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Music

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Parent Issue
Day
20
Month
June
Year
1975
OCR Text

FIRST CONCERT RAINED OUT

Park Program Kicks Off June 22

by Ellen Hoffman

A rainy Sunday ruined the Park Program's free concert debut for this season, but June 22 will start the music off in style.

"Of course we're disappointed about being rained out," said Dianne Ripley, a member of the Park Program board of directors, "but by next Sunday we'll be even more prepared."

Scheduled for the 22nd are Stillhouse String Band, a country-folk group; Lightning Red Blues Trio with some down home blues; Skip Van Winkle for heavy rock and roll; and Melodioso with cool Latin jazz.

The concerts got a boost earlier this month when City Council approved $8,000 to help finance the program. Most of this money goes straight back to the city to pay for the police who help direct traffic, and for Utilities installation on the site. Several Republicans joined Council Democrat and HRP members in supporting the concerts.

Money concerns are far from over for the Park Program, as funds are still needed to pay for equipment, trash pickup and minimal wages for the bands that perform. The Park Program Committee estimates that if each person in the audience donated a quarter, the concerts would not only break even but would have a small amount for starting next year's program.

SUMMERTIME MUSIC

Of course, what matters the most is the music. A wide spectrum of local groups are scheduled for the summer, ranging from folk and country to blues, jazz and rock and roll. Asked if any big name national groups were scheduled, Dianne Ripley said some could be but nothing was definite.

"The Park Program is primarily for giving area bands a chance to play and be heard;" she explained. "Many local bands have a lot of talent, but just haven't had the break needed to make the big time."

Two special shows are in the planning process for some time later this summer. One would feature Detroit Blues and another Detroit Jazz. As yet, no date has been set for either of these programs.

A MUSICAL PAST

The concerts have come a long way since they were first begun by a relative handful of dedicated local jazz and rock and roll musicians in the city's centrally located West Park. By 1968, the concerts had become a regular part of the community's culture when they were spearheaded by the MC5 and TransLove Energies.

Controversy over the free concerts developed in 1968 when the city's conservative forces banded together, charging excessive noise and "obscenity" in attempts to stop the music. Community support prevented the Council from permanently banning continued concerts, and in 1969, the concerts moved to an out of town site ending most complaints.

In 1970, the Ann Arbor Community Parks Program, Inc. was founded as a Michigan non-profit corporation. The Corporation still runs the program, holding open meetings and electing new officers each year.

Now, in 1975 the concerts are about to embark at a new site. Located on Fuller Road, behind University Hospital and across the street from the Fuller pool, the newly constructed facility has been named Victor Jara Park after the Chilean folksinger murdered by the military junta in 1973. Jara, held prisoner along with thousands of other dissidents who had supported socialist President Salvatore Allende, was spotted by an officer who recognized the famous folksinger. The officer had Jara brought to the center of the stadium, where a soldier chopped off the singers' hands in front of the entire stadium full of prisoners. The officer mocked him and said, now sing. So Jara staggered to his feet and began to sing Chile's national anthem, which had been banned by the new military regime. Machine gun bullets ended Jara's song, but every prisoner in the stadium rose and finished it for him.

SOME HOT TIPS

The concert in Victor Jara Park on Sunday should be far more joyous. A few reminders about ways to make the concerts less hassle:

*avoid driving if possible. Ride bikes, or pick up the University of Michigan bus on campus to get to the park. If you must drive, fill your car and pick up hitchhikers.

*avoid bringing glass containers to the park, as each year a number of people have been hurt by broken glass.

*keep pets on a leash, as they tend to get freaked out by the crowds.

*know where different facilities, like first aid-drug help, water, bathrooms and child care are on the site. Make arrangements with friends on where to meet after the concert in case you get separated.

*stay away from the railroad tracks since there are fast express trains running through on Sundays.

*park in authorized lots. The Fuller pool parking lot is off bounds according to the city's rules for the concerts.

Finally, if you want to help with the concerts, or have a band that wants to play, call Dianne Ripley at 761-7148. (If you miss the June 22 concert, check out the scene on June 29 with folk music by Eric Glatz, rock and roll with the Rabbits, jazz from the Lyman Woodard Organization and more rock with the Mojo Boogie Band.)

CITY OF ANN ARBOR MICHIGAN

100 North Fifth Avenue, P.O. Box 647, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48107

Phone (313) - 994-2766

Office of the Mayor

Dear Community Parks Program Audience,

Best wishes from City Hall tor a successful park concert program this summer. The organizers are to be congratulated for the time and work expended, the energetic pursuit of finances, volunteer labor, and the cooperation of public officials that were needed to ensure that thousands of citizens, young and not so young, would have another opportunity to enjoy the summer concerts, at home. The Ann Arbor Community Park Program needs your help in a variety of ways to make this summer's program a success. They need money to meet expenses over the summer. Eight members of the City Council voted to subsidize about forty-five percent of the estimated cost but the rest has to come from you who are here and from other Ann Arborites who are interested in providing the variety of cultural and recreational activities that are desired by our very diverse population. The organizers also need your help in other ways. Why not volunteer! Many in city government recognize the value of a permanent concert site and are committed to serious effort to have one available for next summer. However, the task is not easy because of many very real problems which must be overcome. We will be working on that. In the meantime, the concerts are on for this summer - enjoy them and support them.

Al Wheeler, Mayor