A native of Chicago and a graduate of the University of Missouri, Eric Bernsee has enjoyed residing in Greencastle for more than 25 years. Years of consuming McDonald's iced teas, Dairy Castle flurries and Marvin's GCBs have helped make him the man he is today.

It's the time of the season ...

Posted Friday, August 25, 2017, at 2:34 PM

We're right in the thick of baseball season these days as pennant races loom. And football season awaits, kicking off within the week in the college ranks.

But keeping our eye on the ball here in Greencastle, we know it's really music season.

As The Zombies once sang, "it's the time of the season when love runs high."

But it's also the time of the year we go right from one musically-infused event to another. And if your toes aren't tapping, you ain't trying.

Consider that it all begins Saturday, Aug. 26 with the eighth annual Greencastle Music Festival on the north and east sides of the courthouse square (Of course, you could argue that it actually began with the Aug. 11-12 Average House Band reunion shows.)

On Saturday, The Louisville Crashers are headlining for the third straight year with a brand of music and energy that's as infectious as pink eye.

Greencastle native Don Von Tress will return home to sing the "Achy Breaky Heart" song he wrote that swept the nation 25 years ago and made Billy Ray Cyrus a household name. He's revamped it a bit into what he calls "a grown-up version of the song."

Less than a week later, September's First Friday downtown event rolls around in collaboration with the annual Greater Greencastle Chamber of Commerce Taste of Greencastle event for the second year.

Among the bands due to play on the square Friday, Sept. 1 will be the Flying Toasters, an Indianapolis-based cover band that rocked the Music Festival a few years back. Look for at least one more band, if not two, downtown that night as well.

On the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, Sept. 3, it's time for the annual Crown Street Music Festival, an event that never fails to entertain. This year the featured acts all have local ties -- Chris Wurster at 1 p.m., followed at 2 by a performance from Julianna Goldsmith and Istvan Csicsery-Ronay with Alex Puga.

The group Legend Puncher -- an early alternative and indie-infused cover band featuring Rich Martoglio on guitar and vocals, Daniel Gurnon on guitar and vocals, Jonathan Nichols-Pethik on drums and Matt Cummings on bass -- will play at 3 p.m.

At 4 p.m., local blues man Tad Robinson takes the stage with soulful blues and harmonica virtuosity.

Closing the show with a 5 p.m. set is Blues Side Up, a Crown Street Music Fest staple led by Greencastle's Steve St. Pierre and Jonathan January.

But the music doesn't end there.

On Friday, Sept. 15, The MacDaddys, a popular Terre Haute-based band, will make a return visit to The Swizzle Stick.

And if all that's not enough, musical programs form the DePauw University School of Music are about to kick in soon as well.

One of the featured DPU events will be the first program of the 2017-18 Green Guest Artist and School of Music Concert Series.

That will mark the return (third) appearance of revered cellist Yo-Yo Ma to the DePauw campus, this time along with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago in a 7:30 p.m. concert Saturday, Sept. 30.

Yep, it's the time of the season ... get your toes tapping.