Rooster and I made our way to Foster Park to attend a summer concert in the park, After a stop at The Refinery Hydration Station, we listened to some summertime blues. #The Refinery Hydration Station #Foster Park #Kokomo#Indiana #The Allman Betts Band
Summer Concert in the Park
Rooster and I decided to attend one of the concerts in Foster Park, the city of Kokomo puts on during the spring and summer. The chances of rain were slim. The Allman Betts Band might get through their entire show without a cancelation due to precipitation. We strolled past an area across the street from Foster Park and noticed several shops open for business. One of the stores was an ice cream shop. The other was The Refinery hydration Station.
The Refinery Hydration Station & Event Venue is a unique place to stop for a cup of coffee or a health-minded drink. The wide-open windows of the establishment allowed the cool evening breeze to function as a natural air conditioning system. Metal tables and chairs were arranged in a patio area in front of The Refinery.
The Allman Betts Band
The Allman Betts Band wouldn’t take the stage for an hour. Rooster and I decided to buy a strawberry smoothie, have a seat outside, and listen to the band, which was already performing on the stage in the park. The first thing to catch our eye when we ambled through the open doorway was the large sign spelling out Kokomo in bright red letters. I asked to use the restroom and noticed a dance studio in the back section of the business, and I knew we stumbled on a unique place to enjoy one of our Saturday afternoons.
The dry bar served healthy drinks, which weren’t made with a drop of alcohol. Rooster and I didn’t have a problem with that. We ordered two strawberry smoothies. The planter in front of us gave off a floral aroma as a gentle breeze picked up the scent of the flowers. The one attraction the city of Kokomo has is its massive amount of flowering plants. The music from Kokomo Performing Arts Pavilion flowed up the hill to the seats where we were sitting. The Dane Clark Band sounded fantastic from where we were seated at The Refinery. They were the opening act for The Allman Betts Band.
Harley Owners Group
By the time we made it down the hill and found a place to set up our lawn chairs, HOG Fest was in full swing. The local Harley Owners Group sponsors the event to raise money for charity. The funds raised this year went to a veteran’s organization. Guys in yellow motorcycle t-shirts worked the crowd selling raffle tickets during intermission. Nobody seemed to care about winning the money.
The cash was going to a worthy cause. While we were watching the winning ticket being drawn, a bolt came out of Rooster’s chair. He almost ended up on the ground. He was going to have an uncomfortable seat for the concert.
Great Music
The Allman Betts Band took the stage by storm. They came out to a round of applause from Allman Brothers fans craving a taste of 70s southern blues-rock style music. The front men for the band are Devan Allman, the son of Greg Allman, and Duane Betts, the son of Dicky Betts, and Berry Oakley Jr., son of Berry Oakley the Allman Brothers bassist. Johnny Stachela did the band’s slide work. Other band members included John Ginty, Robert Randolf, Scott Bryan, and John Lum. The current tour of the group is to commemorate The Allman Brothers Bands 50th anniversary.
When the band launched into some old Allman Brother songs, the crowd went wild. You don’t hear music like that played on mainstream radio anymore. That’s why rooster and I pay a monthly fee for Pandora radio.
History of the band
There is a segment of the population hungry for music like the kind we enjoyed back in the day. I’ve been an Allman Brothers fan since the 1970s. I was hooked the first time I heard “Midnight Rider” played on a car radio. “One Way Out” and “Whipping Post” led to my love of the blues as a musical art form. In 1971, tragedy struck with the death of Duane Allman in a tragic motorcycle accident.
The following year Berry Oakley was in a separate motorcycle accident three blocks from where Allman’s occurred. He refused treatment but died the following day from a brain injury. This history creates a bond between bikers and the Allman Brothers Band. Disco and new wave music started taking over the charts around 1979.
Flash to the past
You seldom hear southern rock played over the airwaves unless you’re listening to an oldies station, but there are some of us whose love for this style of music never faded. The Allman Betts Band had huge shoes to fill when they took the stage at the Kokomo Performing Arts Pavilion.
Rooster and I both thought the first two songs fell flat. We enjoyed the Allman Brothers covers the band performed. They also did a cover of “Purple Rain” written by the artist formerly known as Prince. Indeed, the song was an unexpected surprise to the summer concert in the park.
This band’s challenge
The challenge for this band will be to carve out their own identity in the shadows of the genius of their fathers. Music magic like the Allman Brothers Band doesn’t come along often. , The Allman Betts Band will appear at The Blues Bender in Vegas later this year. I wish Rooster and I could go listen to them in that venue. The magic might happen when they are surrounded by the blues greats who are still around today.
The night was a pleasant evening of music under the stars. Rooster and I decided to leave before the encore. Traffic would be a major headache when all the concertgoers got on the road. We were excited to discover The Refinery Hydration Station. I predict we’ll make our way back to Kokomo and set up our computers for a day of writing in the shade.
Rooster and I had a good time
We enjoyed The Allman Betts Band, but both agreed they needed to bring something original to the stage, which matched the genius their fathers brought to the stage. We crossed Washington Street and strolled toward the Sunshine Mobile. Music flowed behind us in Foster Park. The guitar riffs made me wished we’d stayed until the music stopped. The combination of the music and the night made me feel like life was good. Therefore, the summer concert in the park made up a perfect evening, listening to music under the stars.
Who is Molly Shea?
Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana, who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh. To read more of her short stories and adventures click here.
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