Mongrel Dogs, Wurster to play July 1 ParkFest

Monday, June 30, 2014
The Mongrel Dogs perform at Robe-Ann Park (Courtesy photo)

After a rainout last week, the Greencastle Civic League will look for clearer skies for the first ParkFest show of July.

The Tuesday, July 1 installment of the concert series will feature Chris Wurster, followed by ParkFest veterans Mongrel Dogs. The show will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Bob Flanigan Bandshell at Robe-Ann Park.

Food vendor for the evening will be the Downtown Café.

Chris Wurster (Courtesy photo)

A veteran administrator at DePauw, music is a longtime hobby for Wurster, who has been performing more in recent years.

He picked up his first guitar (his brother's Stella tenor) as a teenager. That led to a folk group in high school, a pop group in college and a country rock duo in Denver. Then came family and jobs -- occasional jams with friends -- and a performing hiatus.

Since retiring, he's played open mics at the Swizzle Stick, the Greencastle Farmers Market, Starbucks, gallery receptions and as part of the Mother's Day "Harvest" concert with Fifth House Ensemble.

As he performs more and more, he is getting his chops back and adding to his repertoire -- think Jason Isbell, John Hiatt and Rodney Crowell. Wurster has also begun writing his own songs.

He also sings in a barbershop quartet, "Whatever Four."

Wurster's performance is sponsored by Mark A. Smith, DDS.

The Mongrel Dogs are three DePauw professors, Istvan Csicsery-Ronay, Ron Dye, and Alex Puga. Ron and Istvan played as a duo from 2007 until 2012, when they were joined by blues harpist extraordinaire Alex.

All three are singer-songwriters and their sets consist mostly of original songs in a variety of styles from old-time country and Chicago blues to contemporary folk and soul, all cooked into a sound they call "soulbilly."

They each come from different musical backgrounds and have taught each other a lot about these different styles. The goal is to combine all these influences into a distinctive sound.

The focus is less on playing out than on writing quality songs and arranging them well.

With three professors in one group, the trio talks a lot about history alongside the music, so they try to explore the roots while inventing something new.

Mongrel Dogs' performance is sponsored by the Civic League and Bittles and Hurt Funeral Home.

Upcoming ParkFest performances include:

* July 8: John Bean, Blues Side Up

* July 15: Monika Hertzig, Saturday Shoes

* July 29: Carly Rhine, Haley Jonay, October Scene

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