Concert in the Park
Music critics say Cats and the Fiddler is an “acoustic wonder” – and so do local music lovers who have heard the youthful trio perform previously as part of the Concert in the Park summer series. The award-winning group is back again and eager to entertain guests July 29 at the St. Johns City Park Performance Shell. There’s no admission charge for the show that begins at 7 p.m.
The trio of 20-year-old musicians, Shaun and James Richardson and Carmen Gibes, has been making music since they each could hold a stringed instrument. In recent years, Cats and the Fiddler has wowed audiences throughout Michigan and beyond with their unique style of acoustic music the features influences from multiple genres including country, bluegrass, blues, and jazz.
Cats and the Fiddler has self-produced four albums in its 12 years of performing together and they continue to grow musically and stylistically as the trio shows their love of country music. Their CD, “Come Back to Me,” was nominated for Best Acoustic CD for the Detroit Music Awards in 2011, and was featured in the nationally recognized magazine, “Bluegrass Unlimited.”
Their energy and enthusiasm on stage engages all who watch them, and band members continue to write new songs with stunning instrumentation and originality creating a new, innovative sound inspired by many artists such as Nickel Creek, Neil Woodward, Lady Antebellum, and Hunter Hayes.
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, Sparrow Clinton Hospital is being recognized at the August 22 concert for its financial support of the Arts Council and the summer music series.
Concert in the Park is sponsored by the Clinton County Arts Council (CCAC) and the City of St. Johns. The St. Johns Lions and Lioness Club staff a concession stand each week offering light refreshments; all concerts are held rain or shine.
For information on Concert in the Park visit the CCAC web site, http://www.clintoncountyarts.org/ and check out the St. Johns City Park Performance Shell page on Facebook.