10 Oregon Observer - June 21, 2018
Carnival Midway Live Entertainment Fireworks Softball Tournament Summer Fest Classic Run/Walk Volleyball Tournament
June 21-24, 2018
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Summer Fest Parade Classic & Custom Car Show “Thrilla on the Grilla” Summer Fest Market Cornhole Tournament
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Welcome back, summer Family-friendly first night and no cover charges
Inside Parade Page 11 Car show, races
ALEXANDER CRAMER
Page 12
Unified Newspaper Group
Summer Fest is just around the corner and the annual fair has a few new things to look forward to along with all the returning favorites. For the first time this year, all the music will be free, Oregon Area Chamber of Commerce executive director Judy Knutson told the Observer. Knutson and the chamber arranged for business sponsors to make the event free for concertgoers, which Knutson hopes will draw more people in to watch the music and allow groups to stay together who previously may have been split over whether to pay the cover. In another move aimed at buoying the community spirit of the festival, the first night will feature a family-friendly lead up to the fireworks show, slated to start at 9:30
Fireworks, carnival, parade of bands Page 13 Photo submitted
Angels and Outlaws are slated to perform on Saturday, June 23. For the first time this year, all of the performances are going to be free. available until 4 p.m. Thursday – “We’re hoping that brings famp.m. Thursday. “It’s all about community,” Knut- an hour before the festival starts – ilies down so the kids have a good time before the fireworks,” Knutson son said. “We want to make sure at locations around the village. There will be softball games on said. people can come down and enjoy the diamonds at Kiser Firemen’s the experience.” Park for sports fans, and the food Friday Thursday and crafts vendors will be open all The kickoff to the weekend will see the softball tournament start The festival kicks off at 5 p.m. evening. The night’s music starts at 6 p.m. in earnest and feature special food Thursday, June 21, with the opening of the carnival midway. Tickets with line dancing, after which Madi- offerings from the Rotary Club, as for rides cost $1.50, and each ride son Mobile DJ will play tunes for the Turn to Fest / Page 12 takes 2-3 tickets. Presale tickets are kiddos in the first ever “Kids Bop.”
Music lineup Page 14 Food, ‘Safe Rider’, Marketplace Page 15 Cornhole, volleyball and softball Page 16
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Darlene Groenier named parade’s grand marshal Distinction honors decades of serving Oregon community ALEXANDER CRAMER Unified Newspaper Group
While the grand marshal might not ride in the parade this year, her presence has been felt in the community for decades. Darlene Groenier has been selected as the 2018 grand marshal of the parade by the Oregon Area Chamber of Commerce, whose executive director, Judy Knutson, told the Observer that Groenier has served the village just about every way someone can, and “always made the downtown beautiful.” “When I first came to town, Darlene was the first woman who greeted me at my first chamber meeting,” Knutson said, now in her sixth year as executive director. “She’s such a nice lady.” Groenier, who is fighting cancer, served as the president and vice president of the chamber, on the Village Board for 10 years, and was always spearheading projects to help her village, Knutson said. Asked why she was drawn to this career of service, Groenier demurred, telling the Observer, “I guess I’m that sort of person.” Darlene’s husband Jim described his wife’s work with the Parade of Homes with a gruff sense of humor, saying she “was in charge of it for what seems like forever.” “I had to do the typing for them and it seemed like every year for years,” he said, smiling. Groenier also spent two years in charge of organizing Summer Fest, taking over the year after Bill Torhorst stepped down as chamber president.
File photo by Kate Newton
Darlene Groenier, shown hanging holiday lights in 2015, has been named the 2018 Summer Fest parade grand marshal. Torhorst, who said he’s known Darlene for a couple decades, said volunteering with her was “wonderful,” adding that she’d do everything she could do and expect nothing back. “Most of the time, Darlene would have everything done before you asked,” Torhorst said. “That was Darlene.”
