Summer Tunes Are Almost Here

On any given Wednesday night in the summertime, hundreds, sometimes thousands of people crowd the town green to hear great live music.

It’s not an unusual site for those familiar with the community but for those new to town or who are not downtown on Wednesdays, it's called Music on the Green, and for residents near and far, it's called a lot of fun.

Celebrating its 18th year now, the Music on the Green Concert Series is about to launch once again, with founder and director Jerry Limmer gearing up for what he calls one of the best seasons yet.

With the first music event set for June 1 with the Larry Ayce Band, this season will bring 14 bands performing a wide variety of genres from country, rock, soul and doo wop. The event draws more than 200 applicants hoping to perform for the venue, leaving LImmer with the tough job of hand selecting the best bands appealing to the most people.

"Some bands want to play this venue so bad they'll knock their prices way down but I don't actually want them to do that because they have to make a living too," Limmer said. "For me what we do is special because it's all about the preservation of good, live music, which not too many people get to hear nowadays, especially some of the older people."

Limmer has watched the program grow from its first event without a stage and an audience of about 300 people to a event that draws as many as 3,000 people for a big show.

"What I classify as a show band, like the Neil Diamond cover band who always comes back, usually draws the biggest crowds," Limmer said. "One of the biggest shows we did two years ago was a cover band for Rod Stewart."

But for Bill and Shirley Watkins, every Wednesday night show is a must see.

"We get there early every week with our lawn chairs, sit back and have a good time," Watkins said. "We enjoy all different kinds of music, and the bands are always top notch, so you really can't beat it."

Another popular aspect to the program is the car show that runs simultaneously on the municipal parking lot. Antique cars, hot rods, street rods and custom cars show off their wheels and compete for three trophies each week, providing entertainment for families enjoying the music.

"We get around 120 car owners showing up each week, coming from all over the state and out of state as well," car show organizer Al DellaFerra said. "Between the Music on the Green and what we do, it's quite a show."

Always to expand and improve his program, Limmer plans to add more stage lighting and lasers, which should be more noticeable in August, when it becomes darker earlier.

From seeking sponsorships for the program beginning in January to setting up for the show every Wednesday morning at 5:30, Limmer admits the program is a lot of work, but watching the kids dance during the shows, and families enjoy themselves makes it all worth it.

"It's a lot of work, but it's a lot of fun, and it really pays off watching how much fun everybody has, and hearing feedback from people about how they liked the show," Limmer said. "I've heard from people all around the state and they always say no other town is doing anything that compares with this program."

This summer's schedule, every Wednesday from 7-9 p.m., is as follows:

June 1: The Laryy Ayce Band
June 8: Memphis Soul Spectacular
June 15: Gunsmoke
June 22: The Kathy Tompson Band
June 19; The Barons
July 6: The Tirebiter Band
July 13: The Diamond Collection
July 20: Beatles Forever
July 27th: The Sam Vinci Orchestra
Aug. 3: The Barn Burners
Aug. 10: Red Satin
Aug. 17: Shaded Soul
Aug. 24: The Eddie Forman Orchestra
Aug 31. The Dyn-o-Myte Disco Review