By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — Spud Summerfest at Spud Speedway went off without a hitch this past Sunday; approximately 2,800 fans filled the stands to watch the live performances of Theory of a Deadman, Eve 6, and 12 Stones among other popular musicians.
“Overall the event went super,” said Spud Speedway co-owner Troy Haney. “We couldn’t have asked for any better.”
The concert, which started at 4 p.m. on Sunday, ended around 10 p.m. that night after a high quality show. It certainly seemed like concert-goers had a sound-satiating experience based on the feedback Haney received.
“They couldn’t believe that we brought such a high quality show up to Aroostook County,” Haney said.
Spud Speedway sits on the Caribou side of the Caribou/Limestone border and Haney was happy to report that the crowd’s cooperation made sure that neither Police departments had any concert-related issues.
This was the biggest event held at Spud since the Haneys began ownership about a year ago and now that the music industry has had proof of the success the speedway has to offer you never know who might show up for next year’s billet.
The minds behind Spud Speedway seem to be always working to bring bigger, better-than-ever events to The County and discussions are already underway for next summer’s major show; while it’s way too early to announce specifics, if current communications hold true, the concert is going to be huge. (And despite continuously perpetuated rumors, it’s still not Phish).
The Spud ambiance offers the rock stars a chance to provide their fans with a unique experience; the banks of the speedway allows for a whole arena of good vantage points so that attendees don’t get stuck looking at the back of some tall guy’s head through the whole show.
This was one of the largest shows that Aroostook County has seen the likes of in quite some time, but fans and concert fanatics weren’t the only ones impressed with what they saw.
As this was their first Aroostook experience, Haney had the opportunity to take band members of Eve 6 and 12 Stones on a small tour of a large county; “they thought it was awesome up here,” Haney said.
Band members like the county and based on the overall enjoyment attendees expressed, the feeling was mutual.
“This was their first big concert [for many of those who attended the show],” Haney said. While he’s personally a fan of Theory of A Dead Man, Haney’s favorite part of the evening was seeing people from all over The County enjoy exposure to good entertainment. Even the weather was favorable for the concert as cool temps. kept attendees from boiling in their concert T-shirts.
While the summer-sendoff concert may be gone, there’s still plenty more to experience this fall at the speedway as events are scheduled through Sept. 25. On Sept. 11, the speedway will be hosting a memorial at 6 p.m. with area firefighters and police departments to remember how the U.S. was attacked nine years ago.
