By: Shea Carver

There are legends on the rock scene who forever charge their fans with solid rifts—good for many air-guitar moments—a few great lyrics, at least one greatest- hits album and sing-a-longs over drunken stupors. Such legends are able to ingrain memories that instigate many “remember when” conversations for years to come, and all with the jaunty rhythm of one tune or the break of a bridge. For many music fans—young and old—the Steve Miller Band (SMB ) is such a legend.

Whether discovered in the album collection of an older family member, during a senior skip day in high school or at a keg party in college, SMB is not a foreigner to crossing generations of fans who connect to an easy, albeit funky classic-rock sound. And while his name may immediately conjure the bottle-slide technique that his rock anthem “The Joker” so ardently hails, his earlier songs like “Quicksilver Girl” (performed with the ineffable Boz Scaggs) and “Fanny Mae” hail the band’s genesis toward more blues-oriented sounds. It was destiny for the Wisconsin-born musician, who at the early age of 12 began to pursue the profession of music. Growing up in Texas, Miller’s godfather Les Paul and famed bluesman T-Bone Walker befriended the Miller family, laying the groundwork for Steve’s musicality.

Miller started his adult career with the Steve Miller Blues Band, as he laid roots across San Francisco’s Sixties’ scene. While psychedelia was taking over the region, Miller went more pristine in his style of playing, taking the blues mold and adopting a clean rock format over top of it. Thus, “Space Cowboy,” “Seasons” and “My Dark Hour,” featuring Paul McCartney nonetheless, paved the way for Miller’s Seventies rise to fame. When The Joker hit the shelves in 1973, Miller became a Billboard sensation, as the album went platinum and the title track became his anthem. To follow, 1976 welcomed the release of Fly Like An Eagle, another hit-maker, producing three singles that topped the charts: “Take The Money and Run” (#11), “Fly Like an Eagle” (#2) and their second Number One hit, “Rock ‘N Me.”

After a mere five years of hitting jackpot with sprightly sounds, Miller released a greatest hits album, which to this day continues attracting new fans, as do many of his sold-out performances. While the 64-year-old’s modest success of the ‘80s (“Abracadabra”) and ‘90s can’t compare to his ‘70s gold, he still fills a niche to the ears of classic-rock lovers.

Adam Higgins of IBX Promotions, Wilmington’s own entertainment and concert promoter, saw the appeal that Steve Miller might bring. “Wilmington, although historically a destination for major acts, had few recent successes to boast of,” Higgins noted last week during an interview with encore. “Many booking agents saw this area as risky. That hesitation was also compounded by our relative inexperience dealing with acts of that caliber.”

But with perseverance and a knack to make Wilmington a hotspot with ambitious acts, Higgins “spent over a year making contacts, sending out offers, putting on smaller shows, and generally learning the biz,” so IBX could compete with if not be as efficient as larger promotion companies like Live Nation. “It’s all about keeping an eye out for who is touring around the area, and where the potential gaps are in that schedule,” Higgins explained. “If you find one with an act that is a good fit for your market, you put out an offer and see if they bite. Fortunately, SMB did, and they have been great to work with. We are very lucky to be putting on a show with them. All in all, a perfect starting point.”

IBX has booked the Steve Miller Band concert at Buck Hardee Field at Legion Sports Complex on Sunday, October 26th. Tickets are $46.50 for floor and $25.50 general admission, and a second stage will feature the Cary B. Trio and the Daniel Parish Band starting at 5pm.

Future shows are also looking great for Wilmington and IBX. “Fortunately, the City Parks and Rec Department has been extremely helpful,” Higgins says. “We’d really like to thank them, as well as the Wilmington Sharks for their dedication to this event. It simply couldn’t have been done without them.”

To win tickets to the Steve Miller Band concert, go to www.encorepub.com to enter—it’s a chance to win great seats!