Kiwanis Park to host local artists for concerts

Three different types of music will be performed in the remaining three concerts sponsored by the Charleston Parks and Recreation department.

The park and rec department started its summer/fall concert series the last Tuesday of July.

The series will continue until Sept. 25 with a concert on the next three Tuesdays.

Diane Ratiff, tourism and special events coordinator for the department, said the concerts feature different groups that perform different types of music.

The remaining three concerts will feature an A’Cappella group, a ‘60s and ‘70s music group and a folk/bluegrass group.

This Tuesday, the Coles County Barbershop Chorus will be performing a variety of A’Cappella music. This group is made up of about 35 members and is an all-male group.

Derek Gilbert, the vice president of publicity and Webmaster for the Coles County Barbershop Chorus, said they will also add a patriotic theme to some of their songs.

“After the events of Sept. 11, 2001, the date was designated as Patriot Day,” Gilbert said. “It seemed like a good time to bring forth a program of patriotic music.”

Gilbert said some of their pieces will be from a previous show they did at Eastern in June.

He added that some members of the group are veterans, and the theme is something close to them.

On Sept. 18, Tequila Mockingbyrds, a local group that will be performing, will cover music from the ‘60s and ‘70s.

The last concert, Motherload, will take place on Sept. 25. Motherload is a local quartet that plays a variety of string instruments. Ratiff said this group performs a lot of folk and bluegrass music.

All the performances will start at 7 p.m. at the Daum Amphitheater in Kiwanis Park.

The theatre is outside, and there are no provided seats. Rattiff said she suggests people bring blankets or lawn chairs if they want to see the performers.

She said there are benches throughout the park where people can sit, but will not be able to see the performers.

Rattiff said there is not an alternative location if there is bad weather. She said if it rains, the concerts are canceled, but may be rescheduled, depending on the groups’ availability.

Rattiff said the program is funded by sponsors who pay for six to seven groups a year.

“It’s a great way to get the community involved,” Rattiff said.

She said students can come out and enjoy the different types of music as well.

“It draws (students) into the community,” Rattiff said. “They can meet community members, not just students and faculty on campus.”

Samantha McDaniel can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].

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