Blues headliner to play the Fox Saturday

Newton has a rare opportunity May 3 — a musician with a No. 1 ranking by Billboard magazine is coming to the Fox Theatre.

Anthony Gomes latest album debuted at No. 1 on the magazine’s blues charts just a few weeks ago.

“That is one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me,” Gomes said. “It is a real honor.”

His show will be the finale of the annual Downtown Newton Car Show. Tickets are available online at www.newtondowntowncarshow.com or at the Fox Theatre box office Saturday morning for $12. Tickets will be $15 May 5.

“I don’t think Newton quite understands the opportunity they have here,” said concert promoter Mike White. “This is the biggest star to perform in Newton since Johnny Cash played at the opening of the Outlet Mall.”

Gomes’ music is influenced by the southern rock movement of the 1970s —some of his musical influences were on the Fox stage a couple years back when the Southern Rock All Stars played the old theater.

Gomes is confident those who enjoyed that show and southern rock in general will have a good time at the Fox.

“If they come to the show on the fence, we guarantee they are going to leave as a fan,” Gomes said. “We are pretty much a southern rock band. We do blues, but we owe a lot to the Allman Brothers, Doobie Brothers and Lynard Skinard.”

White said good timing and a little luck is what landed Gomes at the Fox as part of the car show.

There are more than 60 cars preregistered for the annual Downtown Newton Car Show, which will be on Main Street.

All the money generated by the car show and concert will be used for improvements to the air-conditioning system of the Fox Theatre.

The concert will be taped by KPTS for broadcast on public television stations at a later date.

Gomes is no stranger to television — a look at his MySpace site allows users to download a concert he did for broadcast in Ohio.

He’s no stranger to the Kansas area, either. He’s played Kansas City in the past.

“We know a lot of people in the area, and we love playing everywhere, including places like Newton,” Gomes said.

He and his band will finish a tour of the eastern United States this week before beginning a Midwestern swing Thursday in Arkansas.