To 4-H Fair and Concert in the Park Aug. 3
It’s a perfect combo: Bluegrass music performed by youthful musicians in a fantastic venue during the Clinton County 4-H & Youth Fair.
That’s what area residents will enjoy Aug. 3 when Cats and the Fiddler play at the St. Johns City Park Performance Shell, located next to the Fairgrounds in St. Johns. The free concert is part of the weekly Concert in the Park series; music begins at 7 p.m.
No one does contemporary Bluegrass better than the trio of 15-year-old musicians, each of whom have been making music since they could hold a stringed instrument. In recent years, Cats and the Fiddler has entertained audiences across Michigan and beyond with a new style of contemporary bluegrass.
The trio of Shaun Richardson, James Richardson and Carmen Gibes made their professional debut playing with IBMA award-winning bluegrass bands like Rhonda Vincent and the Rage, Cherryholmes, and Dailey and Vincent. Cats and the Fiddler has also performed on the nationally syndicated Mitch Albom Show as well as numerous local radio and television shows.
The band performed at the 2009 Detroit Music Awards, and at the 2009 IBMA World of Bluegrass Songwriters Showcase and Bluegrass in the Schools in Nashville, Tenn. Their third CD, Road to Nashville, was featured in the nationally recognized magazine “Bluegrass Unlimited,” and a new CD, Come Back to Me, is generating rave reviews from music critics and audiences alike.
Concert in the Park is sponsored by the Clinton County Arts Council and the city of St. Johns, with support from the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts. In addition, the Clinton County 4-H & Youth Fair is being recognized at the Aug. 3 concert for its financial support of the Arts Council and the summer music series.
Concerts are held each Wednesday evening, beginning at 7 p.m., in the beautiful outdoor concert venue at the St. Johns City Park, located near Park and Morton streets. The St. Johns Lions and Lioness Club staff a concession stand each week that offers light refreshments. All concerts are held rain or shine.
For information on Concert in the Park call the Clinton County Arts Council, (989) 224-2429.