Shotgun Wedding coming Friday to park

I have to admit, I met Catherine Porter in New York City this past January and now we’re going to have Shotgun Wedding this Friday night in Fountain Park. Did I get your attention? I hope so, because I think this week’s Fountain Park entertainers are worth seeing and hearing!

They claim they are a “City Country Band” and they hail from Brooklyn, New York.  Go figure. Porter, the female vocalist of the band explains that Shotgun Wedding is “…Like sippin’ a Moonshine Martini after a long, hard day.”  If you have the chance, you can check out their sound at shotgunweddingnyc.com.

This band is blazing its own trail with a new music genre, “City Country.” Their songs reflect life in NYC, steeped in Bakersfield country, rock-n-roll, with a dash of swing. Their website suggests you will get the picture if you trade your front porch for a fire escape, your trusty steed for the 7 o’clock train, and Ole’ Yeller for a yellow cab.

One thing I do know is that this band is filled with outstanding musicians who like to have a lot of fun!  Guitarist Dennis DelGaudio has spent time guesting with the likes of The Turtles and our friend from the Niswonger in 2008, Peter Noone (Herman’s Hermits). He has also been lead guitarist, and eventually musical director, on the Broadway smash hit Movin’ Out.  He was also part of Billy Joel’s historic Last Play at Shea concerts and is now a touring member with Joel.  As a matter of fact, Dennis and Wade Preston, piano/vocalist for Shotgun Wedding, will both be hustling into Van Wert on Friday after finishing a concert with Joel in Boston’s Fenway Park.

Bassist and vocalist Andy Cichon hails from Australia, but began his U.S. career by touring with Shania Twain and still performs with Shania and Joel. He has also shared the stage with Paul McCartney. Drummer Chuck Burgi has a resume that reads like a “Who’s Who” of rock and pop music. He teamed up with Hall and Oates for two platinum albums and two world tours. He has also recorded with the likes of Michael Bolton, Diana Ross, Bon Jovi and Meat Loaf. He, as well as Andy, Dennis and Wade, also performs with Joel as his drummer.

Catherine Porter is a native New Yorker and has sung with Michael Crawford, Hugh Jackman, Brian May, Queen, Chaka Khan, Sam Moore and Kiki Dee, to name a few. Of all her gigs, she claims singing in Shotgun Wedding is her favorite place to be.

So, as you can see, the band scheduled to play in Fountain Park this Friday night has quite a resume! If you like country music with a New York City twist … and if you like and appreciate world-class musicians, you won’t want to miss Shotgun Wedding this Friday night in Van Wert’s Fountain Park.

Of course, if it should rain (and what would the chance be we should ever get rain), we will move the concert into the Niswonger Performing Arts Center. Fountain Park scheduled concerts begin at 7 p.m.  We all hope we can be outside and enjoy beautiful weather and good food prepared by Family Health Care of Northwest Ohio.

Tickets are flying out of the Niswonger box office each day as people are taking advantage of early buying opportunities by bundling three or more concert and saving 10-15 percent. Grand Series and Community Concert Series are still being sold, too. Care to guess who is in first place as of right now in ticket sales at the Niswonger?  The Texas Tenors (who da thunk). Great show, though. Lots of people have been seeing their show on local PBS stations this summer. I’d want to come, too!

Pray for good weather and I’ll see you in Fountain Park this Friday night … hopefully!

FINÉ.