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Van Rensselaer, Him&Her to kick off ParkFest season
The first concert of the 2021 season will feature the return of a ParkFest staple to the Robe-Ann Park Bandshell stage after a Covid-induced absence last year.
Local musician Mike Van Rensselaer will open the 6:30 p.m. show Tuesday, June 1, followed by fellow local favorites Him&Her.
While Van Rensselaer has played each of the 28 seasons in the history of the summer concert series sponsored by the Greencastle Civic League, he played virtually last summer due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Van Rensselaer promises plenty of Putnam County history in the opening set.
The singer/songwriter will perform his murder ballad, “Groveland”, which tells the story of the events surrounding the infamous 1861 Floyd Township double killing.
His “Talking Merengue” will give concert goers an inside look at the Putnam County Youth Development Commission’s first “Dancing with the Putnam County Stars” fund raiser in 2009.
Rounding out the local focus, the banjo/guitar picker will play his “Putnam County,” which he performed with members of the Fifth House Ensemble and his friends in the Fret Set at DePauw’s 2014 Harvest Concert.
Along with his usual eclectic mix of other tunes, as has been his custom for many of his Parkfest performances, the retired Greencastle Middle School teacher will also sing a song for the children in attendance.
Him&Her will follow Van Rensselaer at 7:15 p.m.
The acoustic duo is composed of husband and wife Joel and Tosh Everson.
With roots based in classic folk/rock/soul while stretching out to new alt/indie sounds, they play a little bit of everything.
They have a passion for making music and sharing it with others.
ParkFest will take place every Tuesday of June and July from 6:30-8 p.m. in the Robe-Ann Park Bandshell.