Summer Concerts 2003 ~~~ Press Release

When the boys of Big Blow and the Bushwackers blow their didjiridu in late August, it will rank among the strangest sounds heard during the longtime summer concerts in the park series. "They have competition," said J.W. Rone, chief architect of the series during most of its 17-year history. "We've had steel drums, pan pipes from the Andes and more different percussion instruments than you can imagine," he said. The bagpipes of this year's second concert by Road to the Isles also vie for the strange instrument award. "Big Blow has the edge because this is their third appearance in the series," said Rone.

"High quality, culturally expanding and affordable are the three major tests any band has to pass before we book them for the summer concert series," Rone explained. The sponsoring Morgan Arts Council has been meeting these guidelines since 1987 when the series began as a celebration of MAC's 10th anniversary. The affordable test is met by making the concerts series free. "Accessible is another of our criteria," said Rone.

"By putting the concerts in Berkeley Springs State Park, not only are they mobility accessible, but they are inviting by being out in the open in the heart of town. No one feels excluded. People just strolling by get sucked into the music."

Among Rone's favorites of the nearly 100 bands and individual performers that have played over the years are those that MAC caught on their way to stardom. "We've had three groups that went on to win Grammies and other major awards," he said. "We got them while they were still affordable." Cephas and Wiggins performed in Berkeley Springs State Park in 1990, Laurie Lewis in 1991 and Guy Davis in 2001. At least a dozen other groups are regional or national award winners, and most have recordings.

For the past decade, the series has presented eight or nine concerts, an expansion from the five that were staged in the early days. "The concerts were a success. Our audience wanted more," said Rone.

Popular groups have returned although Rone strives to space returns apart by several years. "Magpie kicked off the series in 1987," said Rone. "They've been back twice since, most recently last year." In addition to Big Blow first heard here in 1996, three other groups in the 2003 series are returnees. The brilliant guitar playing of the internationally celebrated Pete and Maura Kennedy closes the series. The Kennedy's first appeared in 1997. "Possum Holler is one of the region's most notable bands," said Rone. "They open this year's series with a concert at Cacapon State Park on July 5. We had them in the series first in 1997." The champion returnees are the hybrid juju-reggae-funk seven-piece Mama Jama playing in July. "Our audience loves their island sound," said Rone. "This will be their fourth appearance in the park and we know there will be lots of folks dancing."

Rone searches out West Virginia bands. "We've had the house band of Mountain Stage perform here in at least three incarnations," he said. Other legendary West Virginia musicians that have performed in the series include Bob Thompson and Carl Rutherford.

The culturally expanding and diverse test is met easily year after year with every brand of music from bluegrass, cowboy and old timey to African, Irish, Eastern European and Canadian. "We had an all-girl cajun group, a mariachi band and at least two groups that played music of the Andes," said Rone. "We probably could populate a section of the United Nations with the different nationalities of musicians that folks in Morgan County have been able to hear."

For years the concerts were all held in Berkeley Springs State Park with the Star Theatre as a rain location. "One of our most profound experiences was having to go inside with the Trinidad Tobago Steel Drum group," said Rone. "They really rocked the theater. There was a woman in a wheel chair who got up and swayed back and forth dancing," said Rone. Life got simpler in 1997 which was the first year MAC was able to use the Ice House as a rain location. "The real problem with rain is not moving the audience," said Rone. "It's moving the sound equipment. By 3pm we need to guess whether there will be rain or not." One wrong decision in 2001 had several MAC board members almost blown away as wind picked up the giant tarp they were holding over the band's instruments. "We became quicker about deciding to move the concert indoors after that," said Rone.

The other challenge for Rone and his programming committee is availability of the artists. "Trying to match the various bands and their schedules with the needs and schedule of the concert series is an interesting task," said Rone wryly.

In 2000, MAC began scheduling the first concert of the series at Cacapon State Park. "This was a request made by the County Commission," said Rone. "They wanted to spread the activity around. Since MAC uses county hotel/motel tax funds for the concerts, we were happy to comply."

The concert series is a great boon for tourism in Berkeley Springs. Each spring, Travel Berkeley Springs (TBS) begins getting calls from people planning their summer vacations. "Many of them want to know what the concert in the park will be before they pick their weekend," said Laura Smith, staff for TBS. "Our audience is usually about 300 people," said Rone. "When the concert ends at 7pm, they head out to the restaurants within a block or two of the park. It's great for business." The concert series like the fall Apple Butter Festival is one of the attractions of this nationally recognized art town that new residents often cite as a reason they relocated to Berkeley Springs. "It's very appealing to know that you can stroll downtown every Saturday afternoon in the summer and hear a great band in the park for free," said Rone. The images of a village green with hundreds of people on their blankets or lawnchairs, children splashing in the springpools and dancing on the sidewalks, is an attractive one for visitors and residents alike.

"Itıs MAC's signature program," said Rone. "The group's mission is getting art out there and the summer concerts do that in a big way."

According to Rone, numerous people deserve thanks for the concert series including MAC volunteers who help with sound, staff the information table and pass the hat. "Most of all, we thank the woman who originated the series," said Rone. "Linda Fallon's memory will always live on in the summer concerts."

The summer concert series also owes a debt of gratitude to the Department of Natural Resources and the management of both Berkeley Springs State Park and Cacapon State Park. Funding for the series comes from the hotel/motel tax revenues as well as grant funds from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts. In the past two years, funding has also been provided by the Pennsylvania Artists on Tour program. "Penn Pat has been a great new source for MAC," said Rone. "It's allowed us to bring in Pennsylvania artists like this yearıs Road to the Isles."