James Brown and The Blues Dogs at Payson Park

James Brown Jr. will be joining The Blues Dogs at the penultimate concert of the 2014 Payson Park Music Festival tonight, Wednesday, Aug. 20 beginning around 6:30 p.m.

The Blues Dogs, which is a perennial visitor to the Festival, “is a collection of Boston mutts that all love to play the blues,” according to its website.

“That stuff that gets you to tapping your foot, nodding your head, and then just to shaking all over. Feeling good music.”

The quarter-century Payson Park Music Festival is held at Payson Park Playground at the corner of Payson Road and Elm Street.

The concert is sponsored by the Alper Family.

Day Late, 4 Guys in Tuxes to Perform Thursday Evening at Payson Park

More a rain delay than a rainout, the concert by 4 Guys in Tuxes at the Payson Park Music Festival only had to be held back 24 hours wait as the lads will hold their performance this evening, Thursday, Aug. 14 at 6:30 p.m.

The concert will take place at the Payson Park Playground at the corner of Payson Road and Elm Street.

Residents should know that dressing in their own tuxedos is strictly optional.

 

Musical Summer Sweet: Belmont Community Band Premiers at Payson Park

What began earlier this year as the hope of a summer diversion for Belmont musicians succeeded beyond the modest expectations of its leader as the Belmont Summer Community Band performed its inaugural concert at a special performance of the Payson Park Music Festival on Thursday, July 31.

With only three rehearsals scheduled before its first-ever show, conductor Arto Asadoorian was hoping for the best from the approximately 50 musician who showed up at Belmont High School a week before the concert. Current and former Belmont High School students and residents, many “who had not picked up their instrument in years” made up the group, said Asadoorian.

“I wasn’t quite sure what to expect because this is the first time we’ve done it,” said Asadoorian, who is also the Belmont School District’s director of fine arts and performing arts.

“But they came to the first rehearsal and knocked everything out of the park,” he said.

On Thursday, the group performed a wide variety of pieces that included well-known works for band – Ralph Vaughan Williams’s “Folk Song Suite” and “Country Gardens” by Percy Grainger – as well as modern works such as the soundtrack to “How to Train Your Dragon,” by John Powell.

The evening’s concert began with a performance by di bostoner klezmer, a trio of talented musicians who played European and American klezmer music. Dena Ressler, the Program Coordinator at Belmont’s Beech Street Center, led the musicians.

At the end of the evening’s showcase – sponsored by the Belmont Lions Club – Asadoorian said the band accomplished everything he had hoped for and is thinking of doing this again next year.

“It was a lot of fun when all you have to do is stand before them and wave your arms,” he said, adding “the toughest part about this evening is getting all the instruments into the truck to bring them back to the school.”

What began earlier this year as the hope of a summer diversion for Belmont musicians succeeded beyond the modest expectations of its leader as the Belmont Summer Community Band performed its inaugural concert at a special performance of the Payson Park Music Festival on Thursday, July 31.

With only three rehearsals scheduled before its first-ever show, conductor Arto Asadoorian was hoping for the best from the approximately 50 musician who showed up at Belmont High School a week before the concert. Current and former Belmont High School students and residents, many “who had not picked up their instrument in years” made up the group, said Asadoorian.

“I wasn’t quite sure what to expect because this is the first time we’ve done it,” said Asadoorian, who is also the Belmont School District’s director of fine arts and performing arts.

“But they came to the first rehearsal and knocked everything out of the park,” he said.

On Thursday, the group performed a wide variety of pieces that included well-known works for band – Ralph Vaughan Williams’s “Folk Song Suite” and “Country Gardens” by Percy Grainger – as well as modern works such as the soundtrack to “How to Train Your Dragon,” by John Powell.

The evening’s concert began with a performance by di bostoner klezmer, a trio of talented musicians who played European and American klezmer music. Dena Ressler, the Program Coordinator at Belmont’s Beech Street Center, led the musicians.

At the end of the evening’s showcase – sponsored by the Belmont Lions Club – Asadoorian said the band accomplished everything he had hoped for and is thinking of doing this again next year.

“It was a lot of fun when all you have to do is stand before them and wave your arms,” he said, adding “the toughest part about this evening is getting all the instruments into the truck to bring them back to the school.”

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The New Community Band Premiers at Payson Park Thursday

The first-ever concert by Belmont’s new town band will take place at a special free event at the Payson Park Music Festival beginning at 6 p.m. tonight, Thursday, July 31.

Led by Arto Asadoorian, the Belmont Community Summer Band consists of wind and percussion players ages 14 to “too old to ask,” said Asadoorian. The band members – which has a good number of current high school musicians performing – have had three rehearses held over the past week to sharpen their skills. Expect the unexpected!

Opening for the band will be di bostoner klezmer, a trio of talented musicians who are adept at performing authentic, dynamic European and American klezmer music from 19th century European to 1950s “club dates.” Belmontonians will likely know one of the band’s members, Dobe (Dena) Ressler, who works as a Program Coordinator at the Beech Street Center. 