Calling Oregon home Darlene and Jim Groenier moved to the village from Madison and raised their four boys here. The pair met in the late 1950s, Jim said, when he “was up at the fair, sitting up on a bale of hay reading the newspaper and this girl came up to me and wouldn’t leave me alone.” This, Darlene said, “is not true.” The couple wed in 1962 and moved to the village in 1977. Darlene “would always be doing something” with the boys, Jim said, like packing their whole T-ball team into their Ford station wagon to take them to
practice. As the boys got older, Darlene channeled more of her energy into projects around the village, volunteering with everything from the National Wild Turkey Federation to redoing the holiday lights downtown, often getting the family in on the act. “You know how (your wife is) involved in something and all of a sudden you’re involved in it too?” Jim asked. “We checked the bulbs every year and put them up. We put them up when the weather was nice and when you shouldn’t even be outside.” Now, the chamber has voted Darlene the grand marshal of the parade she once helped organize, a recognition Torhorst said is well-deserved. “She’s one of those gems Image courtesy Oregon Area Chamber of Commerce in every small community,” The Summer Fest parade route mainTorhorst said. “She’s a piltains the changes from last year, looplar of volunteerism.” Darlene said she was ing back toward the high school “thrilled” and “very happy” that she was called to be the marshal. Reflecting on her career in the village, she chose to focus on her gratitude for what the village has given her, not the other way around. “I’d really like to thank the community,” Groenier said. “People have been great to me while I’m going through my cancer treatment – I get cards and cards and cards from people. They’ve just been so nice.” “I really just like to give to the community,” Groenier said. “Community is very important to me.” Contact Alexander Cramer at alexander.cramer@ wcinet.com
File photo by Evan Halpop
Pure Integrity Homes launched fireballs into the air during last years’ parade.
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Parade route stays the same, entrants judged on circus theme ALEXANDER CRAMER Unified Newspaper Group
Come Sunday at 12:30 p.m., the Summer Fest parade will once again be on its way, following the same path as last year, with this year’s entrants judged as to how well they hew to a “circus” theme. Judges will dole out prizes based on creativity, originality, and theme representation. First place wins $500, second $300, and third gets $200, all donated by Oregon Community Bank. The big winner last year was the Oregon-Brooklyn Optimist Club splash pad float that featured all manner of colorful pool noodles and balloons. Last year saw a change in the parade’s route, which used to follow South Main Street but was changed to loop back around toward the high school, which had multiple benefits Oregon Area
Chamber of Commerce executive director Judy Knutson told the Observer. For one, it was easier for people to get back to where they wanted to go after the parade, whether it was to their cars – many of which were parked at the high school – or back to the festival’s grounds near Kiser Fireman’s Park to enjoy the last few hours of the festivities. In addition, rerouting the parade allowed organizers to cut down on traffic enforcement significantly, Knutson said. In years’ past, organizers had 8-10 people on South Main Street, Knutson said, but with the new route, they might only need a couple of people. The new route ends at the intersection of Spring and Park Streets and “worked out great,” Knutson said.
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Summer Fest
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The carnival’s back in town KIMBERLY WETHAL
Midway hours
Unified Newspaper Group
Calkins United Shows will be running carnival rides and games throughout the entire Summer Fest weekend. Oregon Area Chamber of Commerce executive director Judy Knutson said that the rides will be similar to last year, and may feature some new rides as well. Prices for the rides and ga m e s w i l l r e m a i n t h e same, with tickets costing $1.50 and rides costing 2-3
• 5-10 p.m., Thursday, June 21, $16 ride-all-rides wristband • 5-11 p.m., Friday, June 22, $16 ride-all-rides wristband • Noon to 11 p.m., Saturday, June 23, $20 ride-allrides wristband • 12:30-6 p.m., Sunday, June 24 tickets.. Wristbands to “ride-allrides” will be available on Thursday, Friday and Saturday for $16 for the first two
days, and $20 on Saturday. Advance ticket sales for rides are four tickets for $6, and are available until 4 p.m. Thursday, June 21.
File photo by Evan Halpop
Kids look up to watch the fireworks while waiting in line for the Ferris wheel last year.
