More Free Concerts Coming to Gulf

"Jon Bon Jovi, oh my God." Bon Jovi is coming for another free concert and that might have been good enough. "But Brad Paisley is coming too."

"Oh my God," screams Valarie Miller of Gulf Shores.

That's the kind of reaction organizers were hoping for when they announced two free beach concerts coming in October. "I think its great," says Miller. "We appreciate them coming and bringing more tourists because this summer has been really bad with the tourist industry."

Friday, October 15th, rock legend Bon Jovi will takes the stage. Sunday, October 17th, country superstar Brad Paisley will headline.

It all happens the week after the Shrimp Festival and the same weekend as the power boat races known as "Thunder on the Gulf".

"We fully expect with the boat races, the open season on snapper, the concerts, Bon Jovi on Friday, Brad Paisley on Sunday, we fully expect to pack this island out," says President of tourism Herb Malone.

Condo reservations are already a hot commodity according to Missy Zak with Meyer Realty. "Just in two hours time we already had 50 reservations made to come into town for those two concerts."

In July, Jimmy Buffet packed the beaches with a free concert aimed at getting folks back to the beach. These two concerts hope to be bigger and better.

"We're continuing to find ways to have something going every weekend to give people a reason to come. We do not want people to think we are sitting on our duffs waiting for BP to bail us out," says Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon.

And sitting down front at the Bon Jovi concert you just might see a familiar face. "Me and Bon Jovi go way back," says Kennon. "I just wish I still had my mullet, I'd be ready."

Free tickets will be available to locals in Foley, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. They will distributed Saturday, September 11th beginning at 8 o'clock in the morning in Foley at City Hall, in Gulf Shores at the Erie Meyer Civic Center and in Orange Beach at the Recreation Center.

There will be a limit of two tickets per person and will be handed out on a first come first serve basis with a valid government photo ID.