The first of the “Afternoon Delights” concerts got underway yesterday in the noon time sunshine at City Hotel Park.
Among those on hand was Mayor Patricia Stoner, who spent time prior to the concert, chatting with other folks gathered for the event.
Bill Anderson of Joybeans introduced two musicians who then played to the delight of the crowd for about an hour. Curtis Rockwell from the Huntingdon area was joined by musician Doug Anderson, who teaches at Penn State.
Rockwell and Anderson brought an Irish and folk flavor to downtown Tyrone on a hot, late spring day.
“I teach at Penn State and I’ve been playing folk music for a long time,” said Anderson. “I’ve played with a number of people who are a little more well known and I still play for fun.”
Rockwell not only plays music, but is also involved with it in another way.
“I build guitars in Huntingdon and play folk music whenever I get the chance just for fun,” he said.
The two men performed Celtic and folk songs, including some from Canada, some from Europe and some more traditional songs. They also had Neil Young music and a traditional calypso song in their arsenal.
Both Rockwell and Anderson have played together and separately in Bellefonte. Rockwell had also played at Joybeans before and planned to play there again.
Anderson said he’s also played in the State College and Selingsgrove area.
Both men are members of other groups. Rockwell plays with a Celtic band from Gettysburg, “Cormorante’s Fancy,” while Anderson plays with a band called “Hillbilly Cadillacs.”
Rockwell is set to play with his band this weekend at the Huntingdon County Arts Festival.
After the concert, the audience was invited to Joybeans, which is the co-sponsor of the series, along with the Tyrone Regional Arts Council. The audience receives discount coupons for Joybeans.
Other Afternoon Delights concerts on the schedule include: the music and magic of Dennie Huber on June 16; the bluegrass sounds of the Conrad brothers on June 23 and the fun and patriotic sounds from the Servello family on June 30. In the event of rain, the performance will be held inside Joybeans.
The Concert in the Park series also includes Summer Sundays, Intown Tuesdays and youth concerts.
The free concerts are made possible by the Tyrone Regional Arts Council and a grant from the PA Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts and Tyrone Borough.
For more information call, 684-ART2.
