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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A little bit of heat didn&#8217;t stop hundreds of people from coming out for a night of music, food and fun.</p><p>Wilkes-Barre played host to the second Rockin&#8217; the River of the summer Friday night, and despite sweltering temperatures, the event turned out to be a cool showcase of some independent music and a wide variety of food and beverage options.</p><p>Luzerne County Manager C. David Pedri was very pleased with Friday&#8217;s turnout, after the previous week&#8217;s concert held more than 1,000 people.</p><p>&#8220;I want to see little kids come out, I want to see seniors come out, I want to see everything in between,&#8221; Pedri said.</p><p>Put away were the slacks and dress shoes of a long work week, and out came the flip-flops and shorts as concertgoers tried just about anything to beat the heat.</p><p>With temperatures reaching as high as 95 degrees Friday, it remained to be seen whether or not the show would attain the smash success of last Friday&#8217;s concert, which featured an Elton John cover band and also had much more agreeable temperatures.</p><p>While the numbers may have dropped off slightly, music fans, kids of all ages, and even a few pets still came out in droves to the Riverfront Commons on the banks of the Susquehanna River.</p><p>&#8220;Anybody using this space is better than no one using it,&#8221; Pedri said.</p><p>The bands themselves even noted the severe heat, with Mike Mizwinski of MiZ, one of the featured bands performing on Friday night, mentioning that he was having trouble keeping his guitar in tune because of the weather. The Scranton-based band opened the show, while Brooklyn, N.Y.-based The National Reserve was the main act.</p><p>Fans found creative ways to tolerate the scorching temperatures, lounging in the shade of the many trees dotting the waterfront, using umbrellas to keep the sun off of their faces and cooling down with a bottle of water or a serving of ice cream from the Marshall&#8217;s Ice Cream food truck.</p><p>Some people were even brave enough to combat the sun directly, without any protection.</p><p>&#8220;The sun never bothered me, and it doesn&#8217;t bother me now,&#8221; said Mike Sillup, one of the hundreds of people in attendance.</p><p>For those who couldn&#8217;t handle the conditions, Geisinger had a medical tent set up to the right of the main stage, and roving medics tended to those who had fallen ill or needed assistance.</p><p>Medic Jack Lasky had some advice for anyone wishing to beat the heat.</p><p>&#8220;Stay cool, stay hydrated, and if you&#8217;re feeling ill come visit us at the tent.&#8221;</p><p>Next week will wrap up the three-part Rockin&#8217; the River concert series, with musical guests County Lines and A Proud Monkey, a Dave Matthews tribute band.</p><p>The event sponsors are: Berkshire Hathaway GUARD, Coal Creative, the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce, King&#8217;s College, Times Leader, Susquehanna Brewing Co., Wilkes University, the Diamond City Partnership and Wilkes-Barre city.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_TTL072019RockinTheRiver_4-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">MiZ performs during Rockin&#8217; the River on the River Common in Wilkes-Barre on Friday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_TTL072019RockinTheRiver_4-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>MiZ performs during Rockin&#8217; the River on the River Common in Wilkes-Barre on Friday. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_TTL072019RockinTheRiver_5-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Ange Stefanowicz, of Harding, makes her own shade with her umbrella as she listens to MiZ on the River Common on Friday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_TTL072019RockinTheRiver_5-2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Ange Stefanowicz, of Harding, makes her own shade with her umbrella as she listens to MiZ on the River Common on Friday. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_TTL072019RockinTheRiver_2-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Spectators take shelter from the sun under the trees as they listen to the music on the River Common during Rockin&#8217; the River on Friday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_TTL072019RockinTheRiver_2-2.jpg</photo2><caption2>Spectators take shelter from the sun under the trees as they listen to the music on the River Common during Rockin&#8217; the River on Friday. </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_TTL072019RockinTheRiver_3-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Amanda Cromer, of Dallas, drinks an adult beverage from Susquehanna Brewing Co. during Rockin&#8217; the River on Friday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_TTL072019RockinTheRiver_3-2.jpg</photo3><caption3>Amanda Cromer, of Dallas, drinks an adult beverage from Susquehanna Brewing Co. during Rockin&#8217; the River on Friday. </caption3><photoCredit3></photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_TTL072019RockinTheRiver_1-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Drummer Jami Novak performs with MiZ during the opening act of Rockin&#8217; the River on the River Common in Wilkes-Barre on Friday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_TTL072019RockinTheRiver_1-2.jpg</photo4><caption4>Drummer Jami Novak performs with MiZ during the opening act of Rockin&#8217; the River on the River Common in Wilkes-Barre on Friday. </caption4><photoCredit4></photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Kevin Carroll</p><p>kcarroll@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Kevin Carroll at 570-954-8360 or on Twitter @TLKevinCarroll</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Heat doesn’t stop Rockin’ the River