A highlight of summer in Chestertown, Washington College’s Riverfront Concert Series debuts on June 22 at 6:30 p.m. with the Baltimore-based Americana folk duo the Honey Dewdrops. Bring your own picnic, blankets, and chairs, and enjoy a magical evening with friends, family, and neighbors on the shores of the Chester River. The free concerts take place at the Custom House lawn on the corner of High and Water Streets.
The Honey Dewdrops’ Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish share a hunger to explore and document America and its music. With tight harmonies and a musical ensemble that includes clawhammer banjo, mandolin, and guitars, they leave listeners with a beautiful and engaging take on modern American roots music. Their 2012 release Silver Lining is a Top Ten record on national folk and Americana stations. After a year-and-a-half of living on the road, Wortman and Parrish settled in Baltimore where in 2015 they wrote and recorded their fourth full-length album, Tangled Country. The album is peppered with songs both raw and engaging that evoke characters and images from across time and place.
The concert series continues on Thursday, July 6, with “Guitaras Americana: Music of the Americas, Salvadoran to Samba” featuring Fredy Granillo and Jonathan Stone. A Salvadoran musician, painter, and ceramicist, Granillo played with the band Yarabi and recorded his first album ‘Todo Esta Normal’ in 2012. He has performed in El Salvador, California, New York, Chestertown, and the D.C. area. Fingerstyle guitarist Jonathan Stone is dedicated to performing Brazilian sambas and Brazilian jazz.
On Thursday, July 22, local favorites the Gospel Shepherds along with the Mighty Men of Mount Olive A.M.E. Church will conclude the series with “Down by the Riverside: A Glorious Evening of Eastern Shore Community Gospel Music.”
Produced by the Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, the 2017 Riverfront Concert Series highlights America’s diverse musical heritage. At each performance, Starr Center program manager and concert series host Michael Buckley will provide brief commentary and some cultural context. A 20-year veteran of the music world, Buckley’s eclectic weekly radio program on Annapolis-based WRNR, 103.1 FM includes the popular interview series “Voices of the Chesapeake Bay.”
In case of inclement weather, the Honey Dewdrops will take the stage at the Norman James Theatre, Washington College.
For more information, visit starrcenter.washcoll.edu or call Michael Buckley, 410-810-7156. Additional support for the 2017 Riverfront Concert Series is provided by Yerkes Construction.
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