Music Festival Series
Great music and entertainment are a tradition at Ocean Park. All concerts are held at the Bandstand (moved to the Temple if rain), unless otherwise noted. Don’t forget to bring your lawn chair to the Bandstand! Cost: free-will donation unless specified otherwise.
Sunday, June 25, 7:00 pm: Trevor & Company
(this is a sponsored event in memory of Albert and Janet Boulanger by their children and grandchildren)
Sunday, August 20, 7:00 pm – AN ENCORE PERFORMANCE! (free will donation)
Trevor Grenier is a local piano player/singer/ performer. Along with his talented band, they play classic rock tunes from The Beatles, David Bowie, Billy Joel, Pink Floyd and much more. If you have not had the opportunity to hear him perform, come join us for some delightful entertainment.
Sunday, July 2, 7:00 pm: BAT Bennett – singer/songwriter/guitarist
(this is a sponsored event)
Amazing. Phenomenal. Unbelievable. These are the adjectives most commonly used to describe the Singer/Guitarist from Texas, whether they are talking about his voice, or his guitar playing. Now a solo performer on the national stage, Bat leaves quite an impression wherever he plays. Bennett worked in ensembles as a bassist, keyboardist and lead vocalist. He played with ensembles in more than 50 countries and spent nearly 10 years performing for active duty troops and at U.S. military bases and embassies around the world. He soon decided to branch away from world travel and devote his time to performing solo. He returned to his original instrument, the 12-string acoustic guitar, with an intensity that was unstoppable.
With no set list, his performances are based on improvisation, fueled by requests from the audience. His wife and manager, Brenda, walks around and gathers all of the requests from audience members. His songwriting has been featured on TV shows like Pimp My Ride and has won grants from ASCAP two years in a row. His songwriting style focuses on melody, vocal strength and guitar passages. For more information on Bat and his CDs, visit www.wheresbat.com.
Sunday, July 9, 7:00 pm: Seacoast Wind Ensemble is an all-volunteer community band that rehearses every Tuesday night at the Shapleigh School in Kittery, ME. The ensemble is made up of musicians from all walks of life, from high school students to retirees, who come to us from eastern New Hampshire, southern Maine, and northeastern Massachusetts. Our members come from many professional backgrounds, almost all former high school or college musicians, who share the common goal of creating music together, and bringing it to the New Hampshire/Maine Seacoast area and beyond.
They perform an array of musical pieces suitable for the entire family, selected to encourage listener involvement and appreciation. Like its forerunners in the heyday of the concert band era, SWE performs classic marches and symphonic transcriptions. In addition, the ensemble performs contemporary compositions, jazz and popular tunes.
Sunday, July 16, 7:00 pm:
The Chris Humphrey Jazz Quartet
Chris Humphrey is a singer, a pianist, a composer, an arranger, a lyricist, and, within the Seacoast jazz community, is considered a local treasure. Best known as a jazz vocalist, Chris’s primary focus is the use of the voice as an instrument. His skills as an improviser and interpreter of song have been showcased on a number of recordings, early among them the album Almost Blue by the vocal group The Ritz, of which he was a member. The album featured Chris’s singing, composing, and arranging talents.
More recently, his album Nothing But Blue Sky (Cadence Jazz Records) was met with overwhelmingly positive critical response. Recorded with award-winning drummer Matt Wilson and Martin Wind (who comprise 2/3 of the Bill Mays trio) and Boston-based Mark Shilansky on piano, Humphrey blended energetic fresh arrangements with originality and sincerity.
Sunday, July 23, 7:00 pm: Woodstone featuring 2 musicians who use a variety of acoustic instruments on Celtic and American folk and folk rock, ballads, up-tempo songs and instrumentals. John Robinson and Don Levesque have been playing music together for over 30 years. They play at festivals and fairs all over New England.
Sunday, July 30, 7:00 pm: Jessi and the Cruisers play dance music of the ‘50s and ‘60s with a modern Sock Hop flair! From “The Twist” to “Splish Splash” and all the Hits of “Happy Days”! Get your poodle skirt and grease your hair back for their one-of-a-kind entertainment. CANCELLED, Instead, Kids at Play will perform.
Sunday, August 6, 7:00 pm: Bold Riley is a folk quintet hailing from western Maine, known for full vocal harmonies and uplifting originals. Fiddle, guitar, banjo, accordion, bass, and percussion provide a wide range for listeners. Members take turns singing lead, and a strong sense of community drives the energy of their music. Featuring Michael Hayashida on guitar & fiddle; John Gun on banjo & percussion; Julia Edwards offers vocals, guitar, accordion and tambourine; harmony singer Erin Sampson, and Dennis Boyd Jr. on base.
Sunday, August 13, 7:30 pm: The Ocean Park Choir (held at The Temple)
Directed by Jerry Scheinfeldt, presents an evening of music featuring a wide variety of musical styles to appeal to all age groups. The Temple Brass and Temple Bells will each perform. Bring your entire family, friends and neighbors!
NEW DATE! Sunday, July 30, 7:00 pm: Kids at Play combines Al Smith’s bass guitar and Ken Janson’s percussion skills with a library of backing tracks to create a unique duo! With song selections ranging from The Beatles, Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, James Taylor – to Willie Nelson and Rod Stewart, Al and Ken will sing and play all your favorite songs you know by heart!