By Nancy Arsenault
The sound of Beatles filled Stow Community Park last Thursday night, and they were a welcome noise on a hot summer night, said Recreation Director Laura Greenough. Not a bunch of swarming insects, but a band of musical tribute artists, 4everFab, took to the stage for a free evening concert and Beatles Band tribute. The concert launched an expanded 2015 summer concert season at the Park.
Despite a lack of publicity announcing this first show, Greenough said word of mouth brought out families and seniors from Stow and surrounding communities to enjoy the outdoor performance. “I got a lot of emails today from people saying how great the band was and how nice it is that Stow can offer something like this, especially being free,” she said on Friday. Greenough said Stow Community Park at Snow Field on Old Bolton Road is the perfect outdoor venue for something like this. There is a large grass area where concertgoers can picnic before or during the concert and plenty of area for seating. “All you need to bring is a blanket or a folding chair,” she said.
Greenough encourages people to arrive before the show begins to avoid parking issues. Greenough keeps her fingers crossed for good weather, but if conditions do not allow a concert to take place, a notice will be placed on the town sign board in front of the Library and an alert will also be posted on the Stow Recreation Department Facebook page.
The concerts are currently planned to continue into early September, on a biweekly basis. The next event is scheduled for July 23 at 6:30, when Blue House Between comes to town. They are a two-man acoustic guitar and vocal act featuring Neil Lucey and Ron Stacy, long-time veterans of the Worcester music scene with more than 40 years of combined entertainment experience, said Greenough.
August 6 brings a classic rock group, Prizm, to the Park, performing top 40 hits from the 60s through the 80s. Juke Joint Five closes out the month of August with a concert on August 20 at 6:30 pm. Greenough said this group is quite popular, based in Boston and putting out an old school, house rocking electric blues performance.
Go Dog Go comes to town on September 10, bringing a style that Greenough said is considered “1960s garage band” rock. They have developed a strong fan base, playing weekly at Kimball Farm in Westford, Mass. They often get the crowd dancing and their repertoire of classic and modern hits makes this final concert of the season one that will appeal to all ages, said Greenough.
While the Recreation Department is also busy operating Camp Stow and many sports activities for Stow residents in the summer, Greenough said that, as the overseers of Stow Community Park, the department is happy to find their work expanding to include cultural and entertainment activities that attract more than just sports enthusiasts to the facility. “The park is just a perfect venue for these concerts,” said Greenough. “We hope everyone will take advantage and come out and enjoy an evening at the park.”