WATERLOO - For the past three or four years, My Waterloo Days committee members worked to snag Great White as the festival's headliner.

This year, organizers finally landed the Grammy-nominated group - the perfect catch for a hot summer concert. The band will present a May 30 show at the RiverLoop Exposition Plaza in downtown Waterloo.

"They fit into our budget quite nicely," said event director Jay Stoddard. "We think that a lot of people are going to turn out to see them, especially since it's free."

The Southern California blues-rock band, popular in the '80s, is best known for the song "Once Bitten, Twice Shy."

The band was involved in tragedy in a 2003 nightclub fire in Warwick, R.I. in which 100 individuals, including band guitarist Ty Longley, died after pyrotechnics associated with the band's show ignited cheap soundproofing foam. In 2008 the band reached a $1 million settlement with 300 family members and survivors of the fire. The band denied any wrondoing as part of the settlement, but its manager at that time, Daniel Bichele, pleaded guilty to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter and served two years in jail. He was released in March 2008 and no longer works with the band.

Unlike the Warwick tragedy, the Waterloo venue will be outside with no pyrotechnics.

Great White have reached a settlement with the families of victims and survivors of the 2003 Station nightclub fire that claimed 100 lives. The band agreed to pay a combined $1,000,000 to the more than 300 defendants. As part of the settlement, the band deny any wrong doing in the February 2003 fire, which was the fourth-deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history and took the life of guitartist Ty Longley when pyrotechnics ignited cheap soundproofing foam. While band members were never charged with any crimes, Great White manager Daniel Biechele served half of a four-year jail sentence after pleading guilty to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter. The state of Rhode Island and town of Warwick also settled with defendants last month for $10 million. Chris Fontaine, whose son was killed in the fire, said she thought the band was "getting off easy" with the $1 million settlement and said the band faced a much steeper verdict had the case gone to trial. No settlement money has been distributed yet, with a Duke University law professor placed in charge of deciding how to properly dole out the money to each defendant.

Regional talent will fill out the entertainment schedule during the four-day festival, which runs May 28 to May 31. Local bands featured include the Teddy Boys, Lotus and Checker and the Bluetones. All concerts, staged at Lincoln Park and the Expo Plaza, are offered at no cost.

My Waterloo Days will be the first event held in the plaza, located at the intersection of Commercial and West Park streets. Stoddard said the festival will give the city the chance to showcase the revitalized downtown area.

"With the downturn of the economy, this is one of those bright spots," he said. "It's a welcome addition."

Other highlights of the celebration include a carnival, fireworks, food vendors, a parade, dragonboat races, a craft show and a 5K walk/run. Thousands of people take part in My Waterloo Days events each year.

"Our job is to spotlight the city," Stoddard said. "We want people from outside the area to come and take a look around."

Contact Mary Stegmeir at (319) 291-1482 or mary.stegmeir@wcfcourier.com.