‘Shadow’ highlights Parade of Bands
Fireworks set for Thursday night KIMBERLY WETHAL
If you go
Unified Newspaper Group
It’s no coincidence that Oregon Area Chamber of Commerce executive director Judy Knutson and the current 40-minute long fireworks show at Summer Fest have both been involved with the festival for same number of the years. “When I was a little girl, I used to go to the DeForest (fireworks),” she said. “(Krueger) always did the fireworks in DeForest. They were always so spectacular. So when I started doing it here, I asked him for a quote.” The fireworks, put on by
What: Summer Fest fireworks When: 9:30 p.m. Thursday, June 21 (rain date Friday, June 22) Where: Kiser Firemen’s Park, 245 Brook St. Info: oregonwisummer fest.com Krueger Pyrotechnics and Firework Displays, LLC, will be about the same as last year, Knutson said. The fireworks are returning for their fifth year in a row, after they returned for
the festival’s 50th anniversary in 2014. The show will start at 9:30 p.m. Thursday, June 21, and will be set off from Jaycee Park. The fireworks are sponsored by Oregon Community Bank, All Color Powder Coating, the VFW, the Chamber and the Oregon-Brooklyn Lions Club, which uses proceeds from the its annual “Thrilla on the Grilla” event on the last day of the festival. It won’t be a challenge for the fireworks display to fit right in with the festival’s “Rainbow” theme. “They’re going to be all kinds of colors for us,” she said.
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People will get a chance to see some of the finest young musicians in the area Sunday night at the annual Parade of Bands, including the host Shadow Drum and Bugle Corps. The concert, set for 7:30 p.m. at Oregon High School’s Panther Stadium, also showcases Sound of Sun Prairie, Lighthouse Brigade of Racine and River Rock Concord from Fort Atkinson. The Oregon-based Shadow Drum and Bugle Corps, under the direction of Nick Lane, participates in Drum Corps International competitive events throughout the country. The group started nearly 50 years ago as the Oregon High School Summer Marching Band, later changing its name to Shadow Armada in 2008. In 2016, the group was accepted into DCI and changed their name to Shadow Drum and Bugle Corps. Spokesperson Sonja Patterson said the group, which is sponsored by the Oregon School District and the Oregon Band Boosters, has been preparing for the summer performance season since January, and started daily rehearsals on Monday. “The initial training runs for 12 days with a focus on
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File photo by Evan Halpop
CJ Johnson performs on the bass drum, at the Shadow Showcase.
Performing bands Shadow Drum and Bugle Corps, Oregon Sound of Sun Prairie Lighthouse Brigade of Racine River Rock Concord, Fort Atkinson physical training, a ton of rehearsal and preparation for the show,” she wrote the Observer in an email The cost for Sunday’s Parade of Bands is $5 per person, with children three
If you go What: Parade of Bands When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, June 24 Where: Oregon High School Panther Stadium, 456 N. Perry Pkwy. Info: oregonwi summerfest.com Cost: $5 and under free. Families of four or more can attend the event at a special rate of $20.
Fest: Tournaments, cars, parade highlight weekend
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Four state bands set to perform Sunday night
well as music starting at 6:30 p.m. Cherry Pie will hit the stage at 8:30 p.m., playing hits from the 80s with the outfits and hair to match. For those who have one too many adult beverages, the Safe Rider program will run from 11:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. in which Union Cab will shuttle guests home free of charge. Riders from the village will get dropped off first because they’re closer, Knutson said, but they’ll make sure everyone knows they can leave their car and get a free ride home with no consequences. “If they’re here, we’ll make sure they get home
safely,” Knutson said.
Saturday Early risers can grab a coffee and enjoy an early start to the festival, with the market opening at 8 a.m. and the running races starting as early or earlier. The volleyball tournament will go all day, as will the softball tournament, and Masons will serve up their pork dinner from 11 a.m. until the food runs out. The night will be capped off by country covers from Angels and Outlaws and Safe Rider will once again make sure everyone who needs a ride home can get one.
