Kids Rock Into Summer Reading

The will transform Friday from a quiet place to read and peruse book shelves to a busy, colorful and—dare we say it—loud concert venue.

A night of a cappella and rock music from the 1950s through 80s will be a an atypical kickoff for the library's "Medieval Tales" themed summer reading program. , will be performing an outdoor concert Friday geared toward an audience of all ages.

A youth services specialist at the library came up with the idea for the concert because it appeals to people of all ages, said Bridget Bittman, marketing and community outreach specialist.

"They know how to interact with the audience and keep them moving and grooving," Bittman said, of Ac-Rock.  "When you bring in a colorful group that makes you want to get out and dance … it's not just a library where people check out books. (It's) the place to be."

When Bittman describes Ac-Rock as "colorful," she means it literally. The quartet wears bright tops and socks "like a pack of Crayons," Bittman said.

The "yellow guy" is second tenor David Wilner; "green guy" is bass Mark MacLean; the "red guy" is first tenor Paul Iams; and the "blue guy" is baritone Chris Brown, she said.

The group has been together for 19 years and originally performed exclusively for adults. They weren't expecting, however, that some of their biggest future fans would be the children of those adults, group members said.

They have since expanded to performing for all ages.

"[Performing] for schools keeps us out of trouble during the day," Iams said.

Ac-Rock will perform two sets Friday at the library. One will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the next, 7:30 p.m.

The first set will be an introduction to a cappella, which will include the group's theory on how early man learned to sing before he could talk. The next set will be entertainment, and Iams said that if the crows is nice, they will sing Bohemian Rhapsody.

Looking for more fun activities this weekend? Look no further.