Friday, May 27, 2011

Summer Concerts

 
It's the summer outdoor concert season. Hooray! There are a number of great opportunities in my back yard. I mentioned the Rooftop Concert Series in a previous post. Looking forward to Meaghan Smith there in a week. I'll be sure to report on how that goes. My motive for posting today is to share the schedule of the Homestead Summer Concerts. These are held annually on the spacious front lawn of the Homestead Resort in Midway, Utah. I've been a faithful attender for many years, getting up to see several of my favorite local artists each season. There are several things that make it so appealing. Midway is in Heber valley, high enough that it's a pleasant escape from the heat of the Wasatch front. The setting is beautiful and peaceful. For whatever reason, the acoustics are generally wonderful. Perhaps the trees and other vegetation prevent echoes. I'm no expert, but it's always sounded good to me, except for the odd hardware glitch (rarely happens!). Of course, my favorite singer in the world performs there on a regular basis, that's Nancy Hanson, pictured at the top of this post. She's always at her best there and can be counted on to put on a great show! This year she's sharing the stage with Craig and Tamilisa Miner, two of Utah's finest acoustic musicians. I can hardly wait! I intend to check out some of the others as well. There are a number on the schedule that are unfamiliar to me, so I hope I can add some new finds to my list of local favorites. These concerts are free. The Homestead folks must have finally figured out that the majority of the attendees aren't their guests, but are fans of the particular artists. They're offing dinner on the lawn this year before and during the concerts. Smart on their part. There are many more summer concerts in Utah. Some free and others for a nominal fee. I'll report on my concert going activities this year and continue to encourage the support of local singers everywhere. Eva Cassidy toiled in obscurity most of here life and really only caught on with the D.C. area locals during her last years. Makes you wonder how many other great singers are out there waiting to be discovered!

Thanks to JaNae Kotter for posting the Homestead schedule on Facebook from which I made this copy. You will note she's one of the awesome singers this year!

May 28: CrosStrung
June 4: Cori Connors
June 11: Joshua Creek
June 18: Forever Blue
June 25: Guys Night Out
July 2: Joey Dempster
July 9: Cherie Call/Sam Payne
July 16: d. Scott Williams and The Ones
July 23: Drew and Lacey Williams
July 30: Debra Fotheringham
August 6: Nancy Hanson, Craig & Tamilisa Miner
August 13: JaNae Kotter
August 20: Duolusions
August 27: Julie Hill
September 3: Mark Geslison and Geoff Groeberg