Lake George’s Summer Concert Series Tunes Up
To be able to hear free live music outdoors by Lake George at sundown would, by any standards, be worthwhile regardless of the performer. But the fact that the Lake George Arts Project’s Summer Concert Series, which begins on Independence Day at Shepard’s Park, books seasoned musicians from all styles and backgrounds only adds further incentive to be there. Below is a list of this summer’s performers. All concerts in the series begin at 7:30 pm (unless stated otherwise) in Shepard’s Park located on Canada St. in Lake George Village.
7/4, GROOVE THERAPY. For those who feel they require medical attention for want of party hits, the seven members of Groove Therapy provide something like a cure. The group introduces the series with covers from the best of soul, funk, rock, disco, pop, and R&B.
7/11, THE CHANDLER TRAVIS PHILHARMONIC. With a curious sense of humor and penchant for quirky showmanship (expect the band to perform in Santa Clause hats) the nine members of Chandler Travis’ band from Boston are bound only to their clever—and sometimes odd—whims. Lately, that whim has been New Orleans jazz.
7/18, C.J. CHENIER AND THE RED HOT LOUISIANA BAND. The son of Clifton Chenier, the first Creole musician to have ever been awarded a Grammy, Clayton Joseph Chenier continues in the zydeco tradition mapped out by his father with exquisite, bustling results. “You play zydeco and you see shoes flying off,” Chenier has said, and in his case, that is certainly true.
7/25, MISSY RAINES & THE NEW HIP. Blue-grass jazz act led by Missy Raines, an accomplished stand-up bass player, that surprisingly veers from blue-grass into technical jazz and funk instrumentals, and not without a glimmer of country-western.
8/1, PAUL CEBAR. Hailing from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Cebar clearly has an intuitive ear for hooks and rhythms. He renders them all the more zestful by pulling inspiration from Caribbean, African, and Latin American traditions.
8/5, THE LUZERNE MUSIC CENTER SYMPHONY. From the local summer camp that takes in gifted young people from around the world comes Pytotr Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony, conducted by Charles Peltz.
8/8, STREET CORNER HOLLER. Old time blues never really feels so old. Mark Tolstrup and Dale Haskell are only too aware of this. The band’s self-titled debut is a collection of raw, tough blues songs that add a lot of crunch to the classic.
8/8, ERNIE WILLIAMS BAND. Blues mainstay from the Capitol region Ernie Williams died last March, but his steadfast band is determined to keep Williams’ stirring music alive and well. The performance is a salute to the artist and his music.
8/15, RAMBLIN’ JUG STOMPERS. When the band’s members call themselves Bowtie, Cousin Clyde, Mr. Eck, and Wild Bill, you know that its fondness for jug and traditional string music is more than a side-interest. It must be a passion. Also on the band’s set list are classic covers from Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Hank Williams, and others.
8/22, BRAVE COMBO. Working with fresh music traditions from around the world, Brave Combo has recorded Japanese pop, tango, rock n’ roll, and orchestral works. The band has been the recipient of two Grammy awards in addition to seven nominations, and worked with the likes of Tiny Tim and David Byrne.
8/23, 7 pm, FESTIVAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. Nigel Armstrong, who became the highest-ranking American violin soloist in the 14th Tchaikovsky International Competition, performs Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto Op.35 and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No.4. A fireworks display over Lake George follows the performance.
8/29, ROSANNE RANERI. Vocalist and singer-songwriter from the Capitol region, Raneri’s most recent album, Shift, is a collection of folk-pop songs with an electro twist.
8/29, LOREN BARRIGAR AND MARK MAZENGARB. With technically gifted guitarists of the past like Chet Atkins as their role models, these two seasoned guitarists—Barrigar from central New York, Mazengarb from New Zealand—collaborate to make what they have called “finger-style.”
