Pork will be on the grill and ''Rock Lobster'' will be on the stage at the 21st Marc's Great American Rib Cook Off & Music Festival.
Ten professional grilling teams will compete for the title of Greatest Ribs in America at the Memorial Day weekend event at the Nautica Entertainment Complex and Jacobs Pavilion on the West Bank of The Flats in Cleveland. Prizes also will be awarded for Best Sauce, and attendees will vote for the People's Choice Award winner.
Returning champs Porky 'N' Beans (best ribs), Uncle Bub's BBQ (best sauce) and Famous Dave's BBQ (People's Choice) will be joined by Butch's Smack Your Lips BBQ, Carolina Rib King, Chicago BBQ Company, DD Stutz's Jack on the Bone, Johnson's BBQ, Pigfoot BBQ Company and Texas Thunder.
Complementing the food will be main stage concerts all four days.
Opening night headliner will be The B-52s, the quirky Athens, Ga., rock act known for such songs as ''Rock Lobster,'' ''Love Shack'' and ''Roam.'' The B-52s' 9 p.m. show will be preceded by a ''Love Shack Dance Party'' at 6:30 p.m. with music from DJ E-V on the School of Rock Fox 8 Stage.
Other second stage attractions include Mouth Wired Shut, Red Sun Rising, modQUAD and the Vernon Jones Blues Cartel on Saturday; The Strange Familiar, New Hallow, DJ Alex ''Beatboy'' Matthews and Tri-C High School Rock Off competitors Noize from the Basement, The Glow Pop Jiggly Jams, Deo Vindice (featuring students from Boardman and Austintown Fitch high schools) and Phaylinx on Sunday; and reggae legends The Wailers on Monday.
Fact Box
WHAT: 21st Marc's Great American Rib Cook Off & Music Festival
WHEN: Noon to 11 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday and noon to 8 p.m. Monday
WHERE: Nautica Entertainment Complex, 2014 Sycamore St., Cleveland
HOW MUCH: $8 adults and free for children ages 12 and younger. Reserved seats or pit tickets are available for the evening concerts for an additional fee.
Todd Rundgren headlines the main stage at 9 p.m. Saturday, and hard rockers Staind will perform at 9 p.m. Sunday with Michael Stanley and the Resonators closing out the event with a 6 p.m. set on Monday.