By Andy Taylor
INDEPENDENCE — Should you perceive that things aren’t going well in America, then come to Riverside Park on Tuesday nights during the summer.
You’ll feel better about all things red, white and blue after you hear the Mid-Continent Band performs its weekly evening concert in the Norman Rockwell-like setting of Riverside Park’s band shell.
You’ll leave the park wanting to wave streamers and flags.
You’ll wished you could have played under the baton of John Phillips Sousa . . . or maybe joined the war bond drive during World War II . . . or lived in constant regret that you gave up trumpet lessons as a kid.
And, you’ll be glad that you spent an evening with the television turned off and your ears and heart turned on to the sound of bold brass, toe-tapping percussion, and melodic flutes.
For nothing pleases the soul like the sound of a town band in a live performance under open skies.
Even the noisy cicadas and tree frogs chime provide background vocals.
That’s the way it has been in Independence since 1892, when the band was formed for the sole purpose of providing musical entertainment during the summer season.
The band has now become the oldest tradition in Montgomery County.
“I think people still enjoy coming to the park once a week to hear a live performance, knowing that they’ll hear songs they recognize or see band members who are in their church, their family or live in their neighborhood,” said Dan Frizane, the band director. “I think there is quite a bit of nostalgia wrapped up in it.”
Next Tuesday, Aug. 19, the band will perform its final concert of the season. The concert will begin at 8 p.m., and spectators can either sit in the amphitheater bleachers or bring their own lawn chairs.
However, area residents can get more information about the band — and music in general — when they visit the Independence Museum starting this week to view the special Smithsonian Institution exhibit: “New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music.” The exhibit, which will be in Independence through Sept. 28, celebrates all varieties of American music. As an addition to the exhibit, the museum has chosen pictures of the Mid-Continent Band dating back to the 1890s to put on public display.
The Aug. 19 concert also will feature some of the homegrown music of the band, Frizane said.
“We want to show the talent in our community by performing the songs that have been written by current and past band members,” said Frizane. “It’ll be a homegrown concert.”
Jessie Lickteig and daughter Rita Mendoza, both of Cherryvale, make it a goal to attend each weekly concert, barring intense heat or humidity. On Tuesday, the two women joined several dozen other spectators in lawn chairs in enjoying a blend of musical styles — from military marches to Motown hits.
“I think it’s wonderful,” said Mendoza. “My mom likes it because she knows a lot of the music. And, we try to go when the weather is good. I think good weather makes the concert more enjoyable.”
Frizane said he was amazed to see several dozen spectators at the Aug. 5 concert, which, he described, as being held in “stiffling heat.”
“We still get people coming to the concert no matter how hot it is,” he said.
The band itself is a blend of people of varied backgrounds and ages. Tom Porter of rural Cherryvale is a pharmacist by training. He’s also the oldest member of the band, having been a stalwart member of the french horn section for many years.
And, then there are several band members who provide the newest and freshest blood to the group. At Tuesday’s concert, teenagers Aidan Goodrich and Zakery Wallace played in the woodwind section while fellow peer Daniel McDill, who plays in a Christian rock band called Ignite, played cymbals and other percussion instruments.
Matt Hastings of Independence graduated from Independence High School in May but found time away from Facebook pages and hippster outings with friend to play in the trumpet section.
“We have a variety of people in the band, but they all have an interest in playing music,” said Frizane. “Obviously, we’re not going to get a bunch of screaming teenagers to stand in front of the band shell and waving their arms in the air. But, I’m gratified to see people young and old not only in the band but also in the audience.
“I’ve had people come to me at church to tell me that they played in the band 50 or 60 years ago. They still look at those years as fun times.”
