Aug. 30—Country, rock, blues, soul and folk music will echo through downtown Decatur as Concerts in the Park, a staple of Decatur’s entertainment scene, prepares to kick off.
The fall session of the free outdoor concert series, which attracts hundreds of concertgoers each week, will begin Sept. 8 with The Beasley Brothers. The concerts will take place every Monday through Oct. 13 at 6 p.m.
Originally called Concerts by the River and held at Rhodes Ferry Park during the summer, the concert series moved to Founders Park, adopted the name Concerts in the Park in 2022 and began holding concerts in the spring and fall.
“It being moved has increased our numbers and made our numbers more regular,” said Suzanne Langdon, with Decatur Parks and Recreation and organizer of the concert series.
“Who wouldn’t want to play at an outdoor venue in the evening with food trucks and readily available crowd-goers. It’s already an established concert series. And for our up-and-coming artists, this is the perfect way of getting their names out,” Langdon said.
Along with the country duo The Beasley Brothers, the concert series will feature rock and blues group Rally Stripe on Sept. 15, rock and country group The Natchez Trace Band on Sept. 22, soul, rock and pop combo Ray Sparks Band on Sept. 29, rock group Creedence Johnson Band on Oct. 6 and Elvis Presley tribute artist Michael Dean & Memphis on Oct. 13.
“I’m excited for all of them. Rally Stripe is new to the series, and I have never seen them perform live. That would be a big one for me that I’m excited to see because I haven’t seen them in person,” Langdon said.
Decatur-based Rally Stripe features Ken Looney of Decatur as lead singer, Dave Mixon of Decatur on lead and rhythm guitar, Jeremy Sharp of Athens on bass, Michael Poovey of Decatur on drums, Bill Whitmer of Birmingham on keyboard and trumpet and Susan Thompson of Decatur on vocals.
“We are aware of the many wonderful groups that have played this series over the years,” Thompson said. “Being musicians ourselves, we know how important having a vibrant arts scene in Decatur is. The Concerts in the Park series has been instrumental in keeping live music available to anyone. We are honored to be a part of such a longstanding tradition.”
Expect to hear a range a music from the band, whose set list includes “Glory Days” by Bruce Springsteen, “Midnight Rider” by Allman Brothers Band, “Slide” by Goo Goo Dolls, “Tumbling Dice” by Linda Ronstadt, “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton, “Hard to Handle” by The Black Crowes, “What You Need” by INXS, “Everybody Wants You” by Billy Squier, “Something to Talk About” by Bonnie Raitt, “Born on the Bayou” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Sara Smile” by Hall & Oates and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana.
“We focus on music that is not the standard list for cover bands. We all have music we love, and we try to put together lists that include those lesser chosen, but killer songs,” Looney said in 2023.
Other can’t-miss groups include The Beasley Brothers and Michael Dean & Memphis.
“It’s amazing that we have The Beasley Brothers, who are touring all over the country. Then we also have Michael Dean. Who doesn’t love Elvis,” Langdon said.
Food trucks will be on site. Organizers encouraged attendees to bring chairs and blankets.
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