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ParkFest going folk for Tuesday night's show
A pair of folk acts will compose the lineup for the fourth week of ParkFest at the Robe-Ann Park Bandshell.
John Bean will kick off Tuesday's free 6:30 p.m. show followed by ParkFest veterans The Fret Set.
Bean began singing in public in the 1950s when he tried, as an eight-year-old, to sound like Tennessee Ernie Ford singing "Sixteen Tons" to a bunch of Cub Scouts.
As a teenager in the '60s he performed at Hootenannies at the University of Iowa, and was much influenced by the folk revival of that era. In 1968 he was the lead singer on an album, "Fat City Jug Band," and sang at the watering holes of Iowa City, mostly at The Mill, the place where Greg Brown got his start.
His repertoire was then and continues to be eclectic, roots-based, including ballads, blues, old-time, jug band, cowboy and other traditional forms.
He plays fiddle for the Double Vision String Band based in Bloomington and makes the violins he plays.
The Fret Set is a group of friends who have been playing together since 1994, with new members added through the years. Their songs are traditional and contemporary folk and gospel.
The group is involved in community service and performances for schools, churches, lodges, private parties and retirement communities. The Fret Set also plays festivals and at the Pioneer Barn at the Indiana State Fair.
The Fret Set was recently featured on the "Putnam County Prime Cuts" CD that was made possible through the Putnam County Museum.
The band has been performing at the Greencastle Civic League's Parkfest for 15 years.