Music on Mt. Holiday

July 19, 2009

Music on Mt. Holiday
New concert venue offers dinner & a show
Robert Downes 7/20/09
Local musicians will hit a high note -- literally -- at a new dinner and concert series atop Mt. Holiday Ski Hill on the east side of Traverse City, beginning this week.
The new gig is called “Music in the Hills with Northern Michigan Songwriters in the Round,” to be hosted every Wednesday at the Mt. Holiday Lounge.
“This grew out of a music series we had last winter,” says manager Rick VanTongeren. “During the winter, a number of folksingers came in every Sunday evening and played in the lounge. It was a really popular event and a big hit with everyone.”
Mt. Holiday became one of only four nonprofit ski areas in the country in 2002 and has a list of approximately 1,000 loyal supporters, VanTongeren says. That local support has made it the ideal site for family-oriented fun and community events, such as a recent bash for the Cherry Capital Cycling Club and Mt. Holiday’s popular Halloween party.

WHAT’S FOR DINNER?
“We’re going to have different musicians every week and a family-style buffet that could include everything from Italian cuisine to an American-style barbecue or a pig roast,” VanTongeren says. Alcoholic beverages are also available.
Prices will be reasonable, with dinner from 6-7 p.m. at $8 for adults and $5 for kids. Dinner will be followed by the show, with a $5 cover going to the band.
Performers are all members of the Northern Michigan Songwriters in the Round -- a very ‘picky’ organization of 50 veteran songwriters from across the region. Slide guitarist Sandy Blumenfeld got the winter concerts going with the help of local songwriters Jenny Thomas, Adair Correll and other players, and the ski hill concerts ‘snowballed’ from there.
In addition to the performances, musicians will have their CDs for sale. Here’s who’s playing over the next seven Wednesday evenings:

--- by Robert Downes

July 22: Sandy Blumenfeld, Geno Miller and Les Dalgliesh
July 29: Matt Mansfield, Amber Buist, and Rick Buist with special guest Savannah Buist
August 5: Mary Anne Rivers, Jenny Thomas and Dennis Palmer
August 12: Kirby, Barbara Jordan and Adair Correll
August 19: Bryan Porier, John Kumjian and Patrick Niemisto -- aka: New 3rd Coast
August 26: Jim Moore, Mark Cantrell and Bob Downes -- aka: Acoustic Dynamite
September 2: Chris Skellenger, Paul Koss and Zack Light -- aka: 3 Hour Tour