Coromandel musician hand-picked by Everclear for Summer Concert Tour

Coromandel musician Vegas Brown will play at the Summer Concert Tour.
Coromandel musician Vegas Brown will join the line-up of the Summer Concert Tour next year.
Greenstone Entertainment, the organisers of the event, announced the headliners Cold Chisel, Icehouse, Everclear and Bic Runga earlier this year, but now, they revealed the local support artists.
Vegas Brown will perform in Whitianga, Cromwell College band Mistep will play in Queenstown and Auckland rockers Rumpus Machine will take the stage in Taupō.
All three local acts have been selected by Everclear founder, vocalist and guitarist Art Alexakis.
Vegas, also known as Jarod Brown has been making music for 33 years – almost ever since he can remember.
He could easily be described as a local legend, having been a drummer and vocalist for several bands, including Mama Said and 48May, as well as a wedding celebrant.
Brown left 48May before the band broke up to begin a solo career under the name Vegas Brown. Under this name, he released an album, Something Tangible, in 2009.
Talking to the Hauraki-Coromandel Post after the announcement, Brown said it was great to be selected and he was excited to take the stage at the Summer Concert Tour.
“I like the connection with people and generally having a good time, being around fun-loving people. And what better way [to combine this] than being the person creating the fun.”
He said it was cool to have been personally selected by Alexakis.
“It meant a lot more coming from Art… [because] it came from another artist who respects and appreciates your work.”
Brown said it had also been special on another level as he grew up listening not only to Everclear but also Icehouse and Jimmy Barnes.
“I have very fond memories of my mum kneeling in front of the stereo listening to Jimmy Barnes and Icehouse, … having the speakers [blasting their music] out of the window while me and my brothers were mowing lawns.
“Having them on the bill [at the Summer Concert Tour] is very special, like a full circle moment.”
Brown said being a Whitianga local, to him, playing at the Summer Concert Tour might feel a bit like inviting 33,000 people into his home.
“I live just behind the venue, so it’s right in my backyard.”
As for his setlist, Brown said it was still “in deep discussion” and would be “looked over meticulously”.
“But one of my original songs is definitely going to be on the list.”
Meanwhile, the other support acts are Mistep, a five-piece band from Cromwell College who won third place at this year’s Smokefree Rockquest, and Rumpus Machine, a band of brothers and sisters from Auckland.
Daniel, Matthew, Hannah and Ashley perform covers of classic rock songs as well as write and perform their original guitar-based rock music.
The Summer Concert Tour will have two big reasons to celebrate next year: Its return to Whitianga and the 50th anniversary of rock band Cold Chisel.
Since its inaugural event at Queenstown’s Gibbston Valley Winery in 2011, the event has been a regular fixture on the summer concert calendar and has drawn numerous big names, including Dr Hook, Foreigner, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bonnie Tyler, Alanis Morissette, Anastasia, Billy Idol and ZZ Top to New Zealand.
Next year’s Summer Concert Tour will take place at Queenstown’s Gibbston Valley Winery on January 18, at the Taupo Amphitheatre on January 25 and at Whitianga Waterways on January 26.
Danielle Zollickhofer is a multimedia journalist and assistant news director at the Waikato Herald. She joined NZME in 2021 and is based in Hamilton.