Tag Archives: Afton Prater

Blackberry Festival music lineup announced

The main stage at the Bremerton Blackberry Festival will rock from start to finish for this year’s Labor Day weekend to-do, including sets from a number of acts familiar to Kitsap audiences and a seemingly annual visit from venerable Seattle rockers Jr. Cadillac.

Things get started on Sept. 5 with the National Anthem, flag presentation by the USS Nimitz Honor Guard and an official welcome from Mayor Patty Lent, all starting at 10:30 a.m. The music kicks in with Pop Cycle at 11 a.m., and doesn’t shut down until local cover band Payday Daddy (pictured below) blow out their last amp at about 5 p.m. on Sept. 7.

The whole lineup for the weekend goes a little something like this:

Saturday, Sept. 5

10:30 a.m. — USS Nimitz Honor Guard, National Anthem, welcome from Mayor Patty Lent

11 a.m. — Pop Cycle (rock)

1 p.m. — Clave Con Jazz

3 p.m. — Afton Prater (country)

0807_KSFE_PaydayDaddy5 p.m. — Jr. Cadillac

Sunday, Sept. 6

10:30 a.m. — Bremerton Police Honor Guard, National Anthem

11 a.m. — Scott Cossu (jazz-blues piano)

12:30 p.m. — Fingertips (funky R&B)

2:30 p.m. — Fabulous Roof Shakers (rock, blues)

4 p.m. — Navy Band Northwest “Puget Sound Machine” (brass show band)

Monday, Sept. 7

10 a.m. — National Anthem, followed by Carrie Kay (Motown)

11:30 a.m. — Mark Lewis Quartet (jazz)

1:30 p.m. — Joy Mills Band (country)

3:30 p.m. — Payday Daddy (rock)

Information: blackberryfestival.org

— MM

Afton Prater to sing Anthem at Richard Sherman event

Emerging Kitsap-based country singer-songwriter Afton Prater will sing the National Anthem at the July 19 Richard Sherman Celebrity Softball Tournament at Safeco Field.

It’s the third annual edition of the event, which is described thusly on Sherman’s Web site:AftonSherman

“Join Richard Sherman and an entourage of local and national celebrities as they take to the diamond to showcase their softball skills for the 3rd annual Richard Sherman Celebrity Softball Game! More than 22,000 fans attended last year’s game, which featured stars including Kobe Bryant, Russell Wilson, and Seattle rapper Macklemore. This event promises to be a fun, family affair and a one of a kind experience for all attendees while raising support and awareness for charitable causes. A portion of the proceeds of this event will go to Richard Sherman’s Blanket Coverage Family Foundation as well as other local charities. This year’s game is destined to be bigger and better than last year!”

That’s Afton (a student at Klahowya Secondary School) in the photo above, in which Sherman (a pretty decent cornerback with the Seahawks) is asking for her autograph …

Information: richardsherman25.com

— MM

Afton Prater’s career is trucking along

On the title track of her second EP release, Afton Prater sings about wanting a truck.

Now, a Sumner dealership wants to use her music to help them sell trucks. Sunset Chevrolet / Sunset Trucks has partnered with Prater, a Klahowya senior-to-be, to use her song “I AftonWant a Truck” in their western Washington radio and TV advertisements.

The 17-year-old singer-songwriter continues to mix the cobbling of a country-pop music career with high school. She’ll take advantage of the summer vacation to play several gigs, starting with KMPS’ pre-function for the June 27 Kenny Chesney concert at Century Link Field. She’ll play at 11 a.m.

Sunset Trucks is sponsoring her full-band show July 12 at Art on the Ave in Tacoma, where she’ll play with keyboardist Kim Enloe, drummer Jonathan Enloe (also a Klahowya classmate), guitarist Brett Angelo and bassist Steve Warren. On Aug. 13, she’ll play for Yakima’s Summer Nights concert series.

More information on what Afton’s up to can be found here: aftonprater.com

— MM