sammy Kershaw and Collin Raye, have sold more then 23 million albums combined, and Lonestar more than 10.5 million records.
A stage will be set up on Riverside Drive and the concert area will be fenced in, said Jamie. The restaurant will be relocated outside for the day, and its food and liquor license will extend to three acres of property said to be in use for the events.
BUSINESS NEWS:Macky's under new leadership, Roadie Joe's opens location in Berlin | What's Going There
NEW BREWERIES:New craft breweries in Delmarva? Resurgence will bring 9 beer hot spots to Eastern Shore
Dockside will offer cold beer, orange crushes and food straight from the restaurant's bar and kitchen. Deep Eddy vodka will also be offered exclusively to attendees. In addition, the restaurant has partnered with local churches and schools for additional event parking.
How to get tickets for the big country shows
Three tickets options for May 20 are now available for purchase.
Lawn seating: For $45, ticketholders can bring their own chair or blanket to the designated section. Seating is not assigned and is first come, first serve.
Chair seating: For $55, a chair will be provided for each ticketholder in the designated section. Seating is not assigned and is first come, first serve.
VIP seating: For $65, ticketholders will have a table and chairs as well as a waiter/waitress designated to their section.
More information on venue policies and what attendees can or cannot bring to Dock Jam, plus how to get tickets for the May 20 show, can be found online.
"We just want to remind people that this location is beautiful," Jamie said. "Come see what Pocomoke is all about."
Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Dockside's 'Dock Jam' to bring big country stars to Pocomoke City
