by Kate Evans
The Morgan Arts Council’s (MAC) Summer Concerts in the Park series is back with a spectacular line-up of performers this year. Concerts run every Saturday from July 8 through August 19 beginning at 5:30 p.m. in Berkeley Springs State Park. Jill Klein Rone, MAC Summer Concert organizer, shared the list and descriptions of these don’t-miss, upcoming performances.
Check the MAC Facebook page in case of possible rain to see if the concert is still taking place or if it is being moved to the outdoor stage at the Ice House.
July 8– The Weber Brothers
Rock & Roll
The Weber Brothers have long been renowned for their phenomenal musical talent, powerful songwriting and intense, high-energy performances. They have a reputation as the “Baddest Band in the Land” that precedes them and whether they’re performing as the full band or as a duo, the Weber Brothers always deliver an unforgettable experience.
July 15– Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer with Chao Tian
From China to Appalachia Americana meets Classical
GRAMMY award-winning American Roots artists Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer join Chinese classical hammered dulcimer player Chao Tian in a performance that combines music from China to Appalachia and beyond. Instruments include Chinese hammered dulcimer, gourd banjo, five-string banjo, ukulele, guitars, dumbek, cello-banjo and mandolin. Their show was borne of friendship and musical exploration and displays the power of music to connect cultures.
July 22 — Deni Bonet & Chris Flynn
Folk/Rock
Deni Bonet is a singer/songwriter and violin virtuoso and Chris Flynn is an accomplished guitarist. Together they play unconventional, melodic and fun folk-rock for all ages. They’ve played to sold out Carnegie Hall concerts. Deni has appeared at The Great Wall of China, the United Nations and the White House for President Barack Obama and has toured with Cyndi Lauper, R.E.M., Sarah McLachlan and others.
July 29 — The Players Band
Jamaican Ska & Reggae
The Players Band delivers sweet Jamaican ska and reggae sounds blended with American rock and roll. The Players Band has opened for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Isley Brothers and Joe Strummer and Grammy Award Winners Toots & the Maytals as well as The B-52s and many others. The band was featured at the 2021 Supernova International Ska Festival and has headlined Baltimore’s New Year’s Eve Spectacular and First Night Annapolis.
August 5 — Mathew Tembo & the Afro Routes
Afro-Pop, reggae, Chachacha
This award-winning world music band melds traditional Zambian songs with pop and contemporary reggae-fueled sounds. Using handmade instruments-silimba, kalumbu and kalimba, their songs highlight social and political issues. Chachacha are songs of freedom and redemption, originally sung by freedom fighters to express the oppression of the colonial system in 1960s Zambia. Tembo has toured and recorded all over the world and is currently a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh, where he serves as an ambassador of Zambian musical culture.
August 12 – Brendan James
Pop/Folk
Brendan James is an American singer-songwriter performing pop/folk music, reminiscent of David Gray and Elton John. James has reached the #1 spot on ITunes multiple times and has more than one million fans in 65 countries on Spotify. He has collaborated or toured with John Mayer, John Legend, Cat Stevens, Carly Simon and Keb Mo and his songs have been in over 15 major television shows and films worldwide.
August 19 — Phil Wiggins
& the Chesapeake Sheiks
Swing/Roots/Blues
Phil Wiggins is a two-time winner of the prestigious WC Handy award and is one of the world’s top harmonica players according to Living Blues magazine. Wiggins was honored with the National Endowment of the Arts 2017 National Heritage Fellowship and the 2021 Maryland Heritage Award, both prestigious traditional arts awards. The Chesapeake Sheiks play Piedmont and Delta blues along with the music of Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Django Reinhardt and others, along with some of Wiggins’ original tunes.
