"New Hope Helping" Announces 2023 New Hope Music Series

NEW HOPE, PA — Free concerts are returning to New Hope this summer thanks to New Hope Helping, which is bringing more great music to the community.

And thanks to a slight change in venue, the rain won’t stop the show this year.

The new outdoor venue is the comfortable New Hope-Solebury School Patio located at the entrance to the New Hope-Solebury Middle School (184 W Bridge St, New Hope, PA 18938). The patio has a section with picnic tables and seating as well as an adjacent grass area for lawn chairs. In the event of rain, the shows will move indoors to the adjacent auditorium.

Mark your calendar. Here's the schedule of performances for 2023:

Thursday, May 25 at 7 p.m.

• River Road Quartet - playing jazz fusion and standards featuring some of the area’s finest players. Special guest: New Hope-Solebury High School Jazz Ensemble. Under the direction of David Bachart, the NHS Jazz Ensemble has won awards and hearts with their performances of jazz classics and contemporary tunes.

Thursday, June 29, 2023 – 7:00 p.m.

• Calla Bere and The Attitude - playing original rock with a guitar-forward sound and lush chords supporting Calla’s soulful vocals. Special guest: Monk & Monk, a father/son acoustic duo performing artful versions of rock favorites.

Thursday, July 27 – 7:00 p.m.

• Slidewinder Blues Band - playing their own brand of Texas- and Chicago-driven contemporary blues. The band has released two albums and they are inductees into the PA Blues Hall of Fame. Special guest: JB Kline, a local legend who will play his soulful brand of blues infused original songs.

“What we set out to do with the concert series initially was to connect area musicians with local audiences in a relaxed setting during COVID when there was no way to have live music at local venues,” said Gary Karlsrud, vice president of New Hope Helping. “People loved the concerts, so we kept going after the distancing rules relaxed. This year our support network has grown and includes a grant from the Martin Guitar Charitable Foundation, equipment support provided by Electro-Voice and local support from John and Peter’s, Oldestone Steakhouse, The Dubliner, and Havana.”

Karlsrud shared that additional sponsors are welcome, adding, “A portion of the proceeds goes directly to support the New Hope-Solebury School Music program to help launch the next generation of local musicians. Funds also support local health, education, and relief for New Hope and surrounding communities.”

Gates open at 6:30 p.m. and food and drinks will be available from the New Hope Helping concessions stand.

To learn more, visit New Hope Helping at https://newhopehelping.org/summer-concert-series/