MORGANTOWN — After a year’s absence due to the pandemic, BOPARC’s “Sounds of Summer” concert series returns to Krepps Park Tuesday, June 8 with a shared chord between Morgantown and New York City.
Admission is free for the entertainment, which begins at 6:30 at the park in Suncrest.
“We’re pretty excited for the hometown connection,” said Debbie Palmer, a BOPARC art instructor who is also coordinating the re-launched performances.
Joe Zimmerman, a Morgantown native who made his name in comedy in New York City with appearances on “The Late, Late Show” and John Oliver’s Comedy Central broadcasts, graduated from Morgantown High School.
He lit out for the city after college in North Carolina, and has since appeared on “The Tonight Show,” “Conan” and “Last Comic Standing,” in addition to hosting his own special on Comedy Central.
Zimmerman is now a regular at New York’s iconic Comedy Cellar Club. His first album, “Smiling at Wolves,” topped No. 1 on the iTunes comedy charts.
His set begins at 6:30 p.m.
The band DeMille will perform at 7:30 p.m., with a set of songs some reviewers have described as, “groovy Americana.”
Lead vocalist Rachel Altounian returned home to the U.S. after graduating from the Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts to assemble DeMille, which now calls New York City home, where it is acclaimed by both reviewers and its ever-growing fan base.
The band includes Luke Palmer, a keyboardist, who, like Zimmerman, also grew up in Morgantown.
He’s a University High graduate who followed his musical aspirations to the city.
For a year, BOPARC’s aspirations were to bring the performance series back, Debbie Palmer said.
“We’ve always liked the community feel of the event,” Palmer said of the series that started in the 1990s.
She also likes that it’s another gig for musicians and other performers long-idled by COVID.
Food trucks and other vendors will be present at all the concerts, she said.
The City of Morgantown and Monongalia County Commission are also sponsoring the series, which will be held on various Tuesdays through fall, Palmer said.
While masks aren’t required, people are asked to be courteous and practice social distancing.
The 2021 schedule:
- July 13: Halftime String Band
- Aug. 19: Miltenberger Jazz
- Sept. 14: Bumper Jacksons
All the above performances are set for 7 p.m. In the event of rain, the shows will be moved to the building at Marilla Park.
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