Each Thursday, save for two rainy evenings, has welcomed musical performers from southwest Michigan that have filled downtown Dowagiac’s Beckwith Park on South Front Street with tunes.

Thursday evening’s last summer concert of the season will feature Kalamazoo’s Out of Favor Boys at 7:30 p.m.

For three years, Out of Favor Boys has played an August date in the concert series and, according to Tony Sproul, saxophonist and band spokesperson, the group hopes to bring that same flavor to Dowagiac again.

“It’s a mix of everything really,” Sproul said Tuesday. “We incorporate both stuff we write and stuff we cover.”
Sproul said blues, funk and soul are a presciption for the group’s music.

“We’ve got that blues feeling, but we also play some upbeat stuff that gives us that funky sound with some soul,” Sproul said.

The band includes five members: “D-Day” Danny Ouelette, “Mighty” Mike Porter, Joel “The Kid” Krauss, Timmy “Butterknuttz” Brouhard and Sproul, who’s known as “T-Bone.”

When asked about the nicknames, Sproul said each one has a different story.

“Some were given just a jokes; some were earned over time,” Sproul said. “Mine in particular was in reference to T-Bone Walker; he was known for going out into the crowd when he played, which is something I like to do, too.”

Sproul said the summer concert series in Dowagiac has always been a welcome highlight to the end of the summer show season.

“We’ve always enjoyed the shows in Dowagiac,” Sproul said. “It’s a lot of good people that enjoy the music, and we get to share that with them; it’s a good relationship.”

One thing the audience can expect from Out of Favor Boys is crowd participation, Sproul said.

“There are points where we’ll slide into the crowd and play,” Sproul said. “We like to get the audience involved, and it makes the show fun.”

Sproul said, if anyone were to ask his band members, a major draw of the show is when he plays two saxophones at once.

“I don’t talk it about it normally, but that’s something fun that people get to see,” he said.

For more information, contact the Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce at (269) 782-8212.