Sunday The last day of the festival revolves around the
community parade down Main Street at 12:30 p.m., but that’s far from the only draw. The classic car show starts at 9 a.m., the softball championship game will be at 1:30 p.m. and the cornhole tournament kicks off at 2 p.m. Meanwhile, the Lions’ Club “Thrilla on the Grilla” starts at 11 a.m. and goes until 6 p.m., offering ribs or chicken with all the fixings, plus entry into a $500 raffle. As the festival winds down, head over to the high school stadium to see a parade of drum and bugle bands from the region featuring Oregon’s own Shadow. – Alexander Cramer
Summer Fest
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Start your engines Annual car show is back Sunday SCOTT DE LARUELLE Unified Newspaper Group
Classic or custom, car-lovers will have plenty to feast their eyes and ears on during Sunday’s annual Summer Fest Car Show. The event is returning to the Summer Fest grounds this year after previously being held a block away, a change that event organizer Greg Granberg said made a big difference. “It’s much more family friendly with the carnival rides and entertainment tent and food there,” he told the Observer. “It really works out nicely being right on the grounds as opposed to a block away.” The show has attracted increasing numbers – and varieties – of cars in recent years, Granberg said, noting there were 89 last year. And with both classic and custom classes, lots of cars are eligible for the show. “We’ll have 1930s and ‘40s originals, hot rods, muscle cars, up to the ‘80s and even ‘90s,” he said. “Last year we had a 1930 Rolls Royce Limousine that was just immaculate and won best of show by a long shot.” Granberg said the best thing about the show is talking shop with car owners and aficionados. “The car owners are going to be
If you go What: Classic and Custom Car Show When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, June 24 (registration is 7 a.m. to noon) Where: Brook Street, downtown Oregon Info: summerfest.oregon wi.com there for the majority of the day, and they just love to talk about cars,” Granberg said. “You’ve got gentlemen coming who remember when those were the cars they were driving on a daily basis and seeing go down the street, and they reminisce about when the car came out, what made it so special. “It’s not a museum of a car show, it’s an interactive one, talking with the owners, appreciating what they’ve done and brought back or maintained for many, many years.” Registration on site for vehicles is $10, which includes parade participation. Awards will be given for 12 classes, with dash plaques for the first 100 cars. “We’re hoping the weather cooperates and are excited to be back on the Summer Fest grounds again this year,” Granberg said.
File photo by Madeline Westberg
Brian Anderson bats in last year’s softball tournament. This year’s championship game will be Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
Softball tournament Friday-Sunday League games also Thursday SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group
Softball fans can get their fill again all weekend at Summer Fest. While the festival’s tournament begins Friday, there will also be league games Thursday night for those looking for something to watch before the fireworks. The tournament begins Friday at 6:30 p.m. on both of the Kiser Park
diamonds, with games expected to last until 11 p.m. Organizer Robert Klein wrote in an email that the 8:30 p.m. featured “beer tent” game will be “perennial powerhouse” GH Heating versus the 2012 champs sponsored by Symdon Chevrolet. SG Insurance Agency, Thysse and the chamber of commerce sponsor the event, which will continue Saturday at 10 a.m. and is expected to go until 10 p.m. The top four teams will play Sunday for the championship beginning
at 11 a.m. The championship game, which will feature a team from the winner’s bracket and one from the loser’s bracket, will be at 1:30 p.m. Sunday. The winning team will receive $350 and a trophy, second-place will get $300 plus a trophy, thirdplace gets $200 and a trophy, fourthplace $200 and fifth- and sixth-place teams will receive $100. To see the whole bracket, visit oregonadultsoftball.com.
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Cornhole returns After being canceled last year for logistical purposes, the cornhole tournament is all set for Sunday. The competition will begin at 2 p.m. S u n d a y, J u n e 2 4 , and registration is required. Registration closes at the end of the day June 21 but walk-ins will be available as space allows. The competition costs $20 per team
File photo by Jeremy Jones
Former University of Wisconsin men’s basketball player Mike Wilkinson puts away a kill at the net during last year’s volleyball tournament. This year’s will run all day Saturday, June 23.
Volleyball tournament returns SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group
If you’re looking for a break from the carnival, want to enjoy a beer or are just a big sports fan, the best spot at Summer Fest might be next to softball diamond No. 1 Saturday. While the softball tournament goes throughout the weekend, the annual volleyball tournament will be right next door, with up to four matches at a time
beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday in Kiser Park between the diamond and the fairgrounds. Organizer JJ Giese said the morning will include a round robin-style tournament, after which teams will be sorted into an upper bracket and a lower bracket for afternoon play until around 4 p.m. The top three teams in the upper bracket at the end of the tournament will receive a prize. “(It’s) pretty similar to what it’s been in year’s past,” Giese said.
The viewing area is also within the fence that marks the boundaries of the beer tent, allowing participants and spectators to enjoy a beer during the tournament. Giese said it offers a good chance to “get people moving during the day” for competitors, and can attract out-oftowners to Oregon to see their friends or family compete. “Just get more people to come in and check out our fantastic town,” he said.
and proceeds will benefit the Oregon Youth Center. Styled as a double elimination tournament, there are three prize categories for the winning teams. First will take home $100, second gets $40 and third prize is $30. Fo r r eg i s t r a t i o n information, call 588-6692. – Amber Levenhagen
Calling a truce: No Tug O’ War this year Tug-of-War ‘just didn’t work out’ for 2018 The Tug-of-War event will not be at Summer Fest in 2018. U.S. Tug-of-War Association president Shelby Richardson, who lives in Oregon, told the Observer the event “just didn’t work out for us with our scheduling and whatnot.”
