SARASOTA IN JANUARY HAS A VERY SPECIAL THUNDER!

One of my favorite events of the year is Thunder By The Bay!  For this rock music aficionado, it is one of the few times a year I can go to hear both local and national headliners right here in Sarasota! Outdoors and free, it started in 1998 and it is all done to raise money for the Suncoast Charities for Children.  This is to fund facilities locally for handicapped and special needs children and their families.  A wonderful, and much needed charity.

This year brought some great music to the stage! Billy Rice, musician, who knows the audience for this event was in charge of entertainment. He did a great job of bringing us a weekend of the 80’s rock and musicians who are at the top of their game! Full Circle, Category 3, RockIt Fly, Stormbringer and Bobby Friss covered Day One with local favorite Dyersburg, reunited especially for Thunder, Lazey Bones and nationally known Great White brought it on Day 2.

Of course, there is always the show within the show, motorcycles of all kinds, plenty of fare for the foodies, and the cast of characters of both bikers and locals! It is a people watching gig and many come just to walk around and check out the goings on.  Downtown Main Street in Sarasota is a great area for any outside event.

As I was driving down Main Street the other day and looked down to see that the stage is gone, the motorcycles have left and the street is back to business, but the memories are still sweet!  I can’t wait for next year and another Thunder By The Bay! 

photos by Vicky Sullivan, Rock the Lens Photography