‘Brutal’ weather postponed this outdoor Boise concert. Others to endure ‘dangerous’ heat – MASHAHER

As the saying insists, the show must go on.

So despite a National Weather Service warning of “dangerously hot conditions” — with temperatures of 105 to 110 degrees expected through Friday — outdoor music will rock the scorching Treasure Valley this week as planned.

With at least one exception. The annual Neighborhood Concert Series — a free pop-up event produced by the Morrison Center and Lost Grove Brewing — has decided to cool it temporarily.

The Wednesday show at Castle Hills Park in Northwest Boise has been postponed — not canceled — because of heat. Building the stage and other logistical requirements would be “brutal” on workers, said Lost Grove Brewing founder Jake Black. Held in area parks, the series features local musicians, food trucks and vendors.

“We just don’t think it’s going to be safe for our team to be out there all day trying to get everything set up,” Black said. “And we want people to be able to come and enjoy it. And when it’s 105 degrees, people aren’t going to enjoy it. That’s the whole idea: Walk there, ride your bikes, be outside. It’s just too hot.”

Rescheduling for a date to be determined in August “makes more sense,” he said.

Organizers of other outdoor Boise concerts will forge ahead and jump in the fire.

Soul band Object Heavy and local opener Tejano Outlaw are slated to perform at Alive After Five. The free series in downtown Boise happens at the Grove Plaza from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays.

“We’re on. We’ve got the splash pad, some shade, cold drinks, and we’re working on another offering to beat the heat,” Jenn Hensley, executive director of the Downtown Boise Association, said in an email.

(Another offering? A Grove Plaza-sized walk-in cooler would be nice.)

Assuming their guitars don’t melt, rock groups Blues Traveler and JJ Grey & Mofro also are on track to co-headline Wednesday at Outlaw Field at the Idaho Botanical Garden. “Unfortunately,” promoter Chris Moore of CMoore Concerts said, “it’s not going to be an ideal temperature.”

Doors open at 5 p.m. Music starts at 6:30 p.m. To help fans cope, a “know before you go” informational email will be sent out with details that should help with the oven-like atmosphere.

Among the tips:

▪ Food and drinks will be sold on site, and — as is the case with all Outlaw Field shows — concertgoers can bring in coolers and/or picnics with food and sealed nonalcoholic beverages.

▪ Factory-sealed bottled water and/or an empty water bottle can be brought in and refilled at the Idaho Botanical Garden’s water station, too. In fact, the email says, “we strongly encourage patrons to bring reusable bottles with them that can be refilled at our water station.”

The largest outdoor concert during the heat wave will be Thursday at the Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater in Nampa. Country star Kenny Chesney is slated to headline a scorcher that includes opener Megan Moroney. In 2022, Chesney performed for more than 10,000 fans at the amphitheater.

Andrew Luther, general manager at the Ford Idaho Center, provided these highlights for heat precautions at the show, which starts at 7:30 p.m. (Doors open at 6 p.m.)

▪ Concertgoers are allowed to bring in one sealed plastic water bottle.

▪ Drinking fountains will be available inside the Ford Idaho Center arena for refills.

▪ The air-conditioned arena concourse will be open for people seeking temporary relief from the outdoor environment.

▪ There will be a swamp cooler at an emergency medical technician (EMT) tent for a “cool zone” area.

The good news? The National Weather Service’s excessive heat warning becomes a slightly less scalding excessive heat watch on Saturday and Sunday.

The sweaty news? Temperatures topping 100 degrees are expected well into next week, too.

Upcoming outdoor concerts include music at another Alive After Five on July 17 and at the Snake River Stampede rodeo July 16-20 at the Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater.