Thursday, July 9, marks the start of L/A Arts’ Music in the Parks series, free summer concerts featuring Cajun, folk, blues, country, a cappella, brass, bluegrass music – plus some Shakespeare in the Parks performances.

Performances are on Thursdays beginning at 12 noon throughout July and August, with some exceptions (see accompanying Go and do box).
Starting off the series is the a cappella group SideCar Heroes performing on the back patio at the Hilton Garden Inn Auburn Riverwatch. The Hilton will have picnic fare available for purchase. The remaining July performances are in Auburn’s Festival Plaza.August performances are in Lewiston’s Fountain Park on Mill Street, in the Bates Mill Complex next to Davinci’s Eatery.
SideCar Heroes is made up of six men whose vocals combine to create tight harmonies and rockin’ rhythms in the form of rock, doo-wop, Motown and funk. SideCar Heroes, based in southern Maine, performs all over the state and in New Hampshire. Band members are founding member Patrick McCarthy, Jason Paquette and Mac Mullen, tenors; Mark Rowe, baritone; Dennis Boyd, bass; and Lee Hunter, vocal percussion. All have been immersed in the a cappella scene since college and represent such groups as The U Maine Steiners, Six Day Week and Fourtnight, to name a few.
McCarthy has taught music at Westbrook High School for the past seven years. He also leads and writes for the Lower Octave of the Boy Singers’ of Maine and the Gorham Community Chorus.
Boyd has sung previously with the Maine Steiners and Audiologic and is currently chorus director at Bonny Eagle High School in Standish.
Mullen is a graduate of the University of Maine, where he was a founding father of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and a senior Scull, as well as a member of the University Singers and the Maine Steiners. Paquette has been singing a capella music for the last six years. He has a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Maine and is chorus teacher at Morse High School in Bath.
Rowe has been singing a cappella since high school. After a brief stint studying computer science at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, he decided to switch majors and study classical voice at the University of Southern Maine. Hunter has been singing since the fifth grade. After obtaining a minor in music at the University of Maine as well as performing with the University Singers and the Maine Steiners, he joined SideCar Heroes in July of 2008.

Go and do
Thursday, July 9, noon
SideCar Heroes, a cappella
At Hilton Garden Inn Auburn Riverwatch
Rain location: Inside Hilton Garden Inn Auburn Riverwatch (same date and time)

Thursday, July 16, noon
Pat Pepin, blues
At Festival Plaza, Main Street, Auburn
Rain location: Franco-American Heritage Center, 46 Cedar St., Lewiston (same date and time)

Thursday, July 23, noon
Banjo Dan and the Mid-nite Plowboys, bluegrass/Americana
At Festival Plaza, Main Street, Auburn
Rain location: Franco center (same date and time)

Thursday, July 30, noon
Downeast Brass, variety of musical genres
At Festival Plaza, Main Street, Auburn
Rain location: Franco center

Thursday, Aug. 6, noon
JimmyJo & The Jumbol’Ayuhs, Down East Cajun
At Fountain Park, Mill Street, Lewiston
Rain location: Franco-American Heritage Center, Lewiston (same date and time)

Thursday, Aug. 13, noon
“Romeo and Juliet,” performance by The Poland Players
At Fountain Park, Mill Street, Lewiston
Rain location: Franco center

Thursday, Aug. 13, 7 p.m.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” performance by The Poland Players
At Festival Plaza, Mill Street, Lewiston
Rain location: In the event of bad weather, this performance will be canceled

Thursday, Aug. 20, noon
Dave Rowe Trio, folk
At Fountain Park, Mill Street, Lewiston
Rain location: Franco center

Tuesday, Aug. 25, 6 p.m.
Don Campbell, country
At Fountain Park, Mill Street, Lewiston
Rain location: Inside DaVinci’s Eatery (same date and time)

If in doubt on the day of the performance, tune your radio to EZ1240 or
OXO County 92.7 and 100.7 to find out if the event will be held inside.
More about each concert, including music clips and artist links, may be
found at www.laarts.org; or by calling 782-7228 or e-mailing
mail@laarts.org.