By KANDACE MCCOY
kandace.mccoy@register-news.com
MT. VERNON —
The final installment of the Summer Music Festival will wrap up Friday at 7 p.m. with a performance by new contemporary Christian band, Sweetwater, in the bandshell at Veterans Park.
The band, comprised of Larry Campbell on drums, Jeff Campbell on bass, Jerry Wilson on lead guitar and lead singer Tiffany Hails and her husband Kyle, who plays rhythm guitar, was formed three months ago.
“This Friday will be our first public gig,” said Larry Campbell, who also plays drums for Torn & Frayed and The Drifters, which played at the Cedarhurst Craft Fair in 2009. “We all go to the same church, Fouts Christian, where Jerry Wilson is the pastor. We decided one day to get together and form this band and see how this goes.”
Sweetwater will play all original music, Campbell added, with songs written by Tiffany Hails and her husband Kyle.
“It’ll have kind of a rock and roll feel to it, but basically it’s contemporary Christian,” he explained. “The audience can expect mostly upbeat music that will hopefully get people in a good mood. We’ll play a couple of slow songs, but every song really has a deeper meaning, especially for Tiffany and Kyle.”
The Summer Music Festival is part of the Mt. Vernon Parks and Recreation Department Family Adventure Series. Admission is free, according to Recreation Coordinator Wes Plummer, who encourages families to bring their lawn chairs and snacks.
“It’s the final series of the summer,” Plummer added. “And it looks like we’re going to have some good weather for Friday’s concert. It’s going to be one of those nights where you can come in and listen to what you can, enjoy an evening of cool weather, and since the concert is set up by the playground, kids can go off and play while their parents are listening to the music.”
As the series wraps up its season, Plummer said staff members are already looking for performers for the 2011 summer.
“It’s a program that I think definitely has a place here in the park. It’s just a matter of finding musicians and groups willing to share their talents,” he said. “Next year, it would be great to see some groups geared to the youth. We get a lot of contemporary Christian, jazz and bluegrass, but we would like to see something that would attract kids to come out also.”
The program will be moved inside the Rolland W. Lewis Community Building if weather conditions are poor, Plummer said. For questions or more information, please contact the Mt. Vernon Parks and Recreation Department at 242-6890.
