Darien Summer Nights Concerts Begin This Friday, June 22, Continue Through September

The first night of this year’s Darien Summer Nights concerts at Grove Street Plaza will be Friday, June 22, featuring Bad Dog Buddy. A number of new bands have been added to the series, which will run through Sept. 21.

The free concerts run from to 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Bad Dog Buddy is a group of local friends from Darien, New Canaan, Westport and Wilton.  They met playing together in the adult program at the New Canaan School of Rock and through a shared passion for performing live music formed a band!

— This article includes information from both an announcement by the organizers and the description of Bad Dog Buddy on the Darien Summer Nights website.

They cover a wide range of music on many different instruments including a violin, sax, banjo and melodica along with guitar, bass, keys and drums.  They perform a few times a year at local bars, events and fundraisers.

And yes “Buddy” the dog attends all of their rehearsals and usually gets tangled up in the cords.

Here’s part of the announcement:

Other returning musicians performing this summer include Kind Bud, Harry Bergen with Mods & Rockers, CC: Legend, Gunsmoke, Ratso and Friends, Leslie Costa’s Cinnamon Girl, Barnstorm!, Doug Allen, Wingmen, Free Flow and The Spadtastics.

Join us as we celebrate the tenth summer of music on Grove Street Plaza. Darien Summer Nights has become a beloved summer tradition by residents of all ages.

The Darien Summer Nights Concert Series was launched by Darien residents David Genovese and Penny Glassmeyer, who head up Baywater Properties and Grove Street Plaza, respectively.

During the winter of 2008/2009 the two decided it was time to do something positive for residents who would be staying around town because of the unsettled economic climate, and to encourage them to shop locally and support Darien’s merchants.

Borrowing from the successful Alive at Five Concert Series in Stamford, Baywater Properties and Grove Street Plaza sponsored a concert series in the summer of 2009 that was held in various venues around downtown.

 

This season, we are pleased to introduce three new bands who will be performing in the Darien Summer Nights series. On June 29, we welcome Sugar Bear. Last season they wowed the crowd when they filled in for a band whose leader singer came down with laryngitis.

After amazing reviews, we are thrilled to add them on the line up. On Aug. 24, we are excited to have our first big band era group perform. The Bob Button Band, who has played throughout the area, will be gracing Grove Street Plaza with their incredible sound.

Our third new band will perform on Sept. 7. Exit Ramp is well known for their lively mix of chart topping songs sure to get the crowd dancing. Residents are encouraged to come to Grove Street Plaza from 6 p.m., and then to have dinner in one of downtown Darien’s great restaurants.

• On Aug. 31, we will have a very special concert featuring Free Flow and The Spadtastics who will perform at Tilley Pond Park.
• This concert will to benefit the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement, a nonprofit founded by Darien native, Scarlett Lewis.
• After losing her son Jesse in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Scarlett has taken her son’s message left on the chalk board in their kitchen, “nurturing, healing and love” to create a movement to bring love and health into our schools.
• For more information on Scarlett and The Choose Love Foundation, please see her inspiring story and message at the foundation’s website.

“Penny and I are grateful for the broad support we have received over the last number of years in our efforts to work with the Planning & Zoning Commission and the various town boards and volunteer organizations in improving the downtown, and we wanted to find a way to say thank you,” Genovese said.

“We also wanted to remind residents of the importance of supporting our local merchants. These events are being offered free of charge — all that we are ask for in return is that people do their best to support local retailers and business owners. If you have a choice, dine or shop locally, because by doing so you are helping create a more vibrant downtown for Darien, and you enable all of us to give back in this way.”

Update, 12:32 p.m.:

List of 2018 Concert Dates

All concerts are on Fridays (including the Aug. Harry Bergen concert originally announced for a Thursday: update, June 20). For further descriptions of each band or singer, see this Web page.

June 22 — Bad Dog Buddy

June 29  — Music By Sugar Bear

July 6 — Ratso and Friends

July 13 — Barnstorm!

July 20 — CC: Legend

July 27 — Gunsmoke

Aug. 3 — Cinnamon Girl

Aug. 11 —  Music By Harry Bergen with Mods and Rockers

Aug. 17  — Kind Bud

Aug. 24  — Bob Button Band

Aug. 31  — The Spadtastics

Sept. 7  — Exit Ramp Band

Sept. 14  — Doug Allen

Sept. 21  — Wingmen