Ohio Valley residents looking for any sign that life is returning to some semblance of normalcy need only drive past 338 National Road in Wheeling next Friday.
There, you’ll find lines of parked cars stretched well past reasonable walking distance. You’ll find a loud and raucous crowd partying into the night and enjoying the sounds of nostalgia and great live music.
Get your pennies ready folks, because The Clarks are returning to Wheeling and playing at Generations on Friday, June 25. Tickets are still available for purchase online, as well as the restaurant. But act fast, as this show predictably is expected to sell out.
That’s because a summertime Clarks show at Generations has been somewhat of a rite of passage in the Ohio Valley for the better part of nearly two decades.
While The Clarks may not have received the national attention through the years that many of their fans and music lovers in the tri-state area in general, believe they should, the Pittsburgh-based band is widely popular here in the Valley.
Clarks shows are always packed at Generations.
“It’s kind of like a summer staple,” said Mike Duplaga, owner of Generations Restaurant & Pub. “Last year was the first year in probably 15-18 that they didn’t play at Generations.”
The show takes place on Generations outdoor stage, with a bowl that can fit about 750-800 people, plus an additional 50-60 on the revamped and improved elevated deck near the stage. The recent addition to the deck added 24 seats and is already sold out for the show.
Duplaga admitted he intended to put together a VIP package for the deck seats, but those tickets sold out nearly immediately upon release.
Scott Blasey, the lead singer for The Clarks, plays to the crowd during the summer of 2009 show. 
An aerial shot of the updated deck and stage area at Generations.
Back to Normal
Live music returned to Generations back in April, and the response has been positive and continues to grow.
While it doesn’t boast the seating capacity as venues like WesBanco Arena and the Capitol, Generations has hosted a number of big-name acts through the years, including The Clarks, the late Joe Diffie, Luke Bryan, and multiple appearances by Eric Church.
The Clarks will be the biggest name to take the stage post-COVID.
“We started back in April, and it’s gone pretty well,” Duplaga said. “It’s not quite back to the numbers we’re used to having, but it’s growing.”
Duplaga said he’s also in talks to bring in other big name acts coming up, but as the deals aren’t yet finalized, he declined to reveal which acts may be coming.
But know that music at Generations is alive and well, and the major events are coming, starting next week.
Opening for The Clarks will be Justin Sellers. Sellers, who is one half of fellow band The Vagrants, along with Brian Jump, will be performing a solo set to kick off the night.
The little amphitheater atmosphere at Generations has become slightly more intimate through the years as additions to the restaurant have trimmed the overall capacity.
“As we’ve added on to the restaurant, the bowl has gotten a little smaller,” Duplaga admitted. “We’ve had as many as 1,400 out there for shows. Eric Church had 1,400. Joe Diffie had about 1,200.”
Eight hundred and fifty is still a good number, and the energy emanating from fans who are no doubt starving for a great live show will make it seem like thousands are in the crowd.
