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Free beach concerts have something for everyone
The News Journal
It's easy to be nit-picking about a concert.
The sound was too loud coming out of the amps. You couldn't hear the singer's vocals. The tickets were too pricey.
But four towns downstate -- Rehoboth Beach, Lewes, Bethany Beach and Milton -- are offering concerts that can't help but please one and all.
They're at or near the beach.
They're put on by fine folks who want to bring their communities together through music.
And, best of all, they're free.
Rehoboth Beach Bandstand
Anyone who went to Rehoboth as a kid remembers the old bandstand near the boardwalk on Rehoboth Avenue. You ate Thrasher's fries or Kohr Brothers' frozen custard or a slice of Grotto pizza while service bands or an orchestra spread the smooth tunes of the Glenn Miller Band or Count Basie Orchestra.
When Ruth Hayes ran the program, the bandstand mostly drew an older crowd, and their kids or grandkids came along. Teens pretty much stayed in their cars or vacation pads and listened to The Replacements, Aerosmith or some other rock music.
But Corey Groll is trying to change that. Groll, who has worked for the bandstand for 15 years in various capacities, took over as program director four years ago when Hayes passed away.
For the first year Groll followed through with what Hayes had planned, but since then he's tried to vary it up with some more modern rock.
Groll, who grew up in Lewes, remembers hitting the bandstand as a kid.
"My parents enjoyed the acts, but it wasn't geared toward my age group," said Groll, 30. "That's what I really wanted to change."
This year, Groll's schedule boasts modern rock, local bands, pop groups and '70s and '80s cover acts. Familiar acts include Love Seed Mama Jump and Vinyl Shockley. Groll is also excited about a band called Judo Chop, which does '80s covers in a punk-ska style.
Groll said about 60 percent of his acts are new this year, and 40 percent are groups he's had before. Family-friendly movies, like "Bee Movie," will also be part of the mix.
So has he heard a lot of griping from the old-schoolers regarding the changes he's made?
"No, not too much," Groll said. "I get a lot of compliments. But we've really tried to step it up to a more professional stage. The entertainment is more lively. It's not the same things over and over."
Lewes Public Library
Jon Woodyard first fell in love with free, intimate, smalltown concerts when he was in his native Iowa.
"We used to have concerts in the square in small-town Iowa," said Woodyard, the concerts coordinator for the parks and recreation commission for Lewes. "I thought maybe it would be a good idea in smalltown Lewes."
It has turned out to be a very good idea, as the library hosts 18 concerts, ranging from classical to rock, each summer in Stango Park, behind the library at 111 Adams Ave.. The audiences are typically older, but they bring their grandchildren, so Woodyard and his crew try to please everyone.
"We try to have a wide variety," he said.
This year, in addition to the usual concert bands (Milford Community Band, Chesapeake Brass) the schedule includes bluegrass (Annapolis Bluegrass), American roots (Tydewater) and a little pop and R&B (Vinyl Shockley, Honeycombs). Concerts take place at 7 p.m., mostly on Tuesdays with a few Fridays thrown in.
Woodyard said the library can seat about 700 in the shaded park where the concerts are held. And this year, they're getting a nice financial boost, as WSFS signed on as a corporate partner in the concert series.
Bethany and Milton
Both Bethany and Milton also offer packed schedules of free concerts with a surprising amount of diversity.
Bethany's bandstand, at Garfield Parkway and the boardwalk, will play host to a massive schedule that features rock from bands like the Fabulous Dialtones and Brigade; Beatles tribute band Fab Mania; and folk tunes from the Cole Younger Band. Big bands make up a large portion of the schedule.
Milton's concerts begin tonight at 7 with Lisa Scott and the Melting Pot, and then will be held at 7 p.m. each Wednesday through the summer, with the final show taking place Sept. 3. Town official Jennifer Cornell said the shows at the town's park (near the boat dock) will include rock, jazz, big band, country and Celtic acts.
Check the town's Web site, www.ci.milton.de.us, for the full schedule.
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