The first two shows for the 2023 summer concert season at the Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor will feature an acclaimed singer-songwriter and one of the most popular rock bands of the late 1990s.
Rufus Wainwright, a Canadian-American songwriter, will perform at the Criterion on Saturday, July 1. The Wallflowers, fronted by Jakob Dylan, will perform there on Wednesday, Aug. 2. Both shows go on sale this week via the Waterfront Concerts website.
Folk-rock artist Wainwright has released nine studio albums, with a 10th set to come out later this year. He is the son of fellow songwriters Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, and is the brother of songwriter Martha Wainwright.
He’ll be joined at his Bar Harbor concert by his half-sister, Lucy Wainwright Roche, and Maine songwriter Lyle Divinsky.
The Wallflowers are best known for their string of hits in the late 1990s from their 1996 album “Bringing Down the Horse,” which includes the 1998 Grammy winner for Best Rock Song, “One Headlight” and “6th Avenue Heartache.”
The band, fronted by Jakob Dylan, son of Bob Dylan, has released seven albums, most recently “Exit Wounds” in 2021.
The Criterion Theatre is an 877-seat art deco-style theater located on Cottage Street in downtown Bar Harbor. After many years struggling to reopen, the building was purchased in 2014 by a non-profit organization, and reopened in 2015 after a full renovation. It shows first-run movies year-round, and offers arts and entertainment programming throughout the year as well.
Waterfront Concerts has produced shows at the Criterion since 2021. That company also runs the Maine Savings Amphitheater in Bangor, and produces shows at venues including the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor and the Cross Insurance Arena and Merrill Auditorium in Portland.
