Sunday is the third time the No Shoes Nation Band is scheduled to play at the Abington Summer Concert Series. They’ve yet to play a single note at the Catherine and Joseph Nisby Bandstand.
In 2021, organizers were forced to cancel the Kenny Chesney tribute band’s performance due to a possible hurricane. In 2022, rain forced the show into the Middle/High School auditorium. Hopefully, the third time is the charm, as the band will kick off the 2023 Abington Summer Concert Series this Sunday at 6 p.m.
“I think we have a great lineup,” said Nancy Reid, the longtime chairwoman of the Summer Concert Series Committee. “We try to mix it up to please everybody.”
This year’s lineup featiures a number of returning acts as well as three new ones. Studio Two, a Beatles tribute band, Divas With A Twist, and Chicago Total Access will play again, as will the Abington Community Band and Island Grove Chorus. Disco Dream, a nine-piece band playing 70’s era disco and funk, and Playing Dead, a tribute band playing Grateful Dead tunes, will make their debuts this year. (Reid said committee member Peter MacDonald lobbied for the Dead tribute band.)
The concerts are free. Parking is available in the Town Hall/Library parking lots, as well as the adjacent Middle/High School lots.
The Abington Lions will work the grill, and Cream will be there selling ice cream. Dogs are not allowed on town fields.
Funding for the concerts comes from sponsors, private donations, and a grant from the Abington Cultural Council.
“Each year gets better and better because we get more and more sponsors,” said Reid.
This marks the 19th summer concert series in Abington. The series dates back to the completion of the Millennium Complex, which includes Reilly Field and the Nisby Bandstand. What started as three, small concerts on the bandstand lawn in 2005 has consistently grown in the subsequent years.
“I was so happy to get 300 people there, now we’re getting 5-600 people and it keeps growing,” said Reid. “Several times we’ve reached over 1,000.”
The series has grown to the point committee members can be picky with who they invite to play. Before the committee makes an offer, they first go and see them play live, or at least watch clips on YouTube, to ensure the group puts on a quality show.
“We’re very fussy,” Reid said.
