Issue date: 8/22/09 Section: TruLife

Kirksville's summer concert series on the Square concludes Friday

Music is in the air in Kirksville. At least, it has been every Friday night this summer.

The Summer on the Square concert series began in June and will continue until Friday. Every Friday evening the front lawn of the Adair County Courthouse on the square turns into an open-air concert venue where residents can enjoy a free show.

The concert series has boasted a variety of artists and music this summer including Spanish, country, blues, oldies and rock' n' roll. Last week, folk and blues musician, Noah Earle, born in Topeka, Kan., performed for a crowd of almost 100 who brought their lawn chairs and spread out blankets to enjoy the show. Senior Alison Stiehl and two friends sat on a bench in the Square.

"We were just walking past after eating dinner and thought we would sit and listen for a while," Stiehl said.

The concerts on the Square gave residents something free to do on Friday nights, which Stiehl said she thought was part of the appeal.

"Everyone wants some excuse to go out and have some fun with some friends," Stiehl said. "The concerts are a good way to do that and since they are free it's even better. This is the first one I have actually sat and watched, but every Friday there seems to be a good turn-out for the shows."

The 13 concerts this summer were sponsored by local businesses and organized by the Kirksville Arts Association. A committee of six to 10 volunteers chaired by a Kirksville Arts Association board member, sought out musicians from Kirksville and surrounding areas to perform at the shows according to the Kirksville Arts Association Web site.

Kirksville resident Matt Ellis and his family have been to almost all of the concerts this year. He said he was glad to have the opportunity each week to enjoy the nice weather and some good music.

"It's a fun thing my wife and I and the kids try to do every week," Ellis said. "We sort of make an evening of it, either going out to dinner before or packing up a picnic. It makes for nice family time."

Senior Kristy Anderson lounged with her boyfriend in a pair of lawn chairs and said she could hear the concerts from her apartment every Friday, so she decided to finally check it out.

"I always wondered what was going on, and tonight we didn't really have much going on, so we decided to come listen," Anderson said. "Even though this is the first time I've actually come down to the show, I've really liked just being able to hear the music, either from my apartment or when I'm out walking near the Square. It made the summer seem fun and festive."

The final concert of the summer next Friday night will feature the band Kaiser Cartel, an indie rock band out of Brooklyn, N.Y. The band is making Kirksville a stop on its Midwest summer tour.

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