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NILES – Niles residents can bring the lawn chairs, blankets and dancing shoes: music returns to the Riverfront Park Amphitheater this summer.

The series kicks off with a Saturday night concert with Bob Seger tribute band, Katmandu, on June 12.

Niles Music and More President of the Board Caryn Adler said she is excited to be bringing back the popular free summer concert series after it took a pause through 2020. The kickoff concert will be a Saturday night, with following concerts to take place on Sunday evenings.

“Bring a picnic basket and a lawn chair and unwind,” Adler said. “Weekends used to be like that. Now they’re filled with all sorts of things to do, because you have so much to do Monday through Friday. Come relax, enjoy the music, enjoy the ambiance of the river. Meet some new people and meet up with some people you haven’t seen in a while.”

Relaxing and listening along, as well as singing and dancing, are also encouraged.

“There’s a variety of genres that should appeal to a wide variety of people,” Adler said.

In all, 16 concerts will take place beginning with June 12 and running through Sept. 19. Many performers have local roots, but bands like Katmandu come from outside the Detroit area. Other acts booked include PastTime, Phil Anderson, Kevin B. Kline, Blue Water Ramblers, Darryl Buchanan, The Erly, The Toona’s, an Elvis tribute artist and more.

The concerts are rooted in helping the local community. Adler said each band chooses a Niles nonprofit to share the billing slot with. She has a list of active 501c3 nonprofits from the area, ranging from focus on the arts to children in need, to seniors and healthcare.

“This is what makes our concert brand stand alone,” Adler said. “It’s a win-win-win. The community wins, individually, because they get the music. The community [as a whole] wins because we are propping up the nonprofits that help the less fortunate, and those that are challenged all year round, and the bands feel good about participating.”

The Niles Summer Concert series was a local tradition revived by Adler in 2018. In 2019, she formed Niles Music and More, itself a 5013c nonprofit, to help organize the events.

“We can take donations, and it helps us get grant money to go toward the concerts,” Adler said.

In the future, she hopes to add more events to the concerts such as “battle of the bands” and having local restaurants and caterers participate in food competitions, like a mac and cheese “crawl.” For now, due to the continuing uncertainty around gatherings and COVID-19 mandates, the focus will be music.

“If our crystal ball becomes crystal clear next year, then we will start adding some of those things back,” Adler said.

The first concert featuring Katmandu will take place from 8 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 12. The following concerts will take place 6 to 8 p.m. on Sundays.

 

Listed are the acts involved with the Niles Summer Concert Series, all taking place at the Niles Riverfront Park Amphitheater.

8 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 12 – Katmandu, Bob Seger tribute band

6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, June 20 – PastTime, favorites from the 1950s and 1960s

6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, June 27 – Phil Anderson, acoustic classics of the 1960s and beyond

6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, July 4 – Kevin B. Kline, with his unique sound

6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, July 11 – Darryl Buchanan, soul Motown trio

6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, July 18 – Blue Water Ramblers, music in the American Roots tradition

6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, July 25 – The Erly, American indie rock band

6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 1 – The Toona’s, local high school garage band

6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 8 – Elvis tribute artist

6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 15 – Whateverly Brothers

6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 22 – Matthew Ball, swing, boogie woogie

6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 29 – The VanDyke Revue

6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 5 – Polphony Marimba, classically influenced African music on marimba

6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Sept.  6 – Polyphony Marimba workshops, for a fee

6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 12 – Hey Annie

6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 19 – Rain make-up day, if needed