Bret Alexander (center) rocks the stage outside Karl Hall on Sunday afternoon. The concert venue’s “Out Back” series kicked off on Sunday featuring Alexander & Friends, along with Ellie Rose.
Kevin Carroll | Times Leader
Venue hosts first in series of outdoor concerts
WILKES-BARRE — After almost eight months, live music at one of the area’s most popular concert halls is back — out back, that is.
After some bad weather postponed a show scheduled for May 30, there was no stopping the folks at Karl Hall on North Main Street from holding the first date of their Out Back summer concert series on Sunday afternoon.
A large tent was erected in case of rain, with plenty of room to accommodate both music fans and a stage for the show’s two scheduled performers, first Ellie Rose and then Bret Anderson & Friends.
“We put it up in case of the rain, it turned out to be good for the sun,” joked Karl Hall owner and general manager A.J. Jump as he welcomed everyone to the show.
Sunday’s performance marked the first live show at Karl Hall since October of last year. That show, featuring the Husty Bros and Team Mule, was also held outside behind the venue, the best way to safely hold a show in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even as the restrictions lift and the dust settles a bit in regard to the pandemic, Jump is still a fan of the outdoor setup.
“I think we’ll keep doing these Out Back shows no matter the circumstances,” he said. “It’s nice to be back, and it’s nice to be outside.”
The Out Back series was originally supposed to kick off two weekends ago, with an all-star bill featuring Dustin Douglas and the Electric Gentlemen, The Tribe, Bob Lewis and the Brendan Brisk Band.
Heavy rain forced the postponement of the show, which has been moved to October 10.
So, when local singer Ellie Rose took the stage with her guitar, it marked the official return of live music to Karl Hall.
Rose played a half-hour set, wowing the crowd with a collection of songs, including some of her own original compositions.
“(Rose) was great,” said Chris Lushefski, from Trucksville. “We really loved that set.”
Lushefski, who came out with his wife Joanne, was no stranger to the afternoon’s next act, having seen Bret Alexander a few times.
Alexander, perhaps best known in the northeastern and central parts of Pennsylvania as a member of The Badlees, has also shared the stage with a number of prominent musicians outside of the band.
On Sunday, he and his fellow musicians, simply billed as “Bret Alexander & Friends,” rocked the tent with jam after jam, to the approval of everyone in attendance.
One of the audience members was Alexander’s daughter, Harlow, who journeyed up from the Mechanicsburg area to see her father play.
“I definitely got my love of music from my dad,” said Harlow, who works as a middle school band teacher in addition to being a musician herself. “It was so cool, growing up with a musician for a father.”
Among the “Friends” backing up Alexander on stage was Jump himself, who played drums during the set.
Before Alexander began playing, Jump offered a few quick words of thanks to the crowd.
“Thanks so much for coming out,” Jump said.
“It’s all we could do — put some tents up, build a stage and play some music for you all.”
