Sweetwater concert season kicks off

The Sweetwater County Concert Association is gearing up for its 76th year and is currently hosting its annual fall membership campaign.

Joining the association as a season member offers a substantial cost savings to attend the concerts, in addition to reciprocity with both the Cheyenne and Craig, Colo., Associations.

The association will present four performances in the 2015-2016 concert season. Season memberships and individual concert tickets are available at the Rock Springs and Green River Chambers of Commerce and will be available at the door the night of the first performance Oct. 17.

The goal of this local nonprofit organization is to provide the best in professional entertainment for Sweetwater County audiences at the lowest price possible. Since 1939, they have brought in such diverse artists as the Vienna Boys Choir, the New York Theatre Ballet, the National Folk Ballet of Yugoslavia, Jack Daniel’s Original Silver Cornet Band, Shanghai Acrobat and Dance Theatre, the Ronnie Kole Trio, Glenn Miller Orchestra, Riders in the Sky, Eileen Ivers and Dallas Brass.

The first concert in this season will feature “Denny Diamond - A Tribute to Neil Diamond” on Oct. 17. Since his appearance on Dick Clark’s television show “Your Big Break” in 2000, Denny Diamond has become one of the most sought after Neil Diamond tribute artists in the US.

Joined by his sons Lucas and Spenser, they perform music by some of America’s favorite entertainers including Neil Diamond, Johnny Cash, and Buddy Holly, to name a few.

The second concert will present “The Main Street Souvenirs” March 5, 2016. Scott Kirby will take the audience on a journey spanning 150 years of Americana including Scott Joplin, Stephen Foster and John Philip Sousa, and continuing up to the present. The performance is presented as a multi-media stage performance featuring live piano music, a spoken narrative, and a video presentation, and featuring many of Kirby’s original artwork. Throughout the show, Kirby explores historical and visionary dimensions of the American Great Plains and the Prairies.

Jens Lindemann, former member of the Canadian Brass, will present “Brass Fire” April 28, 2016.

He has been hailed as one of the most celebrated trumpet soloists in the instrument’s history, and was recently named “International Brass Personality of the Year.” Jens has played in every major concert venue in the world, and was classically trained at the renowned Juilliard School in New York.

The final concert will be May 12, 2016. Buckets N Boards is an experience that will entertain the entire family. Matt Levingston and Gareth Sever have handcrafted a hilarious and high-energy show chock-full of precise percussion, ridiculous songs, spectacular tap dancing, inventive instrumentation and unique musical talent. Their unexpected comedy and upbeat personalities will the audience laughing.

The association provides opportunities whenever possible to have the artists perform in local schools with the goal to allow children to interact with and be inspired by these gifted artists. The Sweetwater County Concert Association also funds a Scholarship program to provide for local students who need help with costs associated with music education. They have given help for items ranging from concert attire to instrument rental or repair to travel expenses.

The Sweetwater County Concert Association is run by local volunteers and has no paid staff. They book the majority of their concerts currently through Allied Concert Services in Minnesota. Funds are raised through the sale of individual concert tickets, the use of grants and fundraisers, and combining with other local groups to share costs.

The association holds a fall membership campaign and season memberships form the core of their financial support.

They also sponsor the annual Bite Night fundraiser. Funds from this event allow the association to continue without raising membership fees or individual concert ticket prices.

 

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