TicketsThe 2009 Rays Summer Concert Series, presented by Hess Express, as part of Rays Saturday Nights, was presented by Bright House Sports Network in 2009. The concerts began shortly after select homes games concluded and were FREE with the purchase of that night's game ticket.
Check out the recaps and video of the postgame concerts below:
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Superman appeared Saturday at Tropicana Field in a couple of different forms. The first sighting came as Rays left hander David Price delivered 11 strike outs over 5-2/3 innings to earn his first career regular season victory as the Rays defeated the Twins 5-2 in front of a concert crowd of 36,052. Later in the night, to kickoff the Rays Summer Concert Series Presented by Hess Express, rock sensation 3 Doors Down took the stage and performed many of their hits including Here Without You, It's Not My Time, and the hit that catapulted them to success, Kryptonite. The night marked the ninth straight Rays victory on a concert Saturday carrying over from last year's successful concert series.
Watch 3 Doors Down perform "Kryptonite" during the postgame concert »
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Cowbells were ringing and money makers were shaking from a crowd of 30,586 at Tropicana Field when the Rays defeated the Washington Nationals 8-3 on Saturday. Ben Zobrist sparked a seven-run sixth with a three-run homer scoring both Evan Longoria and Carlos Peña. Gabe Gross followed suit two batters later with a two-run blast of his own. The seven-run rally was capped off by a two-run Longoria double and the Rays wouldn't look back, emerging with their tenth straight win on a concert night. After the game, the energetic crowd stuck around to see Ludacris take the stage for the second postgame concert of the summer. Within minutes, he had everyone Stand Up, Get out the Way, and eventually shaking their Money Makers. The Grammy-Award winning artist was the first of two hip hop acts in the Summer Concert Series Presented by Hess Express. Flo Rida will perform on July 31 after the Rays take on the Kansas City Royals.
Ludacris performs the hit single 'Yeah!' at Tropicana Field »
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The Rays saved their best shot for the LAST inning on Saturday, June 27, when Willy Aybar's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth scored Jason Bartlett and the Rays walked off with a 3-2 victory over the Florida Marlins in front of a concert crowd of 35,790. The game marked the return of Scott Kazmir from the disabled list and Carlos Peña's 100th home run as a member of the Rays. Following the game, '80s icon Pat Benatar and long-time husband Neil Giraldo took the stage for one of the performances on their 30th Anniversary tour. They got the crowd going with hits like Love is a Battlefield, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, and Invincible. She also saved the best for last with a rocking rendition of Heartbreaker to close out the show and another memorable night for the Rays, whose record improved to 11-0 on concert games.
See Pat Benatar perform "Heartbreaker" »
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On a night when the Rays held a pregame ceremony sending four of their players and a total 13* uniformed staff to the All-Star Game in St. Louis, it only seemed fitting to have the game followed with a performance by a band that was catapulted to fame with a hit entitled All Star. Though dropping the game 7-2 to the Oakland Athletics, the Rays continued a streak of over 30,000 fans for their eleventh straight concert date packing in 33,273 to Tropicana Field for Turn Back the Clock Night. After the game Smash Mouth took the stage and performed hits like Walkin on the Sun, and remake of I'm A Believer.
*Late Sunday night, Carlos Peña was added to the American League All-Star roster, allowing the full Rays infield and coaching staff to travel to St. Louis for a total of 14 uniformed staff.
Smash Mouth performs "All Star" during the concert »
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The home team had a lot to put their hands "In the Ayer" for after a Rays offensive explosion and 8-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals. Sluggers Carlos Peña, Pat Burrell and Dioner Navarro came to life to produce five runs to add to a stellar performance by Rays Rookie David Price. Peña got it started in the first with a three-run blast before Burrell produced a run-scoring triple in the fifth. Navarro tacked on a run with a solo shot in the eight. The offense warmed up the Friday night crowd of 26,596 for a postgame concert by hip hop sensation, Flo Rida. From the second he took the stage, he kept the crowd engaged; throwing autographed towels and even his own shoes out to the screaming fans, crowd surfing on his bodyguard's shoulders and, performing chart topping hits like Low, Right Round and Elevator.
