The Steepwater Band will stir up waves of muscular rock at the upcoming Festival of the Lakes.
The quartet brings plenty of international experience to its July 22 engagement as the opening act for George Thorogood & the Destroyers.
“This year we went (to Europe) for six weeks,” said Jeff Massey, guitarist and vocalist for the blues-edged band that formed in 1998. “We get over there quite a bit.”
This year, Massey and company rocked venues in Spain, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
Early on, Steepwater honed its skills as a Northwest Indiana band, then developed a strong following as a Chicago-area group.
At its 7 p.m. show at Wolf Lake Memorial Park in Hammond, Steepwater is scheduled to dish a good helping of its new album, “Shake Your Faith” (Diamond Day Records). Released worldwide in April, it features all original compositions by band members.
From a production standpoint, “Shake Your Faith” separates itself from past recordings of the Steepwater Band in terms of tempo and voice play.
“I think it’s got a few more slow burners on it,” said Massey, of Crown Point. “It’s got vocal harmonies on it and just a different vibe overall.”
At Festival of the Lakes, Massey will be joined by bandmates Tod Bowers, Joe Winters and Eric Saylors. They will warm up the pavilion crowd for George Thorogood & the Destroyers, which features guitarist Jim Suhler with whom the band jammed in Texas.
“He’s a great guitar player; we just kind of keep in touch,” Massey said.
The Steepwater Band and Thorogood also played Milwaukee’s Summerfest on the same day, in the same venue, two years ago.
Festival of the Lakes runs July 20-24. A partnership with Walgreens provides specially priced carnival and parking passes. There also is a hot rod and custom bike show, a 5k run and walk, fishing derby, “Golf Scramble” and live music.
“I think we came up with a great lineup this year,” said Gary’s Omar Farag, producer of the fest’s mainstage headline acts. “We’ve stayed with music that represents the area.”
Here is a rundown on the music. Start times are 7 p.m. July 20-22, 6:30 p.m. July 23, and 5 p.m. July 24.
July 20
Boyz II Men (opening act: Spaniels Forever)
Titans of record sales in the ’90s, Boyz II Men scored No. 1 hits with “End of the Road,” “I’ll Make Love to You,” “On Bended Knee” and “One Sweet Day” — a duet with Mariah Carey that stayed atop Billboard’s pop singles chart for 16 weeks.
July 21
Eli Young Band (opening act: Jamrose)
A country quartet out of Texas, the Eli Young Band nabbed the song of the year award from the Academy of County Music for 2011’s “Crazy Girl.” The band’s next single, “Even If It Breaks Your Heart,” was a country-chart No. 1, selling a million copies. It also earned Grammy nominations, plus single of the year and song of the year nominations from the Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association.
July 22
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George Thorogood & the Destroyers (opening act: Steepwater Band)
Hailing from Wilmington, Del., Thorogood is a Bo Diddley-inspired artist on his “Badder Than Ever” tour, which kicked off in February and covers more than 30 cities in the United States and Canada. Thorogood’s hits include “Bad to the Bone,” “I Drink Alone,” “Move It On Over” and “Who Do You Love.”
July 23
Ludacris (opening acts: Golden; Fitz Fonzarelli)
The famous rapper was born Christopher Brian Bridges in Champaign, Ill. After he started rapping at age 9, Ludacris eventually broke through with his album “Back for the First Time” (2000). It sold about 3 million copies. He has had film appearances in “2 Fast 2 Furious” (2003) and “Hustle & Flow” (2005). Other recordings include “Charge It to the Rap Game,” “Beast Mode” and “Ludaversal.”
July 24
Banda El Recodo de Cruz Lizarraga (opening acts: Natalia Corona, Los Jefes del Rancho, Grupo Klonadoz, David Guevara with Mariachi Acero, and Daniel Pantoja with Mariachi Acero)
This large Mexican band has roots dating back nearly 80 years. The band is known for using a multitude of instruments, including clarinets, trombones, trumpets, tambora, bass drum, and also vocalists.
Bob Kostanczuk is a freelance reporter
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Festival of the Lakes
Where: Wolf Lake Memorial Park, 2324 Calumet Ave., Hammond
When: July 20 to 24
Admission: Free; parking $25
Information: 219-853-6378, www.festivalofthelakes.com