Richardson said t h ey a r e o p e n t o returning in the future, but this year have another event scheduled on June 23 in Footville. Last year they had a similar conflict but did a “double date.” “We would love to come back, with the support of Oregon, we would love to be back in Oregon,” she said. – Scott Girard
Villagers of all ages getting set for Saturday races JEREMY JONES Unified Newspaper Group
About 200 runners of all ages and skill levels are expected to compete in the annual Summer Fest 5K, 10K and 10-mile runs Saturday. Kids all the way up to adults will participate in the 5K, while more serious runners will take on the 10K and 10-mile run. “I wouldn’t say it’s super competitive,” organizer Elyse Smithback said. “It’s just fun and people should come out and do it.” The 10-mile run follows phase 1 of the Badger State trail west of town, which parallels County Hwy. M
Race Day Saturday, June 23 7:45 a.m. 10-mile run 8 a.m. 10K 8:15 a.m. 2 mile walk/5K 10 a.m. Kids 1K and eventually runs into South Fish Hatchery Road. Runners then loop back toward the Summer Fest grounds. The 5K course follows Brooks Street, Market Street, East Lincoln Street, North Perry Parkway, East Richards Road, Merri-Hill Drive to North Oak Street and back to the Summer Fest grounds. The 10K course starts out the
Map courtesy oregonwisummerfest.com
The route of the 10K Summer Fest race Saturday. The race starts on the Summer Fest grounds near the library and loops around the city. There are also 10-mile and 5K races as well as a 1K kids race and a 2-mile walk. same as the 5k but heads west out of town on West Netherwood Road and then loops around Lerner
Conservation Park for miles two and three. The course then heads north of Bill’s Food Center for mile four
before looping from just west of North Main Street toward the high school and back for miles five and six. Pre-packet pickup will be held on the festival grounds in front of the Oregon Area Chamber of Commerce trailer at Kiser Park from 5-8 p.m. Friday. Day-of registration and packet pickup will also be available from 7-8 a.m. Saturday. Race day registration will be Saturday for all five events from 7-7:45 a.m. To register in person for the run or walk, a packet can be picked up at the Oregon Summer Fest trailer located between the Oregon pool and vendor row. The cost for adults to register is $35 for the 10-mile, 10K and 5K races. Youth
registration is $20 for the three races; kids 8 and under, meanwhile, can participate in the 1K run for free. The fee to participate in the walking 2-mile event is $20; strollers are welcome on the paved trail that traverses through soccer and baseball/softball fields. The 10-mile run starts at 7:45 a.m. Saturday followed by the 10K at 8 and the 5K and 2-mile walk at 8:15 a.m. The kids 1K is set to start at 10 a.m. Announcements and awards will follow, with trophies awarded to the top male and female overall finishers and the top boy and girl overall. Chip timing for all runners will be provided by Race Day Events.
