Concert Series Concludes With Two Nights Of Music In Doylestown

DOYLESTOWN, PA — After a summer filled with music, the Thompson Performing Arts Series concludes this week with two nights of back-to-back free concerts at the C&N Amphitheater at Central Park.

"The Big Chill" takes center stage for a free concert on Wednesday, August 30 beginning at 7 p.m. followed on Thursday, August 31 at 7 p.m. with "Boat House Row."

From the soaring harmonies of Left Banke's "Walk Away Renee," to the driving rock of Heart's "Barracuda," to the funky pop groove of the Jackson Five's "I Want You Back," Big Chill will recall a cooler time through its music, a time when your hair was longer, life was simpler, and rock and roll mattered just a little bit more.

The six-member band will deliver rock n’ roll “the way you remember it – full of energy, excitement and passion.”

The band features male and female lead vocals, four-part vocal harmony, guitars, harmonica, keyboard sounds, bass, sax and electronic drums as it recreates the sounds of the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s through today’s contemporary artists.

The series closes on Thursday, August 31 with a make-up concert by Boat House Row and the silky sounds of soft rock from the late 70s and early 80s.

Philly-based Boat House Row performs Yacht rock, which refers to the highly polished brand of soft rock that emanated from Southern California between 1976 and 1984. The term is meant to suggest the kind of smooth, mellow music that early yuppies likely enjoyed while sipping champagne on their yachts.

Significant "yacht rockers" include Philadelphia’s own Hall & Oates, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, Steely Dan, Toto and many others.

Boat House Row has been selling out venues up and down the East Coast for the past three years thanks to their lighthearted take on music’s smoothest genre.

Boat House Row features Caniche Derstine on guitars and vocals; Riley Hamlin on drums and vocals; Mick Hillside on bass and vocals; Pete Mane on tenor/alto saxophones, clarinet, flute and vocals; Kenny Trout on vocals and piano; and Cougar Wessex on guitars and keyboards.

The free musical series is sponsored by The Thompson Organization and is open to the public.

Need a ride? The Doylestown DART Bus will be making the rounds with several scheduled stops to make sure everyone has the opportunity to attend.

Bus Number One departs from the ACME market (Doylestown Center) at approximately 6 p.m. making stops at Center Square Towers (555 North Broad Street) at approximately 6:05 p.m.; Broad and Union (parking garage) approximately 6:10 pm.; State and Main Street at approximately 6:15 p.m.; Child La and Old Butler Pike (Colonial Village Trailer Park) approximately 6:25; and Central Park (destination).

Bus Number Two departs at 6 p.m. from Grundy Hall (Almshouse Road and 611) with Central Park as the final destination.