Thursday Night Summer Concert Series

by Thomas Hoyt

Every Thursday night at the Common in Buchanan during the summer are a series of free concerts. These concerts are local bands who perform for the sheer joy of music. Bands range from full concert bands to small bands. The events are very casual and family friendly. It’s not uncommon to see families bring pizza from Milano’s and eat while listening to the music. You also see kids playing around with a ball or even a frisbee.

Being a musician myself who plays the baritone saxophone with the Southshore Concert Band, I’ve taken on the task to review what I can of these concerts. The Southshore Concert Band was the opener for these Thursday concerts, so I won’t be reviewing that one. (Read about it here).

The first band I saw was The Backsliders. This is a band of 3 people including a drummer, one who played keyboard and bass guitar, and one who played guitar and banjo. This all-acoustic band was very pleasant to listen. They played a mix of oldies songs, including at least one by Tom Petty, and some blues! One song really stuck out was an original composition written by Dave Van Dyke called “Small Town Come On Home to Me”.

According to Dave, he was inspired to write this song all while during the pandemic lock down. It was also during this time that he nominated Buchanan to Reader’s Digest as the Nicest Place in America. To our pleasant surprise, Buchanan won that nomination and was voted as the Nicest Place in America. So naturally the song was born. Dave did tell us that he does have a Christmas album that is going to be released. This should be available wherever you can steam music.

The next band I saw is called 3-Shots. This band is made of 3 guys all playing electric instruments. Even the drum set was all digital. These guys played a mix of oldies, modern country, and some classic rock. They even sang a little bit of A Capella. The music was enjoyable to listen to, and I could bop my head to all. The weather was cool for July and I didn’t stay for all of the concert, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

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Here are the rest of the Thursday night 2021 Summer Concert Series. They are held at the Buchanan Common, Thursdays at 7 P.M.

• June 17: Work in Progress Reloaded (enjoy your favorite country, blues and rock-n-roll)
• June 24: Blue Shoes (wide variety of tunes from swing to rock)
• July 1: Backsliders (acoustic arrangements of popular songs)
• July 8: 3 Shots (formerly Gypsy Red – country, classic rock & 3-part harmony)
• July 15: Red Deluxe Band (mix of rock, country, blues)
• July 22: Chippewa Project (mix of music from 60’s to present)
• July 29: Past Time (sounds of the 50’s & 60’s; Billy Shelton (Godfather of Do Wop) as guest vocalist)
• August 5: The Dean Allrick Trio (music from The Great American Songbook)
• August 12: Lake Effect Jazz Big Band (blend of traditional & contemporary jazz big band music)

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About Buchanan Common: The Common is Buchanan’s very own outdoor amphitheatre.  Sitting in the heart of historic Buchanan, it sets us apart from other local communities as something unique and special.  All summer long the Common plays host to many events: from our Saturday Morning Farmers’ Market to Stop, Lunch, & Listen to our classic Thursday Night Town Concerts to our Last Saturdays on the Common Concert Series.  In the future we look forward to expanding our offerings to live theater and outdoor movies.  The best part of the Common, all of the events held here are FREE to the public and just another way we remind residents and show visitors how great Buchanan truly is.  Hopefully you can grab a blanket, bring a picnic and enjoy some live entertainment in the warm summer air.