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Summer Fest
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June 21, 2018
New flavors and old favorites at Summer Fest AMBER LEVENHAGEN
Masons’ pork dinner
Unified Newspaper Group
A few new selections will be available for those looking to quench their thirst When: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and satisfy their sweet tooth (or until food runs out) during Summer Fest next Saturday week. Where: Near beer tent, Festival goers will be able Kiser Firemen’s Park to get an extra boost of cafCost: $7 feine, as a coffee wagon will be on site and selling everything from espresso shots to smoothies. In addition to the coffee boost, Vera’s Snack Shack will be around throughout the weekend. The shack is new to Summer Fest and When: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. sells deep-fried snacks like Sunday Oreos and Twinkies, as well Where: Beer tent, Kiser as other snacks, like popFiremen’s Park corn and pickles. Some of the long-loved Cost: $12, $10 in staples are returning, such advance at JL Richards, as the Thrilla on the Grilla, 668 Janesville St. which has a few new twists form last year. The Oregon Mason’s pork dinner is Saturday, and the Oregon Rota- from 3-6 p.m. Lions Club president Pete ry Club will have its booth open throughout the week- Zang told the Observer in an email the Time Travelers are end. “a local group you have to Thrilla on the Grilla hear to believe.” The meal will be a choice The Oregon-Brooklyn Lions Club fundraiser Thril- between a half rack of BBQ la on the Grilla will return at ribs or half a grilled chicken and will come with baked 11 a.m. Sunday. Food is served until 5 beans, potato salad, colep.m. and music lasts until 6 slaw and a roll with butter. Tickets are $12, or $10 in p.m. The event features live advance at JL Richards, 668 music all day, starting with Janesville St. The meal ticket doubles Horse from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Back Forty from 1-3 as a raffle entry, with a $500 p.m. and Time Travelers first prize up for grabs at
15 Market moves again
Oregon Observer
KIMBERLY WETHAL Unified Newspaper Group
Thrilla on the Grilla
File photo by Madeline Westberg
Lisa Lafonteese and her grandchildren, Porter and Ruby Speers, dig in at last year’s fest. the 4 p.m. drawing. Second place will win $100 while third will take home $50. The music, raffle and dinner is the Lions Club’s biggest fundraiser of the year, Club member Rich Wisden explained, with a portion of proceeds helping to support the Chamber of Commerce and Summer Fest’s annual fireworks show. Another programs the funds will benefit is the Stuff the Bus fundraiser, set for August 11. The fundraiser will collect school supplies for the Oregon School District. “Our Oregon Brooklyn Lions serve our community
with a multitude of projects, from vision eye screening to highway clean up,” Zang wrote in an email. “(We create) food baskets for the holidays (to give to) needy families and the list goes on.”
Pork dinner The Oregon Masons will have their annual pork dinner from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, or until food runs out, which has been around 5 or 6 p.m. in previous years. The menu includes a BBQ pork sandwich, baked beans, homemade coleslaw, chips, pickle and lemonade or iced tea for $7.
Proceeds from the meal go towards the Masons’ charity fund, which supports community organizations throughout the year. This year the funds were used for a scholarship for an Oregon High School graduating senior. Another project is to purchase and install wheelchair accessible swings for a park in Oregon. Other donations went to the Children’s Dyslexia Center of Madison. For more information about Summer Fest food vendors, visit summerfest. oregonwi.com.
The Summer Fest Market is shifting locations again this year, heading inside the entertainment tent from its spot near the food last year after years in the main tent. Organizers hope the move will allow people to listen to the live music while they browse and minimize congested traffic flow for a more comfortable shopping experience, Tiffany Houtsinger, membership and communications associate for the Oregon Area Chamber of Commerce, told the Observer. There are multiple vendors returning from last year’s market, including Sensi, Wild Tree, Do Terra and Tupperware selling crafts and artisan goods along with specialty foods and baked treats. The market will take place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 23.
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16
June 21, 2018
Summer Fest
Oregon Observer
ConnectOregonWI.com
Four nights of music, zero cover charge Summer Fest features Cherry Pie, Angels and Outlaws BILL LIVICK Unified Newspaper Group
Two well-known area bands and a DJ will provide the music for Oregon Summer Fest this year. The Madison Mobile DJ will play music for kids and later adults on Thursday night, followed Friday by Cherry Pie performing classic rock from the 1980s and the Angels and Outlaws band on Saturday playing “the hottest in new country music.” The music takes place under the beer tent near Kiser Firemen’s Park.
Cherry Pie The five-piece ‘80s cover band Cherry Pie has become one of the area’s biggest draws for community festivals like Oregon Summer Fest. The group formed in 1999 and performs music from the likes of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard and other popular acts from the 1980s. The group features Dave Zettle on lead guitar and Josh Becker on guitar and keyboards. They’re the only remaining members from the original Cherry Pie, with drummer Frankie Trash joining in 2006, bassist Kase Villand joining in 2014 and lead singer Andrew Gonzalez coming on board last August to replace original singer John Swenson. Becker told the Observer everyone in the band “kind
Photo submitted
Cherry Pie will kick off the weekend with a performance from 8:30-11:30 p.m. Friday. In a first, this year’s music will be presented without a cover charge. of ignites things” when they hit the stage. “Frank, the drummer, is a showman,” he said. “He’s always twirling his sticks and drawing attention to himself, sometimes even when he shouldn’t be. “If it’s a venue where people can get to the side of the stage,” he added, “I’ve seen people camp out and just watch Frankie.” Becker said the band takes its job seriously but doesn’t take itself too seriously. “We take our craft seriously and take pride in being good,” he said. “But when you think about it, what we do is kind of silly. We do the hair and clothing to the hilt.” He said Cherry Pie’s shows demonstrate the band’s expertise and also its audiences’ enthusiasm for what they do. “We’re paying tribute but also sort of mocking it all at the same time,” Becker said.
