Rusty Copeland (left), Janis St. Louis and Alan Bleiken have teamed up as “Three Amigos” to bring free music concerts to Gyro Park this summer. The first performance of Osoyoos Music in the Park is July 3 at 6:30 p.m. Most concerts are Friday nights except when the street dances are on and they will move to Saturdays. (Richard McGuire photo)
Free music concerts are planned at Gyro Park most Friday evenings this summer, starting July 3.
Called “Osoyoos Music in the Park,” the concerts were organized by Janis St. Louis, Rusty Copeland and Alan Bleiken, who go by the name Three Amigo Productions.
“We’ve chosen a variety of different kinds of genres of music, so we’re trying to please everybody a little bit,” said St. Louis, who has also separately organized entertainment for Market on Main.
The genres include rock and roll, country, folk, concert band, jazz, blues and country-rock.
The concerts run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the bandshell most Fridays. The only exceptions are the nights of the two street dances.
Those concerts have been moved to Saturdays – July 25 and Aug. 22.
“It’s meant for all ages,” said St. Louis. “We want people to bring their lawn chair or their blanket and picnic dinner if they’d like to and come on down and enjoy the music.”
The entire series will cost less than $4,000, which the town provided from Resort Municipality Funding received from the province, St. Louis said.
That money is being spent mainly on the entertainers, but a portion of it is going for liability insurance, she said. The organizers are unpaid volunteers.
Although some of the performers are familiar to those who attend Market on Main, St. Louis said the funding would make it possible to bring in others who are not regulars.
She noted that Oliver has been successfully running free concerts for 14 years and she spoke with organizers there for tips.
“They give me all kinds of lessons from their experience, advice on what worked for them and what didn’t work,” she said. “I made an agreement we wouldn’t do it the same night as them. They do theirs Thursday nights, so if people wanted, they could go to both communities.”
Music in the Park Osoyoos has printed up cards with the lineup and they’ve also launched a Facebook page, trying to spread the word through social media.
The concerts are intended to entertain visitors to Osoyoos as well as local people, she said.
Asked what gave her the idea to start the concerts, St. Louis said she’s been arranging live music for the farmers markets for the past five years.
“I come from Vancouver and my favourite place is Granville Island,” she said. “It’s a nice thing to do in the summertime to sit outside and listen to some live music. Many other municipalities have been doing this.”
The July 3 show kicks off with Cindy Doucette, who plays rock and roll and country. On July 10, folk singer/songwriters Kayla Dawn and Kansas Lee share the bill. On July 17, the Penticton Concert Band will perform big band pop tunes.
Wild Organic Humans, a Cawston band, plays rock, blues and some originals on July 25 and Dale Seaman and Hwy 97 plays country and rock on July 31.
An addition to the August lineup is the 35-member Royal Canadian Navy Concert Band.
“I know in Oliver when they had the Royal Canadian Navy Band last time they said 300 people came to watch,” said St. Louis. “I don’t think that’s going to happen the first time here. We’re pretty excited about it.”
Copeland and Bleiken also helped in approaching musicians and are doing promotion, she said, and Bleiken will be Master of Ceremonies most of the time.
“I’ve got the feeling that a lot of people will be enjoying it,” she said.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
