Summer Concert Series to Rock West Boylston

Email to a friend Permalink

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Ashley Klann, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

West Boylston will kick off its fourth annual Arts Rock! summer concert series this Saturday. Come out to see great music, including the only Steven Tyler approved Aerosmith cover band.

The series will include a total of five shows every two weeks through August. Local bands and wider known acts merge together, along with a Youths Rock! battle of the bands.

All shows will take place at 7:00 pm at Goodale Park in West Boylston and are sponsored by the West Boylston Arts Foundation (WBAF). This year’s performances are set to be bigger and better, with almost double the number of bands.

President of the WBAF, Mark Baldi, has kept his ear to the ground in search for a mix of great music from blues to country to rock.

“I read reviews all the time and go out to see as much music as I can,” he said. “I got out in the area and stay in touch. We also have people contact us as well. It’s a year-long process.”

For their first show, Arts Rock! will feature an official Aerosmith cover band, Draw the Line, a group that delivers all the energy and oomph of the real deal.

“Draw the Line puts on a fantastic performance. It’s a full show. They don’t just come out and play some Aerosmith. Neill Byrnes has worked with Steven Tyler’s vocal coach. Steven was so impressed he introduced them. He’s done appearance with him,” Baldi said. “If you’re not going to get a chance to see the real thing this summer, this is definitely a great alternative.”

“We cover the whole gamut. We’ll play songs from the first album all the way up to things they’ve done recently,” said Draw the Line front man, Neill Byrnes. “It’s the same energy you’d get at an Aerosmith show. It’s the whole show. We wear the same outfits, the stage is set up the same. We really get into character. It’s just like going to an Aerosmith show.”

“For the most part in the summertime we do festivals and include a lot of the greatest hits, but we also throw in some b-hits classics, Byrnes said. “For this show, I think we’ll throw in some of the old gems. There are always some die hard Aerosmith fans that come out,” he said. “You’ve got to throw something in there for the diehard fans.”

Other headliners throughout the series include Senator Scott Brown’s daughter, Ayla Brown, an American Idol contestant who also put out an album this year. Reggae band, The Alchemystics and winners of the Boston Blues Challenge, A Ton of Blues will also be opening.

Baldi hopes that the series draws hundreds a night, maybe more. He expects a large turnout for Saturday’s kickoff show, which means great things for the charities the concerts support.

“First and foremost, it’s a fundraiser for school arts and music programs. We’re an all-volunteer, non-profit and all of it goes to the schools,” Baldi said. A lot of their efforts have gone directly to funding an elementary band teacher, and their help has been seen. Not only have they kept the position from being cut, but positive results have continued to come of it.

“The group of students are going to the music festival out in Wilbraham. They competed against other bands and won an award,” Baldi said. The pep band started by the band instructor marched in the Memorial Day Parade.

For a complete list of all of the bands to play at this year’s Arts Rock! series, visit the link to their flier.

Related Articles

• Great Deals on Live Music With Your Woo Card
• Local Music Scene ‘Devastated’ By Death of Scott Ricciuti
• NEW: Holy Cross Professor’s Music to Debut in Boston
• Enjoy Live Music and Beautiful Flowers with Your Woo Card

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.

Email to a friend Permalink