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Saturday's nationally televised FOX game had all the pieces of a great game; a sell out crowd (36,973), great defense, stellar pitching, solid offense and an American Idol. Jeff Niemann took the hill for the Rays only to produce eight innings of one-run ball, earning his team high tenth victory. Ben "Zorilla" Zobrist showed his range on a diving stop at second base. Jason Barlett ignited the offense with a two-run triple and a run scored in the second and Carl Crawford broke the game wide open in the eighth with a two-run homer, propelling the home team to a 7-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals. And then it happened. America's No. 1 rock group took the stage for a stadium full of screaming fans. The former American Idol contestant and his band DAUGHTRY kept the Trop rocking with well known sing-a-longs Over You, No Surprise and Feels like Tonight, before closing the show with their monster hit, Home. It all seemed appropriate with the home team Tampa Bay Rays improving their record on concert nights to 13-1 and 13-0 when they're in their home whites!
Watch DAUGHTRY perform "Home" capping off the postgame concert »
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It was a night of letters and numbers at Tropicana Field when the Rays hosted the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, Aug. 15. Scott Kazmir got the W. CC (Carl Crawford) stole his 54th base, had two hits and scored three runs and the B-52s performed a postgame concert, all in front of 29,632 rabid Rays fans. The 8-3 win put an end to a five game skid and helped keep the Rays in contention for the Wild Card race. Kazmir took the mound and delivered 6-1/3 innings of work giving up only three runs. The bats lit up to add fuel to his fastball as Crawford and Evan Longoria combined to go 4-for-8 contributing a total of four RBIs and four runs between them. The victory carried momentum into the night's postgame concert featuring the B-52s. Their energetic 80 minute performance showcased hits like Love Shack, Roam, and Rock Lobster. B-52s' vocalist Fred Schneinder even found a new instrument to add to his band's already electric sound -- a Rays cowbell.
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It was hard to tell who the headliner was on Saturday night at Tropicana Field. Some would argue it was the country duo Big & Rich that took the stage after the Rays 4-3 walk-off win over the Texas Rangers. Others might say it was Rays slugger Carlos Peña who went 3-4 with two home runs and the game-winning single in the bottom of the 10th. Peña hit his American League leading 33rd and 34th home runs to give the Rays a much needed lift in the Wild Card race in front of 34,281 fans. The back-and-forth nature of the game prevented Matt Garza from getting the win despite pitching seven innings and giving up only three runs before turning the ball over to the bullpen. Grant Balfour came in at the top of the 10th striking out two of the three batters he faced, holding the tie. Then Peña's game winning hit set the stage for Big & Rich. The dynamic duo took over the performance and dazzled the fans with their party-themed hits like Coming to your City and Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy, while mixing in popular ballads including their wedding dance favorite Lost in this Moment. Fans got an extra surprise when Cowboy Troy hit the stage to show off his Hick Hop skills singing I Play Chicken with the Train.
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The Beach Boys took the stage after the Rays fell to the Detroit Tigers 8-6 and turned a tough loss into some Fun, Fun, Fun for a sold-out crowd of 36,973. The legendary band played 90 minutes of music; all the while, fans swayed back and forth mouthing the words to old favorites like Surfer Girl, Surfin' USA and Kokomo. The band, coming up on their 50th anniversary, proved time hasn't slowed them down and showed the sold-out crowd what Good Vibrations were all about.
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On Festival Latino and Matt Garza Figurine Night at Tropicana Field, the former ALCS MVP was brilliant in the Rays 4-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Garza went 7-1/3 innings, hurling 10 strikeouts and only allowing three hits. Backed by his teammates' 16 hits, it was more than enough to give the Rays their third straight win. The win set the stage for the "Pavarotti of Salsa," Tito Nieves. The gates dropped and fans raced on field to hear the six-time Grammy nominee play an array of hits from slow ballads like El Amor Más Bonito, to the crossover smash hit I Like It Like That. Nieves closed out the Rays Summer Concert Series Presented by Hess Express in style.
