In one of the most innovative moves to ever hit Fort Wayne’s entertainment scene, the live music series Down the Line returns to the Embassy Theatre, 125 W. Jefferson Blvd., in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The show will take place March 3, 2018, at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $20 for early entry tickets and $15 for general admission. Down the Line is an all-ages event.

Significance of Down the Line

The purpose of Down the Line has been to raise money for the Embassy Theatre. The nearly 100-year-old venue is a significant piece of Fort Wayne’s history and has been the site of numerous traditional and non-traditional entertainment opportunities for residents of and visitors to the Summit City.

In addition to hosting regional and national acts, the Embassy Theatre also sponsors silent movies, live pipe organ performances, the annual Festival of Trees, performances of “The Nutcracker,” and much more. The Embassy is a Fort Wayne icon.

What the Down the Line series offers patrons is an opportunity to hear local bands and performers play songs by well-known, often iconic acts. Some cynics might protest that such a setup turns the artists into cover bands for a night. That’s taking the performances too literally. Instead, what Down the Line does is take performers that audiences might not have heard of, and allows them to present music by people that are well-known. The mix of known and unknown quantities is what makes Down the Line special.

Of course, some fans will know the bands. Doubtless many of the attendees of Down the Line have heard the performers play in area clubs for years. As the performers are known for their original music, the selling point might be the opportunity to hear certain bands play cover songs.

The bottom line is, Down the Line presents great music for a great cause. Each year that the series has been in existence, local music fans have looked forward to the announcement of the year’s theme and lineup. The annual changes is another aspect of Down the Line that keeps the event exciting.

Brief history of Down the Line

The fun began 12 years ago. Representatives of the Embassy select the bands. The band members or solo artists decide how to honor the musicians that have influenced them. Early versions of Down the Line included Fatima Washington paying homage to Aretha Franklin, local blues-rock legends Left Lane Cruiser doing justice to Led Zeppelin, Brian Lemert and the Dive Kings performed the music of Jimi Hendrix, Ty Causey honored both Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson, just to name several.

In recent years, Streetlamps for Spotlights, Cougar Hunter, RP Wigs, Lurking Corpses and others have honored heavy metal bands. Once, there was even a country music focus. In short, the possibilities are vast for performers and those being honored. This equals tremendous entertainment opportunities for fans.

 Down the Line 12

The Down the Line series has lasted one dozen years. This speaks volumes about the support for the music and for the Embassy. This year’s concert will feature pop-rock favorites as performed by local legends.

The lineup for Down the Line 12 will include Todd Harrold and Nick Bobay Duo performing Stevie Wonder songs; March On, Comrade will play selections from Phil Collins’ catalog; The Be Colony takes on the work of Radiohead; Unlikely Alibi will cover The Police, and Pink Droyd will present the songs of Styx.

The event is presented by Sweetwater Sound and WXKE. For tickets and more information visit http://fwembassytheatre.org/events/down-the-line-12-2/