Yep, it’s time for Weezer to rock Harris Park at last.

The downtown London gem is likely to hear a little My Own Way Rock and a little Buddy Holly in late July.

Ex-Guess Who star Burton Cummings is likely to provide the former on the closing night and California rockers Weezer, the Holly touch, on the opening show as headliners at Rock The Park XI.

The outdoor music fest runs from July 24-26 this summer, with nine of its 12 acts announced Friday.

Word of Weezer’s show set off a social media frenzy.

“People are really excited because they’ve never played London,” Jones Entertainment Group (JEG) president Brad Jones said Friday of Weezer’s London debut at what has mostly been a classic rock fest. “For us it’s an opportunity to grow our festival and to bring a new and younger audience.”

Joining Weezer (July 24) and Cummings (July 26) as a headliner is ex-Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar, who headlines July 25, eight years and a day after his previous Rock The Park slot.

Friday’s announcement confirmed earlier lfpress.com buzz about this year’s headliners.

Weezer and Huey Lewis & The News, who are on just before Cummings, are making their London debuts. In previous editions, Rock The Park had brought such rock icons as Steve Winwood and ZZ Top here for the first time.

Cummings, who has played London as a solo star since the 1970s, is making his Rock The Park debut.

“To keep a music festival growing and expanding, you have to try something new,” Jones said in a media release. “We’ve already began to experiment with adding a fourth night to Rock The Park with Gone Country music festival on July 23, bringing in people who may have never experienced Rock The Park before.”

Headlined by Darius Rucker, the one-day Gone Country fest has been a hot ticket since its lineup was announced last month.

“It keeps us around for years to come,” Jones said of 2014’s moves to a country fest and Weezer,

Rock The Park XI is the third of London’s major outdoor music festivals in July with TD Sunfest (July 2-6) and Home County Music & Art fest (July 18-20) held in Victoria Park. Preceded by its one-day country sibling, Rock The Park is at Harris Park near the forks of the Thames.

Jones Entertainment Group (JEG) launched Rock The Park in 2004 to support children living with metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), a deadly degenerative disease.

Rock the Park’s 10th edition raised more than $306,000 for London-based Bethanys Hope Foundation, which funds MLD research.

Since its first edition in 2004, Rock the Park raised more than $1.8 million for the foundation.

james.reaney@sunmedia.ca

Twitter.com/JamesatLFPress

- - -

IF YOU GO

What: Rock The Park XI, a London outdoor music fest to benefit Bethanys Hope Foundation. A fourth day of the fest, Gone Country, goes July 23 and is on sale now.

When: July 24-July 26, 2014, gates open at 4 p.m.

Where: Harris Park

Details: Scotiabank and Start Communications present Rock the Park Powered by Samsung. July 24 pass, $49 general admission, $89 VIP; July 25-26 two-day pass $89 general admission, $190 VIP; prices plus applicable charges. On public sale Saturday, March 15, 10 a.m.; single-day tickets TBA; visit Centennial Hall box office or rockthepark.ca or call 519-672-1967 or 1-888-999-8980

- - -

ROCK THE PARK XI DAY BY DAY

A selected guide to Rock The Park XI. Sources include setlist, from QMI Agency and Free Press files

WEEZER

(JULY 24)

Likely to hear: Undone — The Sweater Song, Buddy Holly, Say It Ain’t So.

History here: London debut, played Sarnia Bayfest, almost played ill-fated Brantford Hockeyfest

Social media frenzy: “We are probably going to be put in Twitter jail today for over tweeting because WEEZER!!!!!” @CityLightsLondn

(City Lights Bookshop) on Twitter.com (one of many tweets by many fans)

Road report: “Since the group’s inception in 1992, Rivers Cuomo always commanded a formidable live combo.

Resplendent in a white dinner jacket, lavender shirt and black tie, he led the group through its paces with My Name Is Jonas, Hash Pipe and We Are All On Drugs at the front end of its 75-minute set.

At the risk of sounding old, and deafness being the real issue, the PA sounded a little too quiet. Luckily the crowd participation made up for lack of volume through Beverly Hills, Pork And Beans, Buddy Holly and, of course, Undone — The Sweater Song.” – QMI Agency’s Gerry Krochak on Calgary X-Fest 2013 show.

Also that day: Toronto indie rockers July Talk, other spots TBA

SAMMY HAGAR & FRIENDS

(JULY 25)

Likely to hear: There’s Only One To Rock, I Can’t Drive 55 and visits to Van Halen songbook.

History here: Headlined with band The Wabos at Rock The Park 2008. Hagar & Friends 2014 lineup has Michael Anthony on bass, Jason Bonham on drums, and Vic Johnson on guitar.

Road report: “Every Hagar song had a message early in the headliner’s set — let’s party. Hagar has hobbit hair now, a change from the big ’do he sported as a hair metal star. He had visited songs from various stops in his career — Three Lock Box, One Way to Rock, Why Can’t This Be Love and I’ll Fall In Love Again — by mid-set.

These days, Hagar is a party animal. He has a tequila brand to pitch and his band’s name, the Wabos, plays on it.

If the brand is not mentioned here, it is because Hagar told a polite fib about never drinking before shows because he loves to get “(intoxicated) up” on stage. That was a cue for a scantily clad female to serve the star a drink — and later for Hagar to muse that no such women could be found when a drink was needed because they had gone off “to pee together” — in the way of their tribe. – Free Press coverage of July 24, 2008 Rock The Park gig.

Also that day: Extreme, Survivor, one spot TBA

BURTON CUMMINGS

(JULY 26)

Likely to hear: The man can play American Woman and Mack The Knife. Insert favourites here.

History here: Many appearances over the decades as a solo act with his own band, with The Guess Who lineups etc.

Road report: “The Guess Who segment was lovingly done — a definite highlight. Early tunes such as American Woman and These Eyes received an impressive response, although the crowd continued to cheer his standards like Stand Tall and Your Backyard and listened attentively to his newer material.

“Cummings’ stage manner, which came across as contrived and overly slick, this year was charming, accessible and more spontaneous.” — Free Press coverage of a September, 1981 Cummings concert at Alumni Hall

Class act: Dedicated his May, 2011 RBC Theatre show to the late legendary Canadian record producer and longtime Londoner Jack Richardson, playing hit after hit that was made through their collaboration. In a blog post, Cummings hailed Richardson for gambling on The Guess Who. “Jack actually mortgaged his house to take us to New York in 1968 to record Wheatfield Soul. From that album surfaced These Eyes, which changed things forever for some guys from Manitoba.”

Also that day: Huey Lewis & The News (co-headliners), 38 Special, Headpins

HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS

(JULY 26)

Likely to hear: The Power Of Love, Workin’ For A Livin’, The Heart Of Rock & Roll

History here: Believed to be London debut. Broke news of Burton Cummings closing show on July 26 on band’s website.

Road report: “Rockers Huey Lewis and the News are heading out on tour to mark the 30th anniversary of the band’s huge hit album Sports.

The Power of Love hitmakers struck the big time in 1983 with the release of their third album, which shot to the top of the U.S. charts and featured hits including The Heart of Rock & Roll, Heart and Soul and I Want a New Drug. ‘We used to be a beer-and-hotdog band, but now we’re hanging out with the wine-and-cheese set,’ Lewis said.” — WENN.com as band announces 2013 tour.