LEONARDTOWN, Md. – Vertigo Red will be performing live this Saturday, March 4, at the brand new Rex Theatre in Leonardtown. The show is for ages 21 and over and begins at 8 p.m.
Vertigo Red is “Maryland’s premier party rock cover band.” They play a variety of music, including songs from Queen, The Backstreet Boys, Lizzo, Nirvana, Amy Winehouse, and many more.
This new venue promises to energize its audience with a variety of seating options and levels to view the performance. The town of Leonardtown provides concert goers with many restaurants to choose from and enjoy before the show. For more information check out their Facebook page.
Joe Kurley founded The Rex in 2014 with the help of friends Darrin Atlas and Terry Manual.
“Darrin and I came up to the building one night when we first got wind that it was available, I think we saw a lot of potential for the building as well as the square itself,” Kurley told TheBayNet.com. “There were definitely people who didn’t see it, but I think we were excited from that moment on about all the potential”
Ever since the 1940’s, The REX in Leonardtown has been a staple of Southern Maryland.
The REX Theatre, originally known as the New Theatre, was opened on December 10, 1941, by Kenneth Duke. Since the building closed in 1986, it has been used as a restaurant. Interestingly enough, the old REX Theater was not the first theater in Leonardtown. Kenneth Duke first operated a silent era theater in the former Town Hall and then later in the Duke building.
Now, Kurley and his crew plan to reopen The REX Theatre so it can once again be the entertainment hub that it once was.
Kurley, a 44-year-old Leonardtown native, spent 14 years at the Tiki Bar in Solomons. He started as a security guard and eventually worked his way up to General Manager. He eventually wanted to break away and start doing his own thing.
Once Kurley bought The REX, he was deciding on whether or not to change the name, until he realized the name had a pretty cool tie to his son.
“My son’s name is King, which is Rex in Latin. So, I kept The REX, and added the crown,” Kurley told TheBayNet.com. “Didn’t want a name that narrowed down who we were or what it could be.”
For the eight years that Kurley has owned The REX, it has always been his and the team’s vision to re-open the theater.
“We knew it was going to take a lot of work but we grew and so did the town,” said Kurley.
Over the past two years, the team has been working endlessly to bring the theater back to its former glory. They wanted to bring a venue to the area that would entertain the locals and draw more people to Leonardtown.
Seating will include everything from full service VIP tables to balcony seating and standing room.
The Rex has already hosted many fun and entertaining acts such as Reggie Rice, Funkzilla, and the Evasons. They will continue to bring many big names and groups with a variety of different shows such as music, magic, comedy, and much more.
For more information and notifications for future events, you can visit the theater’s Facebook page.
Contact our news desk at news@thebaynet.com
