Berkeley Independent
Come February the distant strains of dueling banjos will be heard wafting over the town.
No, they’re not filming a remake of the movie Deliverance here. Instead, some of the area’s finer pickers, strummers and fiddlers are getting together to play some good, down home Bluegrass music.
Music in the Park is the coming together of aficionados of Bluegrass music who gather the second Saturday of each month at the New Hope Community Center. Now, they want to take the whole pickin’ parlor concept to a new level, and have announced Music in the Park will debut Saturday night, February 7 at the new gazebo in Unity Park.
“I met with Marc Hehn and we discussed putting on a music fest at the new gazebo in Moncks Corner,” said Bluegrass veteran Bob Roberts, formerly of the Carolina Wranglers and organizer of Music in the Park. “The proposal was put before town council and approved in what we hope will become a regular event.”
The proposed plan is for Music in the Park to become a bi-monthly event with future concerts tentatively scheduled for April and June.
Starting time for the concert is 6 p.m.
Music in the Park is an extension of what Robert and his Bluegrass brethren have enjoyed the second Saturday night of each month throughout the year at the New Hope Community Center.
“We will be running Music in the Park like the program at my picking parlor at New Hope,” Roberts said. “But there will be some noticeable changes in order to furnish the very best music for the town of Moncks Corner and its citizens.”
The main change from the have-guitar-will-play open pick invitation at New Hope will be what Roberts calls a house band.
“Every musician that comes is invited to come up on stage to sing or play and we treat that on a first come, first served basis,” Roberts said. “However, we will not put any ‘make-up bands’ on stage because I want to provide the very best music in this area for the citizens and I know this cannot be accomplished under a picking parlor style policy.”
The house band will clear the stage for established groups who choose to perform.
Also, unlike the picking parlor format at New Hope, there will be no potluck supper provided for Music in the Park.
“You may bring a small snack or sandwich for yourself but we don’t have the facilities available in the park for ‘on the grounds’ type meals,” Roberts said.
Fans of New Hope’s picking parlor though need not despair, the regularly scheduled picking parlor gatherings will continue as usual. Bluegrass musicians are invited to come onstage at the New Hope Community Center for the traditional picking parlor with potluck dinner.
The next scheduled picking parlor is set for Jan. 10.
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That's my Papa!! He's famous! I'v been watching him play music for many years from nursing home to nursing home and at his pickin parlors, an it really is a blessing. I enjoy every bit of it an many others will too.
Posted by: Samantha Roberts
Music in the park will feature gospel and country style music as well as bluegrass
Posted by: DeWayne Kitts
This sounds great. Bluegrass is really coming back. I think this will be a great new happenening for the town. It takes dedicated people like Bob Roberts who really have a passion and love for what they believe in to get something started like this.
Posted by: Joanne Gardner
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