POA treats community to free concert

Canyon Lakers and their guests took to the main lake in front of the Holiday Harbor amphitheater on Sunday to enjoy a free boat-in concert. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and state restrictions on live concerts, the amphitheater was closed. The performers faced the lake and performed for those on the water.  

Sponsored by the Canyon Lake POA, the “Rock the Boat” concert featured Makayla Phillips and Kenny Marquez.

Phillips is an American Idol finalist and America’s Got Talent “Golden Buzzer” winner. Marquez is a former member of Renegade, one of the most successful Hispanic acts founded in the United States during the 1980s.

Approximately 2,000 to 2,500 concertgoers attended the event in boats, on paddleboards, in kayaks, and from land at Happy Camp and the causeway on Longhorn Drive. The high temperatures had many concertgoers enjoying the show from floatation devices in the water.

Marquez kicked off the two-hour concert performing well known classic rock hits. “The audience loved him,” said Doug Schultz, who produced the concert for the POA. “He has a long history in rock and roll. Kenny and his band are seasoned pros and it showed. They were awesome.”

Phillips’s 30-minute performance included popular songs by Fergie, Carrie Underwood, and Miranda Lambert. “Makayla was mesmerizing with her powerful voice and star appearance,” said Schultz.

During her performance, Phillips took a moment to publicly thank her firefighter father and all frontline workers.

For the finale, Phillips and Marquez belted out a powerful rendition of Sweet Child O’Mine by Guns N’ Roses.

“Canyon Lake had been waiting several months for some sort of live entertainment in our community,” Schultz said. “The last live concert was the Phil Vassar ‘Concert at the Lodge’ in February. It was rewarding to see so many Canyon Lakers having such a great time. Props to my production staff for working in 115-degree heat all day to set up sound, lights, and gear.”

Schultz is producing the upcoming Canned Heat and L.A. Guns concerts for the POA. Schultz said he is hopeful that the state will lift the restrictions on live concerts so that these shows can go on as planned.

The Canned Heat concert is scheduled for November 7, 2020. The L.A. Guns concert is scheduled for February 7, 2021. Both concerts will be held at the lodge.

Additional photos are posted on the Canyon Lake Insider Facebook Page.