Payson Park is located at the corner of Payson Road and Elm Street.

It Sounds Like the Beatles in Payson Park this Evening

You will think that you’re at Suffolk Downs 48 years ago at tonight’s concert at the Payson Park Music Festival as the “best New England” Beatles tribute band, 4EverFab (shouldn’t that be “4EVAFab”?) comes to play in Belmont beginning just after 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 30.

“Featuring brilliant lead vocals, precise three-part harmonies and outstanding musicianship, 4EverFab plays The Beatles…From The Cavern Club to Abbey Road” reads their website, the group is currently on a 19-date tour of communities that selected them to perform at summer events. (The Beatles also had 19 dates on their 1966 US tour including at Suffolk Downs in Eastie.)

Here’s a Youtube video of the group.

Celebrating a quarter century, the Payson Park Music Festival takes place at Payson Park at the intersection of Payson Road and Elm Street. The concert is free. 

U2 Tribute Band at Payson Park Music Festival

Joshua Tree, one of the premier U2 tribute band, makes their annual trek to play Belmont’s Payson Park Music Festival tonight, Wednesday, July 23 at approximately 6:45 p.m. 

Joshua Tree “has gone to great lengths to reproduce the distinct sound of one of the world’s most popular rock bands,” and are dedicated to the entire U2 songbook, including early fan favorites from the 1980-1987 period such as Boy, October, War, The Unforgettable Fire, and The Joshua Tree.

Celebrating a quarter century, the Payson Park Music Festival takes place at Payson Park at the intersection of Payson Road and Elm Street. The concert is free. 

What to Do Today: Judy and the Jitterbugs at Payson Park, Will at the Beech

• Judy and the Jitterbugs, one of the BEST children-music bands in the US, will be performing at noon at Payson Park as part of the Payson Park Music Festival’s Kiddie Concerts. This is a concert – thanks to a generous contribution from Ralph and Sherry Jones – especially made with kids in mind so what better way to start the weekend then to stop by for songs, dancing and a lot more. See them today or you’ll need to travel to Brooklyn for next week’s shows.

• State Sen. Will Brownsberger will be holding office hours at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., at 10 a.m. 

• It’s game day this Friday at the Beech Street Center as it holds “Tea and Games on the Patio” at 1 p.m. There will be scrabble, checkers, cribbage and Trivial Pursuit along with iced tea and some cookies.

• Remember that town offices will be closing at 1 p.m. on summer Fridays.

Jumpin’ Jaba Brings the Sound of New Orleans to Payson Park

Take a musical trip to ol’ New Orleans and laissez les bons temps rouler with Jumpin’ Juba, this week’s performer at the Payson Park Music Festival.

New Orleans swamp-rock, classic boogie-woogie, folk, Memphis rock & roll and a playful use of everything from calypso to country are stirred into the blue stew of Jumpin’ Juba – Steve Hurl on electric guitar and piano player Bruce Ward with help from new drummer Alan Waters. 

See the band play “Pipeline” on YouTube here.

The concert will get underway around 6:45 p.m. at Payson Park which is at the corner of Elm Street and Payson Road.

The evening is sponsored by Dr. Baskies of Gentle Dental in Belmont.

The Reminisants Performing Oldies at Payson Park Music Festival

While the weather is “iffy” this afternoon, if the stormy weather holds off until tomorrow, The Reminisants will be performing at the Payson Park Music Festival tonight, Wednesday, July 2 at 6:45 p.m. at Payson Park playground at the corner of Payson Road and Elm Street.

The group, which has been a PPMF favorite for several seasons, has been entertaining audiences of all ages throughout New England since 1973. The band specializes in music from the 1950’s through the 90’s, playing a collection of great music for all kinds of musical tastes and generations.

The concert is sponsored by East Boston Savings Bank and Sikellis Realty & Business Brokers

Musicians! Join the Belmont Community Summer Band!

Attention woodwind musicians or percussionists! How about enjoying the summer being both outside AND performing with some of your musical neighbors?

Now you can have that chance with the Belmont Community Summer Band for a one-night only blow out performance at Payson Park.

According to Arto Asadoorian, the Belmont Public School’s Director of Fine & Performing Arts, the band is open to wind and percussion players ages 14 to “too old to ask.”

The BCSB will rehearse three times in late July:

The culminating performance will take place at Payson Park on the evening of Thursday, July 31 at 6 p.m.

Anyone interested in signing up can do so by completing this Google Form or go to the link below:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1rBglA3Pwyvmu2Gd8uDkDl5N7OI3bq7zO7PT-xGYUe-U/viewform?c=0&w=1&usp=mail_form_link

For information about the Belmont Community Summer Band, contact Asadoorian at aasadoorian@belmont.k12.ma.us.