Bob and Sandy Earley, Lorain Port Authority formally seal transfer of Rockin' on the River

LORAIN — Bob and Sandy Earley were retired for "about two minutes" Friday evening. The longtime promoters and organizers of Rockin' on the River signed over the rights to the summer concert series to the Lorain Port and Finance Authority that evening, on the last night of the 2024 season. Starting next year, the port authority will run the long-running concert series at Black River Landing, with the Earleys on as consultants through up to the 2027 season. Between opening act Ravenwood and headliner The Four Horsemen: A Celebration of Metallica, the Earleys alongside Mayor Jack Bradley and the Lorain Port and Finance Authority took the stage to formally sign the transfer. Bradley said Bob Earley has been rockin' cities, and rivers, long before half of those in attendance could find the Black River on a map, with Sandy acting as the "behind-the-scenes boss" for all those years. A decade ago Bob and Sandy Earley brought the concert series to Lorain, and along with it summer nights of "incredible music, fun and a little bit of organized chaos to our lives," Bradley said while a teary-eyed Bob Earley looked on. He, and Friday night's crowd, thanked the Earleys for their time and effort, and wished them well in retirement. Port authority Executive Director Tom Brown said the port believed it was important the Rockin' on the River stay in Lorain, and kept Bob and Sandy Earley on as consultants to help make sure that happened. Brown and Bob Earley also announced that Wish You Were Here, a popular Pink Floyd tribute band, would return to the waterfront stage next season. Brown pledged next year's concert season would retain the $10 ticket prices and other highlights longtime Rockin' on the River fans had come to know and love, and that season passes would be up for sale on Black Friday — with Bob Earley returning to the port in March to announce the 2025 lineup. "It's going to live on here and it's going to be about the same and we're going to keep getting bigger and better," Brown said. The Lorain Port and Finance Authority purchased Rockin' on the River for $225,000 on Sept. 3; with the Earley's consultant contract an additional $25,000 per year for up to three years. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.