For the last the last fifty years Blossom Music Center has built an empire, capitalizing on our love for both listening to music and enjoying gorgeous natural scenery. Everyone from orchestra aficionados to metalhead moshers and wannabe cowboys have found something to love at Blossom, and this summer will be no exception.

For the 2019 season, Blossom has announced yet another full slate of country, pop, classical and rock acts in order to fulfill our insatiable appetites for looking at people in cowboy boots and standing around next to mystical looking hippies who never grew out of it.

All jokes aside, Blossom has very loaded schedule this year. If you’re one of the unfortunate few who has considered buying the country mega ticket – and then shuddered at the price- this might be the year to pull the trigger.

Kicking off the season is country artist Tim McGraw. I am by no means a country expert, but on my woefully unofficial scale, Tim places far above many of his less interesting and talented peers, and many of his songs actually have subject matter about more than just women and trucks. He also has a black cowboy hat that he wears everywhere, which is pretty neat.

Should I go?

Go if you want to experience a country concert at Blossom and not worry about the guy next to you being a belligerent 23 year old named Chad.

The next concert Blossom will host this summer is for band that I have not once in my life heard of, Phish. According to their Wikipedia page , Phish is known for “musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a dedicated fan base.” They’ve been compared to the Grateful Dead too, which, depending on your musical tastes, is either a really good or really bad thing.

Should I go ?

Go if you’re looking for a laid back concert with a bunch of guys in their 40s.

Also returning this year is the Hoban student favorite, The Zac Brown Band. This is one of those can’t miss concerts that everyone will ask you if you’re going to. You’ll want to go, but won’t have the foresight to buy the tickets early, and will forget about it until a week before. Now it’s the night before, your friend group chat is blowing up, and you’re regretting not buying tickets a week ago . You suck it up anyways, buy the tickets for a 50 dollar premium, and try to have a good time, but after listening to half of their set you realize you don’t really like country all that much. So it goes.

Should I go ?

Probably not, but you will.

I would be remiss if I compiled a list of Blossom concerts this summer and didn’t at least mention the Cleveland Orchestra. Blossom was constructed for the sole purpose of housing these guys, so that fact alone indicates just how good they really are. There are a wide variety of “traditional” classical concerts this summer, including Beethoven’s Emperor Suite and Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, but I would personally recommend “Brian Wilson presents Pet Sounds,” in which the 60’s legend will be accompanied by orchestral arrangements of songs from his magnum opus, Pet Sounds.

Should I go?

Yep.

If all else fails, remember that being at a concert is almost always better than not being at a concert. Happy Blossom-ing.