Three acts to grace ParkFest stage for season finale event

Monday, August 26, 2013

The 20th season of ParkFest, the annual music festival sponsored by the Greencastle Civic League, will reach its crescendo Tuesday evening with a season-ending, three-act musical lineup.

The free program will begin at an earlier time of 6 p.m. this Tuesday under the Bob Flanigan Bandshell at Greencastle's Robe-Ann Park.

First on the bill will be the Covered Bridge Country Chorus, singing from 6 to 6:20 p.m., followed by the rock group War Radio at 6:30 with The Fret Set making its brand of folk music at 7:30 p.m.

The Covered Bridge Country Chorus (CBCC) began in 2003 and has performed at various local events, including the 100th anniversary of the Putnam County Courthouse, Lights of Love and the EAA Radio show performance at the Airport Appreciation Days event.

CBCC has earned numerous awards and has qualified to attend Harmony Inc. international contest for the past five years.

War Radio is a Greencastle-based jam/rock band. A group formed by husband and wife Joel and Tosh Everson, its focus is on original songs inspired by musical influences that vary from rock to folk, funk to pop and more.

The Eversons added three additional musicians (bass player Dennis Furr, drummer Drew Cooper and lead guitar Steve St. Pierre) to the group and began playing their originals along with a wide variety of covers.

War Radio, which played at the Swizzle Saturday night to culminate the Greencastle Music Festival, recently has been in studio, recording a second EP.

Meanwhile, The Fret Set Band describes itself as a group of friends who enjoy making old-time music and sharing it with others. The songs are traditional and contemporary folk music.

Lenora Bowlby is on harmonica and dulcimer, while husband Don Bowlby plays the mandolin. Rick Smock is lead guitarist and singer. Larry (Rooster) Kersey has been playing instruments of one kind or another all his life. He is on standup bass. Bill Lorton, who played rock 'n' roll guitar in school, is on fiddle. Jill Dombrowski, a music teacher, plays hammered dulcimer.

New additions to the band are Mike Van Rensselaer, John Kellum and Cliff Gammon.

Van Rensselaer has played guitar and banjo for more than 40 years. He got his start with the ukulele in a high school glee club that did 1930s tunes.

Kellum, who was in the DePauw University A Capella Choir and was a member of the Collegians for four years (1968-72), has played with a variety of bands in a number of states. .

Gammon has been playing music since he got his first electric guitar in sixth grade. He has been in various bands since 1978, and plays guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, flute, harmonica, Hawaiian steel guitar and ukulele.

Sponsors of the final ParkFest 2013 show include Greencastle Elks Lodge 1077, Mark Hammer & Co., John and Diana LaViolette, the Compton Center for Peace and Justice, DePauw University and Ellen and Bob Sedlack.

ETA International will again be providing professional quality sound through Greg Hedge of Greg's Audio Support.

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