The Summer Fest lineup Thursday, June 21: Madison Mobile DJ plays kids music, 7-8 p.m.; adult party, 8 – 11:30 p.m. Friday, June 22: Cherry Pie, 8:30-11:30 p.m. Saturday, June 23: Angels and Outlaws, 8:30–11:30 p.m. Sunday, June 24: live music, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Angels and Outlaws The Madison-based Angels and Outlaws is a Top 40 country cover band that formed in 2014 and is known for its tight harmony vocals and high energy. The group plays 25 to 30 shows a year, said drummer Matt Tanger, and is especially busy during the summer festival season. Ta n g e r s a i d t h e five-member group plays covers of country hits and also performs some classic rock songs from groups like Journey and ZZ Top. “Being that we have a female lead singer and we also have three males who can sing lead, we do both
guy and girl songs,” he said. “We like to mix it up.” S o m e o f t h e b a n d ’s most popular covers come from female artists such as Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Shania Twain, while the guys sing songs from the likes of Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean to Brad Paisley and Keith Urban, Tanger said. Band member Shelley Faith sings some leads and plays acoustic guitar, while lead guitarist Charles Thomas also sings lead on some songs. Tanger and guitarist Joshua Stromer each sing an occasional lead as well, but mainly provide harmony vocals.
Bassist Brad Karas rounds out the band lineup. Tanger said the group’s vocals set it apart from other cover bands. “We have a really good blend of vocals,” he said. “It’s common for us to have three- and four-part harmonies.” He said the tight harmonies leave a lasting impression on people. “There’s a lot of bands who are good instrumentally but just average on vocals, but that’s one of o u r s t r e n g t h s ,” Ta n g e r observed. “It’s fun to hear it and to actually be a part of it.”
Madison Mobile DJ Madison Mobile DJ Travis Seibert has been spinning discs and, more lately, programming music for 27 years and has worked in the Madison area since 2000, he told the Observer in a phone interview. His Summer Fest show will include an hour of music for young kids
beginning at 7 p.m., followed by music for the adult party at 8 p.m. Seibert said he does everything from graduation parties and weddings to summer fairs and festivals. “We cater music to our clients based on what they need,” he said. At Summer Fest, the kids music will be fun, Seibert promised. “We’ll do stuff from the Disney movies like ‘Frozen’ and songs like ‘The Barbie Song,’ ‘Rockin’ Robin’ and ‘The Twist,’” he said. “And the kids love anything by Justin Bieber.” Music for the regular party will be summer-themed. Some songs that Seibert mentioned include The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations,” “Summer Time Blues” by Eddie Cochran, “Summer of ‘69” by Bryan Adams, “BrownEyed Girl,” by Van Morrison and “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves.
Safe Rider service returns for fourth year Friday and Saturday Unified Newspaper Group
There’s no excuse for drinking and driving after Summer Fest. The Safe Rider program, sponsored by the Oregon Area Chamber of Commerce, will take festivalgoers home from 11:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. on the Friday and Saturday nights of the festival. The service doesn’t run on Thursday night because the festival closes much
earlier – music ends at 11:30 p.m., Oregon Area Chamber of Commerce executive director Judy Knutson said – and the night has more of a family feel to it, so the safe rider van isn’t needed as much. Knutson said that the safe rider van service is free for anyone to use. “We’d prefer you to do that so you get home safe,” she said. “We do go to Stoughton, and we will go to outlying areas.” Oregon residents, however, have first dibs on getting rides home, just because
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of their proximity to the festival. Others who live outside of town will still get rides, Knutson said, but they might have to wait until there are others who live near them that also need a ride. “We work it out and make sure all of the Oregon people who live in the surrounding areas get home first,” she said. “We won’t ever leave anybody sitting, though. We will never do that. “If we have to take them ourselves, we will.”
If you go What: Safe Driver service When: 11:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Friday, June 22, and Saturday, June 23 Where: Kiser Firemen’s Park, 245 Brook St. Info: oregonwisummerfest.com
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