Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley of America (Photo courtesy of Christie Goodwin)

WHEELING — The iconic classic rock band America will perform on Independence Day weekend on Saturday, July 2, at the historic Capitol Theatre in downtown Wheeling.

Fronted by the talented duo of lead singers and songwriters Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell, America is marking the 50th anniversary this year of its self-titled debut album.

The platinum-selling group has influenced generations of musicians with the distinctive brand of acoustic-driven, harmony-rich classics.

The show’s promoter, Charles “Chic” Porch of ChicP Promotions, is a local music lover himself and a longtime fan of the band America, which he first heard as a graduate student at West Virginia University in 1972.

“I’ve been an America fan ever since and have seen them in concert several times over the years, most recently in Pittsburgh about three years ago,” Porch said. “It was at that time that I said to myself that this is the band I want to bring to The Capitol Theatre as my first venture into the music promotion business, and here we are.”

Porch said it’s a perfect opportunity to get away from all of the stress of inflation, struggling economy, political tensions and social drama for a change for a fun night out on the holiday weekend in the Friendly City.

“People need to take a break from it all, even if for only a couple of hours,” he said. “What better way to de-stress than to attend a concert by one of the best classic rock bands ever, America. Come and relive some of those wonderful memories as you hear the band play ‘A Horse With No Name,’ ‘Ventura Highway,’ ‘Sister Goldenhair,’ ‘Daisy Jane,’ ‘Tin Man,’ ‘This is For All the Lonely People,’ ‘Sand Man’ and on and on. This is also a perfect way to celebrate and pay tribute to our country on Independence Day weekend.”

Special guests will be Hoard and Jones.

For tickets or additional information about the upcoming America show at the Capitol Theatre, visit www.venturahighway.com or www.capitoltheatre wheeling.com.