Lansing Rec Department slates summer music series

As winter winds down, dreams of summer pop up. One of the great joys of a Lansing summer is the Lansing Recreation Department’s annual Music in the Park series of Thursday evening concerts in Myers Park.

Like everything these days, this schedule comes with coronavirus safety conditions.

Patrick Tyrrell, Town of Lansing Parks and Recreation supervisor, said that, though the bands, ice cream truck and Salt Point food and beverages are booked, “we aren’t exactly sure what the guidelines will be yet, so we may have to alter things slightly. I’m cautiously optimistic.”

The music begins at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. That said, dust off the lawn chairs and dancing shoes and be “cautiously optimistic” about enjoying:

July 8 — Tailor Made. Tink Bennett and Tailor Made have been performing and opening for national acts in the central New York area and beyond for more than 30 years. They have opened for Lady A,
Charlie Daniels, Josh Thompson, Sammy Kershaw and Molly Hatchett, among others.

July 15 — City Limits. A high-energy blues-rock band with a three-piece horn section playing tunes from classic rock and soul to contemporary blues. Dan Paolangeli, Andy Lockwood, Glen Porter, Lisa Bloom, Bob Fisher, Jim Hull and Robert Sarachan play cover tunes from the Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, The Blues Brothers and Joe Cocker to Lennie Kravitz, Anderson East and Joe Bonamassa.

July 22 — The Destination Band. A nine-piece dance band with a musical focus in the genres of R&B, Latin-influenced material, swing and funk/disco. Three outstanding vocalists and four horns set this group apart from virtually every other group in the central New York area. The band’s “A” list repertoire is built around the power of the horns.

July 29 — Bad Alibi. Get ready for the best in classic rock from the ’70s and ’80s. Be sure to bring your dancing shoes, as Bad Alibi will have Myers Park “rockin’” all night long. Bad Alibi’s members are Dan Dobell, Sergio Pedro, Lansing’s own Rob Romano and Scott Hollister.

Aug. 5 — The Ampersand Project. The Ampersand Project is an acoustic duo featuring Paul Thompson and Jeremy James. They will be covering tunes from the rock, pop and country genres. Performing songs that utilize Thompson’s knowledge of various musical instruments, alongside James’ heart-filled vocal style, the Ampersand boys want to add to the popular local music scene.

Aug. 7 (Saturday) — Marc Berger and RIDE. Inspired by Berger’s lifelong love affair with the American West and produced by Berger and Mike Ricciardi, RIDE presents the cinematic recording capturing the vastness and romance of the West while exploring its deep roots in the American psyche. From the haunting message and best of “Twister” and the soul-shaking challenge of taming a wild horse in “Take it on the Chin,” to the sexy, mind-blowing, middle-of-nowhere encounter of “Time Waits For No Man” and on through seven more scenic stops, RIDE takes you on a dusty tour of the Great American Frontier.

Aug. 12 — Iron Horse. Central New York’s premiere southern rock band and one of the concert series’ original big draws. This band has 130 years of collective stage experience and interacts with every crowd in any venue. It is known as one of Ithaca’s favorite local bands. Band lineup is Lansing’s own Mark Armstrong, Shawn Manning, Steve Peck, Ron Brock and Lisa Bloom.

Aug. 19 — Smoking Loons. Frank Raponi, Josh Taylor, Josh Drotar and Jeff McCaffrey come together to blend acoustic and rock elements, with influences from the Stones to Morrison to Weezer and Sublime.

Aug. 26 — Cruise Control. Cruise Control plays danceable rock, blues and country songs that will have you dancing and singing along all night. With powerful lead vocals by Kevin Carpenter and Christina Marie House, an infectious groove — courtesy of Brian Machold, Dave D’Alberto, Steve Bertonica and Paul Liberatore, Pat Doyle’s searing guitar solos — and incredible harmonies, local music icon Diana Jacobs is right when she said, “Serious hometown talent right here.”