KClinger's music festival gets off to good start Click photo to enlarge Guitarist Tim Reynolds plays at KClinger's Summer Boogaloo on Saturday in Hanover. About 250... That's the perfect afternoon for Susan Wyatt and Laura and Larry Heinle, all of Manchester. And their favorite music is classic rock. The Stones, The Beatles, they love it all. They listened to that, and an even greater mix of music, Saturday at KClinger's Summer Boogaloo, in the field behind KClinger's Tavern in Hanover. "This is great," Wyatt said. "Food and beer, different kinds of bands and nice summer weather." Cory Cleary, a manager at KClinger's and chairman of the new event, said that was the idea.a "Live music is something we've always supported at KClinger's," Cleary said. "A live experience is something you can't get off of a CD or an iPod." This was the first Boogaloo, and Cleary said others are planned. Preparing for this one was difficult not knowing how many people to expect, he said. About 250 attended, which was less than expected, but Cleary hopes for a better turnout next year. "We set our goals high and kept our expectations low and hope it will meet somewhere in the middle," he said. "We'll have a better idea of where to attack it from next year." But those who were there seemed to be having a great time, he said, and they were excited to see a nationally known performer, Tim Reynolds, a master guitarist who has performed with the Dave Matthews Band. Some danced. Many kicked back and enjoyed the music. The Boogaloo was held to benefit the Hanover Adams Rehabilitation and Training Center and Guthrie Memorial Library - Hanover's Public Library. And people like Wyatt and the Heinles had a blast. They're regular customers at KClingers, and part of the draw, they said, is the live music the tavern features three days a week. While the music varies, they preferred the classic rock. And it's an inter-generational thing. Wyatt said her kids can identify most classic rock bands because they've heard her play it for years. Jaime Lescalleet is a member of the second band of four to perform Saturday. She is a vocalist and percussionist with the band 6 Cents, and said KClinger's is her favorite bar - as a patron and a performer. The six-member band plays mostly classic rock and some current music, she said. They were eager for a chance to perform outdoors. "I think it's good to get outside and enjoy the summer," she said. "Sun, fun and good music." It's a chance to enjoy music outdoors for a good cause, she said. Many of the songs they played Saturday were from the classic rock era, which was the favorite music of many of the Saturday's festival patrons. When 6 Cents was on stage, Wyatt said she's hearing some of her favorites, like Lynyrd Skynyrd and Led Zeppelin along with ZZ Top. "Everybody can love this music," she said, as 6 Cents wailed out a fast version of "All Along the Watchtower." "It's classic." It's good music, she said, that can appeal to young and old alike. As one song ended, 6 Cents members huddled into their microphones and drew out the words, singing "Pa-per-back writer," then exploded into the rocking Fab Four song. Adam Harman, 25, is originally from Billings, Mont., but now works at the Appalachian Brewing Co. He took a break from dancing in his tie-dyed shirt to his favorite songs to praise the festival. "To have this in Hanover is brilliant," he said. Tim Reynolds, the headliner, is at the forefront of the acoustic guitar community, Harman said, and it's amazing that he came to Hanover. Reynolds has a sound similar to the classic rock Harman grew up listening to, and is bringing new life to rock, he said. "We haven't seen anything like him since the people that changed the genre," Harman said, referring to those like Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles. He sees parallels between that time and now, and thinks with the United States at war and the world in discord, strong musicians are needed again. "They showed peace and love at the right time," he said. 6 Cents worked their way through a medley of James Brown, including "I Feel Good," and "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag." Keith Noel, 48, of McSherrystown, knows some members of 6 Cents, and said this is the music he grew up with. The closer you get to bigger cities, one sees more outdoor music venues, and he was happy to see one come to town. "It takes me back to when I was growing up," he said. Classic rock is a music that survived, he said, because it has an artistry and meaning to it. When pop music fades away and becomes a footnote in musical culture, classic rock has remained strong. Noel works in maintenance at Delone Catholic High School and while many of the students like modern music, a lot of them are listening to the same music Noel listened to when he was the same age. "They're excellent musicians and they're artists," he said. His favorites include bands like Steely Dan. John Bowers, 28, and Kit Mercer, 26, decked out like they're from a different era, with tie-dye colors, bandanas, sandals and a late-60s style dress, took a break from the sun under a tent. "You can go your own way," 6 Cents band members sang. "You can call it another lonely day." Bowers and Mercer enjoyed the music, but anxiously awaited Reynolds' arrival. He's similar to the classic rock that they also love. "All my buddies say we were born in the wrong era," Bowers said. Many of their friends in their late 20s listen to classic rock. When Tim Reynolds took to the flatbed stage, few noticed at first. An unassuming presence in a T-shirt and shorts, he slung his acoustic guitar and bent and twisted the strings. The crowd gathered closer to the stage. His wailing on the guitar broke into a quick strumming, fingers dancing the tango at the base of his guitar's neck. The crowd, close up and spread through the field, was mesmerized at the sounds that could come from a guitar. Reynolds tucked and plucked, sounding like a one-man orchestra. He broke out into strumming a familiar riff as the melody of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's "Ohio." The crowd cheered for a current leader of acoustic music playing one of the iconic pieces of the past. Classic rock ran through the concert, and was the common thread among the age groups. How listeners access music is one difference musicians face now as opposed to the heyday of what's now classic rock. "There's nothing wrong with downloading or iPods," said John Keefauver, also of 6 Cents. "But listening to music live has a different feel, an excitement. There's a social part of a performance you don't get sitting at home with an iPod." Harman has no problem with a world of downloading music, as long as it's done regularly. Music is the soul of life, he believes, and people should have it when they want it - live or recorded, cheap or expensive. Along with Reynolds and 6 Cents, Quagmire Swim and Flat Top entertained the crowd through the nine-hour music fest. And, a music fest like this was something Hanover needed, said Tom Hufnagle, 30. "For a town this size, it's a big deal," he said. "I just love the music and sunshine." He and his wife, Josephine, brought their 10-month-old daughter, Grace, to the show. She bopped around and enjoyed it as much as her parents. The kind of music doesn't matter, he said. "You could put a band of West Virginia hillbillies up there, and we'd still come," he said. They came for the music. "It's a little bit for everybody," Josephine said. Contact Steve Marroni at smarroni@eveningsun.com |