Summer Concert Series Brings Back Local Favorites

With a summer concert series filled with tribute bands and touring acts from across the country, Monday night's feature felt a little more intimate as local favorites, The Bookends Band, took to the stage at Memorial Park in Larchmont.

They played the concert series last year and were brought back by popular demand.

It was an evening to celebrate and appreciate the sunshine as the Town of Mamaroneck Recreation Department finally got its day outdoors. Last week's installment of the Monday night festivities was canceled after one song due to inclement weather, while the Outdoor Movie Night later in the week had to be moved indoors due to similar storms.

Luckily, this week's event—which was sponsored by Stop & Shop—became a success as reports called for clear skies all day. By the time the band began performing, there was hardly any grass to be seen as beach chairs and blankets took over the seating area.

Bookends kicked off their set with 'Dancing in the Moonlight' by King Harvest, which prepped the audience for a set list consisting of classic rock sounds from the 60's and 70's. The evening was filled with nostalgia for both the band and the crowd.

"We used to play the Ground Round every Saturday night, where Applebees is now," explained Chris Brown before their set. "So everyone was kids back then and now they're here watching us again, it's great."

The band began in 1976 as a duo with Brown and his friend Joe Summo, who both still share guitar and vocal duties for the band. Back then they were based out of Pelham and played at local colleges and bars in the county, but now Brown resides in Mamaroneck and the band still performs regularly around the area.

While their set was eclectic, featuring hits from Cat Stevens to Billy Joel, it was clear that items from the Beatles catalog were their favorites to play. Their set featured covers of 'Life Goes On', 'Fool on the Hill' and 'Lady Madonna'.

"It's fun, we used to see these guys all the time in college so it's nice to see them again," said Beth Nadler, who was  enjoying the show with a friend.

Children danced along to the songs in front of the stage and even motivated their parents to come up and join in on the fun, especially during sing-a-longs like Marc Cohn's 'Walking in Memphis' and 'Daydream Believer' by The Monkees.

The band closed out its set with James Taylor's classic 'Sweet Baby James', which ended as the crowd erupted in applause. As the musicians started removing their instruments and departing from the stage, the audience started chanting for one more song. The band obliged, and after thanking the audience went into an encore of the Beatles 'Tell Me Why'.

"I love playing here, we get to see all the people we know and have met over the year," said Brown. "It's a home crowd for us and we really appreciate it."

The summer concert series concludes next Monday, August 2 at 7 p.m., when the 45 RPM Band turns Memorial Park into a '60's sock hop.

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