Birth of a Theme Park

Events still on despite damp forecast

There's a slight risk for severe weather through tonight for the Grand Strand, with large hail, damaging wind gusts of up to 60 mph and an isolated tornado possible, according to the National Weather Service.

But park officials are determined not to let that dampen tonight's Bowling for Soup concert for annual passholders.

'"It's in the live amphitheater, so we do have a cover over the stage,'' said park spokeswoman Megan Winnett. "There's a cover over the stage, there's a cover over part of the audience. Right now everything is on."

On Friday, there's a 40 percent chance of rain for the kick-off of Hard Rock Park's regular season.

It's expected to be mostly cloudy with a high temperature near 81, according to the National Weather Service. New rainfall could amount to a tenth to a quarter of an inch. The forecast calls for a southwest wind between 15 and 17 mph.

The park will only close if there's severe weather such as wind or lightening that would force the rides to shut down, Winnett said.

''If it's raining, we'll still be open,'' she said.

The chance of showers continues Friday night, with a low temperature around 66 degrees and a west wind between 8 and 13 mph. 

OneRepublic show canceled

OneRepublic has canceled its Thursday concert at Hard Rock Park, the park announced today.

Instead, the band Bowling For Soup will play at the amphitheater at 6 p.m. The concert - and the day at the park - is only open to people with annual passes.

OneRepublic's lead singer, Ryan Tedder, had surgery last week to repair a torn Achilles tendon and rescheduled several concerts, according to UPI. The Colorado band gained wide recognition after its song “Apologize” was released on Timbaland's album Shock Value in 2007.

But the park's not too broken up about the switch. “Actually, we think we got a better band, so we’re really happy,” said Linda Jensen, the park’s new senior director of sales.

Hard Rock Park kicks off its regular season on Friday. County Council Chairwoman Liz Gilland is scheduled to attend a ribbon-cutting with park executives at 9:30 a.m., park spokeswoman Megan Winnett said.

About Bowling For Soup, from Winnett's press release:

Bowling For Soup has released eight studio albums and one compilation of TV and movie themes, 2005’s Bowling For Soup Goes To The Movies, since forming in 1994. Their hit song, “1985” may have made them a hit with soccer moms, Radio Disney listeners and anyone who walked past one of those video monitors in a Target store one time, but Bowling For Soup’s audience runs the gamut from pop-loving kids to aging metalheads to punk-rock lifers, all of whom are powerless before the band’s populist pop-punk perfection.

Bear Metal Family performs

The Bear Metal Family, Hard Rock Park's original characters, performed Thursday at the annual convention of the South Carolina Economic Developers Association.

The park's CEO, Steven Goodwin, gave a speech about the park, the company's trajectory and philosophy. He also brought performers with him, including dancers from the Malibu Beach Party show and the costume characters. Take a look.

Park announces new concerts for summer

Hard Rock Park just announced several new artists slated to perform this summer on the stages at the site. Tickets to most park shows are free with admission, but exceptions include One Republic, The Eagles and the Moody Blues.

Upcoming headliner shows at Hard Rock Park:
May 8 | OneRepublic Bowling For Soup (annual pass holders only)
May 13 | Kid Rock with special appearance by Rev Run
May 16 | Volunteer Jam (The Charlie Daniels Band, .38 Special and Shooter Jennings)
May 23 | George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic
June 2 | Eagles. Special tickets required.
June 3 | The Moody Blues. Special tickets required.
July 4 | Sister Hazel
Aug. 30 | KC and the Sunshine Band

Upcoming specialty show:
June 28-July 22 | Toxic Audio. A vocal showcase where performers create sounds and effects using only their voices.

Upcoming shows with emerging artists:

Stunt shows impress visitors

Several shows gave park visitors a chance to kick back between rides.

The Malibu Beach Party stunt show featured dancing bikini-clad girls, diving tricks and flips, and motorcycle stunts. To win a date with Malibu Barbie, three studs had to compete for her attention by proving themselves bad to the bone. Songs such as "Stayin' Alive" and "Helpless" blared over the loudspeakers.

"I thought it was cute," said Maria Pietro, who attended the show. "I liked the motorcycles and
the diving."

The Roadies Stunt Show is a look at what happens when a deliveryman tries to play with the big boys behind the scenes.The roadies tease the deliveryman, Nigel, who tries to get them back, and in the process, speakers, lights, set pieces and a port-o-potty go flying.

The back-and-forth includes plenty of fireworks, bangs and T-shirt giveaways to keep the audience smiling.

The Country on the Rocks ice skating show was a real test run, with several routines missing from the show including one where a soloist is supposed to be hoisted up and over the audience.

The gaps were because the cast only arrived in town about a week ago, said the show's director Stephen Dewoody.

Still, the show impressed park visitor Lisa Schy.

"I thought it was fabulous," said Schy, a former ice skater herself. "At first, I thought, how are they going to ice skate to country? But they pulled it off."

Today's lineup

Hard Rock Park is not just about the rides. Park executives say it's about the total entertainment package, and that includes three live shows performed several times a day.

On the opening day, each performance has two showtimes:

Malibu Beach Party
5:45 p.m. 5 p.m., 8:30 p.m. * The park switched the times from the times printed on the schedule

Roadies Stunt Show
5 p.m. 5:45 p.m., 7:45 p.m. * The park switched the times from the times printed on the schedule

Country on the Rocks
6:30 p.m., 9:15 p.m.

Other musicians who will play throughout the day in the various segments are: Sanson Brothers, Paul Grimshaw, John Nations and Michael Knight.

Up in the Air

Every once in a while, visitors at Hard Rock Park will hear a screaming noise overhead, and it won't be coming from the roller coasters.

The park is in the flight path of Myrtle Beach International Airport, and park officials had to take that into consideration when designing the park.

The Led Zeppelin - The Ride roller coaster, the signature white coaster that loops across the north side of the park, tops out at just 13 inches below what the Federal Aviation Administration would allow. That doesn't mean that if you're a foot taller than average, you risk getting a buzz cut from a Boeing 737, but it means that it's essentially as high as the agency considers safe.

The park had to apply to the FAA for a decision on whether their proposed structure interfered with airplanes. It's the same process other builders have to go through, whether they're working on a building, a cell phone tower or a ride.