HOW TO GO
What: The Fifth Third Bank West Chester Concert Series featuring BlueStone Ivory on Saturday, May 30
Where: Keehner Park, Keehner Park Amphitheatre, 7211 Barret Road, West Chester
When: Saturdays, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Cost: Free and open to the public.
More info: www.WestChesterOH.org
2015 concert schedule
5/30 – BlueStone Ivory
6/6 – P&G Big Band
6/13 – UC Community Band
6/20 – Miami University Steel Drum Band
6/27 – West Chester Symphony – Ice cream social
7/4 – No concert
7/11 – Stagger Lee
7/18 – Laura Hazelbaker and the BuckeyeRoos
7/25 – Keith Jones and the Makeshifts
8/8 – Ohh La La
8/15 – Ohio Valley Big Band
8/22 – Nazarene Community Band
9/7 – West Chester Symphony
WEST CHESTER – Classic rockers BlueStone Ivory will return to the stage in West Chester to kick-off the 2015 Fifth Third Bank West Chester Concert Series at Keehner Park Saturday, May 30 at 7 p.m.
“We are going to have a blast. It’s going to be very patriotic,” said original BlueStone Ivory member Gary Rossignol, who acts as business manager and plays sax and flute in the band. “We will do our rendition of ‘God Bless the U.S.A.’ and we’ll give out hand-held flags to everyone in the audience, so they can stand and wave their flags after we recognize all of the veterans in the crowd,”
As a Cincinnati-based, family-friendly band, BlueStone Ivory will entertain the crowd with a variety of horn-driven, classic rock music.
“It’s going to be a fun show. We will keep the audience on their feet, and they will be singing along. A lot of people know the songs,” he said.
Audiences can expect to hear some crowd favorites, including a Beatles medley, a Memphis medley, and a song or two from Chicago.
“I live in West Chester. It’s a great venue. It sounds great and the crowd is always receptive. We enjoy it there,” Rossignol said.
He said the band’s newest member, Tom Hauenstein, will play his first show with the band at Keehner Park. Hauenstein joined the group after band member Ted Donohoue’s untimely passing on Nov. 30, 2014 at age 63.
Joining Rossignol and Hauenstein are band members Jim Kastrup, Rusty Bird, Rick Schmidt, Lee Heftel and Chris Chapman.
Concerts will begin at 7 p.m. each week at the Keehner Park Amphitheatre stage. The 12-week concert series will showcase acts like the Stagger Lee, P&G Big Band, Laura Hazelbaker and the BuckeyeRoos, Keith Jones and the Makeshifts, Ohh La La and the Nazarene Community Band, among others.
“We offer a wide variety of musical styles that appeal to families. It is a comfortable kind of an environment to come and let the kids play at the park, and mom, dad, grandma and grandpa can enjoy the music,” said Barb Wilson, spokeswoman for West Chester Twp.
With elevated lawn seating, the concerts are free and guests may bring chairs and picnics to the park. Alcohol is not permitted. This season’s series will conclude on Monday, Sept. 7 with the West Chester Symphony.
“We highlight a wide variety of musical genres. We host the West Chester Symphony twice each summer. We offer big band music and classic rock n’ roll, and the Miami University Steel Drum Band is always a huge crowd favorite,” Wilson said.
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