Tupper Arts to present Summer Sunset Series Fridays at band shell

Tupper Arts, the new hometown arts and cultural organization which was formed over the winter, this week announced the entertainment line-up for what its calling its Summer Sunset Series Friday evenings this summer at the Lions Club band shell.
The successor to the now defunct Tupper Lake Arts Council aims to introduce entertainment and arts endeavors to the band shell and other local venues, starting this summer.
It's been the intention of the new group this first summer  to showcase local talent or performers with a tie to Tip Top Town.  Each concert will be early Friday evening, beginning about 6p.m. or so and finishing well before dark.
Another key focus of the series is to bring local and visiting music lovers to a place each Friday evening that features  some of the greatest sunsets in the Adirondacks, when the suns drops behind Raquette Pond.
All performances are free to the public and entire families are encouraged to attend.  A donation basket will be circulated at all performances.  Funding for the series comes from the Village of Tupper Lake and from the fundraising of Tupper Arts, which begins this Saturday at the Mud Ball.
The Friday night series at the Flanders' Park band shell begins with a patriotic celebration on the eve of July 4th where local musicians George and Liz Cordes and Wayne and Laura Davison and others will offer many well known America favorites.  The aim is to get community residents singing along with them and in the spirit of the national holiday.
The performance will precede Tupper Lake's annual fireworks display- produced by the town and village through the chamber of commerce and always on the eve of the Fourth.
Beginning at 5p.m. or so on July 3 the local trio of Ben, Jay and Ian will open in the Lions new band shell before the patriotic performance, with popular tunes from the 1970s.
Three nights later on the first Friday in July, Crackin' Foxy, will entertain visitors to Flanders' Park.  The area group, featuring saxophonist Wayne Davison, will offer 1920s to 1940s jazz numbers as well as traditional Hawaiian musical fare.
On Friday July 13 Evan Bujold's Syracuse-based band, Late Earth is booked to perform at the Lions band shell.  The group, which has recently enjoyed some city-wide acclaim in Syracuse, performs alternative rock, blues and what it calls “antifolk.”
The entertainment of the early evening changes dramatically on July 20 when Tupper Arts volunteers booked The Guild of Thespian Puppets, a children-oriented puppet play based on popular folk tales.
On Friday, July 28 the Adirondack Arts Center at Blue Mountain, again under the direction this summer of George Cordes of Tupper Lake, will bring back Shakespeare to the park venue with the center's performance of Much Ado About Nothing.
The musical performers on stage August 3 will be the tri-lakes-based Springstreet Band, which offers popular rock.
The music turns to country and western the next Friday, when Ronnie Jones and his band offer some of the genre's favorites.  Tupper Lake's Brock Gonyea, who last year was an internet sensation with an early country and western classic he performed, has also been invited to appear on stage that evening.
On August 17, the area jazz group Moment's Notice, featuring Dan and Sadie Spada, are booked for the Lions band shell.
The musical mood moves to folk and traditional Adirondack music on August 24 when Rustic Riders and Joe Dockery will entertain park-goers.
The final performance of the Friday night summer sunset series will be the area rock and jazz group, Crowfeather, featuring ROOST staff Shawn Kittle.
See 'ya at the band shell Friday nights this summer.