Downtown Sounds comes back to Glen Cove

Posted

Now that the summer season has begun, residents of Glen Cove and beyond can look forward to the 22nd annual Downtown Sounds Concert series. The free concert series, which began in 1997, originally offered jazz concerts and was known as “Jazz in the Square.” But then different genres of music were incorporated into the lineup to accommodate changing tastes. Originally in July for four weeks, the city requested that the concerts be extended to include Friday nights in August too. Then the Glen Cove Downtown Business Improvement District committed to partnering with the city.

This year’s lineup will be held in the city’s Village Square Plaza at the intersection of Glen and Bridge Streets beginning Friday July 5.

The first show, Almost Selena — A Selena Tribute, will include covers of the Queen of Tejano Music’s most famous songs. Other bands include Misty Mountain, Benny and the Jets, and Dean Ford & the Beautiful Ones, which are Led Zeppelin, Elton John and Prince cover bands, respectively. The Right on Band, a favorite from previous years, will be returning this year.

But the line-up isn’t the only thing that is new. Downtown Sounds has partnered with WCWP, the campus radio station at C.W. Post to promote the event further.

“There’s a lot going on this year,” said Patricia Holman, executive director of the Downtown Business Improvement District. “It’s important that we get the word out about the show since it has become such a wonderful tradition [here]. It really brings the community together.”

“What makes this event so unique is that it is a grassroots event that everyone can participate in,” said Grant Newburger, spokesman for the city. “This exists because of the [local] business owners banding together. We are able to close down streets for the events, which normally we could never do.”

Friday’s show kicks off at 7:30 PM. Attendees are advised to bring lawn chairs and blankets, although the urge to dance might inspire a more active evening.