ASHLAND – A Paul McCartney tribute act and a young magician will kick off the annual 2016 Summer Concert Series on Sunday at the Guy C. Myers Memorial Band Shell at Brookside Park.
The night begins at 6 p.m. with Magic With Eli, featuring Eli Portala. At the age of 10, Eli was the youngest winner in the history of the International Brotherhood of Magicians Junior Championship. A Toledo, Ohio resident, the 20-year-old has been performing magic since the age of 3 when his father added Eli to his magic show. He has performed around the world in Las Vegas, Beijing and Rome.
At 8 p.m., The McCartney Project from Columbus will take the stage. Paying tribute to the music of Wings and The Beatles, Tony Burlingame as Paul McCartney and his talented band perform the legendary hits fans love at venues across Ohio.
Bandshell Coordinator Judy Webster said she is excited for another season of concerts to get under way and hopes the public comes out to see the unique, diverse lineup.
“Our 2016 Concert Season at the Guy C. Myers Memorial Band Shell offers an eclectic mix of all types of music from classical to Celtic and for the first time, a Polka band,” Webster said.
All concerts are free and open to the public and run from 8 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. at the band shell. In the event of rain, events will be moved to Ashland High School’s Archer Auditorium, Hugo Young Theatre at Ashland University, or the Little Theatre at Ashland High School. To find out if and where the event has been moved, call 419-281-3018 after 4 p.m. on the day of the event.
Other performances on the schedule are:
Thursday, June 16 – Jeff German & The Blankety Blanks: Midwest working-class music with strong melodies and clever arrangements.
Sunday, June 19 – Ashland Area Community Concert Band: The traditional Father’s Day favorite returns. The AACCB is recognized as one of Ohio’s finest and performs a wide variety of music.
Thursday, June 23 – Metro Jazz Voices: Known for a variety of classic and contemporary vocal music ranging from the great American Songbook standards, easy listening pop to jazz featuring four-part harmony vocals backed by piano, bass, drums, sax flute cello and guitar, all are award-winning singers and instrumentalists, from Detroit.
Sunday, June 26 – The Diamond Project: Dedicated to performing a true replication of the musical stylings of a live Neil Diamond concert, this group provides an amazing tribute to one of America’s foremost talents.
Wednesday, June 29 – The 122nd Army Concert Band: A special event starting at 8 p.m.
Thursday, June 30 –Diana Chittester: Chittester mimics a full band on a solo acoustic guitar using her signature percussive multi-part playing.
Sunday, July 3 – Ashland Symphony Orchestra: The annual “Pops in the Parks” concert returns to the band shell to celebrate Independence Day with the Ashland Area Chorus and Battery D, the 1st Ohio Light Artillery Company to lead the “1812 Overture.”
Thursday, July 7 – Everything Fitz-The Fitzgeralds: Hailing from Canada, this family band features high-energy fiddling and percussive step dancing in a variety of musical styles including traditional jigs and reels, bluegrass, swing, Celtic and gospel.
Sunday, July 10 – Chardon Polka Band: This innovative group performs their own original tunes combined with energetic polka-pop covers of artists like Lady GaGa and Justin Beiber.
Thursday, July 14 – Back Porch Swing Band: Ohio’s premier Western Swing band, this group features a variety of musical styles ranging from Appalachian, folk to swing from the ‘20s – ‘40s. Hot fiddling, five-string mandolin upright bass guitar and outstanding harmonies complete their unique sound.
Sunday, July 17 – Johnny Peers, Muttville Comix: Peers leads his dogs through an entertaining series of challenging and hilarious tricks. The show has appeared in Ringling Brothers Circus and on the David Letterman show.
Tuesday through Saturday, July 19-23 – Ashland Chautauqua “Voices of Freedom” : Ashland’s 17th Annual Chautauqua, features actor/scholars portraying historic characters at 8 p.m. Characters being portrayed this year include Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglas. Each evening, the characters are preceded by opening acts at 7 p.m. Daytime workshops are scheduled throughout the county.
Sunday, July 24, Nessa – A Celtic fusion group led by multi-instrumentalist/vocalist, Kelly McDermott and founder and multi-instrumentalist, Rob Crozier, Nessa has been describes at mystical, energetic and global.
Thursday, July 28 – Matt Young: Since 2004, Matt Young has appeared at many venues throughout the area. His genre is “good ole Rock & Roll,” with influences such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Ricky Nelson and more.
Sunday, July 31 – Wild Carrot & The Roots: With a foot in traditional American music, their repertoire branches in diverse directions, from award-winning original tunes to swing, blues and traditional songs, using guitar, mandolin, dulcimer, concertina and vocals along with bass and percussion
Thursday, Aug. 4 – Jared Mahone: A songwriter, musician and singer, Mahone has been touring nationally for nearly a decade, impressing audiences with a wide-range of talents that draw from Ohio Garage soul to story-teller poets and pop melodies.
Sunday, Aug. 7 – Cleveland Jazz Orchestra: For 31 years, CJO has been Northeast Ohio’s premier jazz voice, promoting jazz in its historical and contemporary forms through concerts with gifted jazz musicians, arrangers, composers and educators. The group includes Ashland University’s Scott Garlock, Professor of Music.
Thursday, Aug. 11 – Galumpha: A mix of art and movement, Galumpha combines stunning acrobatics, striking visual effects, physical comedy and inventive choreography..
Sunday, Aug. 14—Opus II Dance Studio and Ashland Regional Ballet: Ashland Regional Ballet was created as an outgrowth of Opus in 1989. Dancers from both the school and company perform in a wide range of styles, including ballet, modern, jazz and tap.
The concert series is supported by the City of Ashland, the Ohio Arts Council, the Ashland University Theatre Department, WMAN Radio and many area businesses, organizations and individuals.
