Lanie Gardner to headline final Rockin’ the River show

As is tradition, the final Rockin’ the River show of the summer will feature a headlining artist that predominantly performs original music. The act on Friday night will be Lanie Gardner, an up-and-coming country and pop artist. Visitors to Millennium Circle at the River Common will get a glimpse of one of modern music’s budding stars.

Born in North Carolina, the 25-year-old Gardner currently lives in Nashville. While her songwriting is gaining steam in the industry, it was a cover that really put her career on the map. Her cover of “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac, which she uploaded to YouTube on October 2, 2020, has garnered over 50 million views. Since then, her audience has ballooned.

Gardner’s social media reach is significant, having accumulated nearly 750,000 followers on TikTok, and over 500,000 on Instagram. Her profile increased last year when she opened for and performed alongside country star Jelly Roll. Coincidentally, Jelly Roll himself made an appearance in Luzerne County last May when he was spotted shopping at Walmart in Wilkes-Barre Twp.

Gardner is keeping busy this summer. Her last major performance was in Chicago at the Windy City Smokeout, and she’ll be heading out to Ridgway in western Pennsylvania for a show on Saturday.

There’s perhaps no better time than now to see Gardner perform live, as her profile has never been higher. Her song “Chasing the Wind” appears on the soundtrack of Twisters, the box office smash film currently in theaters nationwide. “Chasing the Wind” has been listened to over 200,000 times on Spotify since its release last Friday, July 19. Other artists appearing on Twisters: The Album include country megastars Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert and Thomas Rhett.

Rockin’ the River is a free concert series presented by Visit Luzerne County and the Riverfront Parks Committee, and each show features food and drink vendors. The gates open at 5 p.m., with the music running from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Broke Pines, from Scranton, will open for Gardner.