Music in the park series provides venue for local artists

IU Students and Bloomington residents walking down Kirkwood Avenue on Tuesday afternoons have been treated to a variety of free music concerts all summer long.

Now that fall has arrived, the Tuesday Lunch Concert Series prepares for its final show in Peoples Park.

“It provides a unique opportunity to hear local music at a time you wouldn’t normally hear it,” Program Coordinator Bill Ream said. “And it’s free.”

The series, which is funded by the City of Bloomington’s Parks and Recreation Department, seeks to pull the general public back into the downtown area.

Ream has noticed during the years that the one thing he can never predict about the performances is attendance.

“We may have anywhere from 20 to 200 people show up,” Ream said. “We never know.”

Bob and Audrey Kerr, a couple visiting Bloomington from England, heard the sounds of the Creek Dogs performing Tuesday while taking some time for lunch.

“We passed by, going for a late lunch, and we decided to sit here and enjoy it,” Bob Kerr said.

His wife, while enjoying the music, said she was most taken by the atmosphere the concert created.

“We’ve been regular visitors to Bloomington, but we didn’t know about Peoples Park,” Audrey Kerr said. “There are children here as well as a variety of people, and it is just great.”

Ream chooses the performance artists once they have submitted an application.

This year, the series included a variety of genres such as blues, folk, rock and classical.

Although the concerts are midweek and in a small park, Ream said great opportunity still lies in the chance to perform.

“It lets us give some local exposure to the artist,” Ream said. “Some of the artists that play here go on to larger stages and get more notoriety.”

Sound technician Chris Ramsey has been working sound for the concerts for the past 10 years.

He said he believes the best part of what he is doing is creating performance opportunities for local artists.

“The park tries to maintain a focus on booking acts that wouldn’t primarily be playing in the clubs,” Ramsey said. “It brings a wider array of music to wider audiences. It’s similar to the efforts of Lotus Fest, but where theirs is a large festival at one time, this is a smaller effort spread over a long period of time.”

The Tuesday Lunch Concert Series will have its final concert of the season at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 4 at Peoples Park.

This final musical act of the season will feature Americana accordion player David Wierhake.