ORANGE PARK – Even when construction delays threatened the Rock the Box concert for the Clay County-based St. Michael’s Soldiers, the four bands and nonprofit group that sends care packages to deployed troops around the world lived up to every showman’s doctrine: The show must go on.

Once scheduled for a new amphitheater at the Orange Park Mall, Rock the Box now will go on as planned on Oct.1 at the Thrasher-Horne Center. The free concert will provide a night of music and comradery to the people who work tirelessly during times of war, pandemic and social unrest.

“All the bands agreed to move to a new venue, then the charity decided to give the tickets away to all military, active and retired, teachers, linemen, medical frontline workers and first responders,” said St. Michael’s founder Jim Signorile.

Bands scheduled to perform include the Dropout Kings, Brett Myers, saliva and Candlebox. The first band will hit the stage at 7 p.m. The purpose of the concert is to show appreciation to the military and first responders, while bringing attention to the organization’s primary mission.

“St. Michael’s Soldiers primarily sends care packages to the deployed. We’ve been around for 11 years,” Signorile said. “The biggest thing every year is the Stuffing Stockings for Soldiers Project where we send thousands of care packages throughout the world to our troops.”

Candlebox will be embarking on a tour following the Sept. 17 release of their seventh studio album, “Wolves.” The band’s self-titled debut album featured four Top 20 singles – “Change,” “You,” “Far Behind” and “Cover Me.” The band, which specialized in alternative rock and grunge, was formed in 1990.

The band saliva offers rap metal, alternative metal, hard rock and post-grunge genres. The band’s song “Always” reached No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Modern Rock Chart.

Myers was raised in Jacksonville and he spent 11 years in Major League Baseball before he retired in 2013. Since then, he’s released two albums, “Backwoods Rebel” and “Baptized in Gasoline.”

The Dropout Kings also have released two albums – “Audiodope” and “GlitchGang.” Soldiers and first responders can request free tickets by visiting RocktheBoxOP@gmail.com The Help Somebody 5 concert, which also is presented by St. Michael’s Soldiers, is scheduled for Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. at Thrasher-Horne. That lineup includes Green Cove Springs’ Curt Towne Band, Pat Travers Band and the Atlanta Rhythm Section.

Tickets for that show are available at thcenter.org or by calling (904) 276-6815.