Gap Summer Concert Series Bringing a variety of music not usually found in Copperas Cove Posted On: Friday, Jun. 19 2009 02:06 AM By Alicia Lacy
Killeen Daily Herald

Guy Forsyth gets his inspiration wherever he can find it, and for 20 years he's been bringing an eclectic mix of blues, jazz, country, Tin Pan Alley and old folk to his unique sounding music.

"Inspiration is where you find it," Forsyth said.

When describing his music, Forsyth said it doesn't fit into any specific genre of music, but said it can be described as "Unrepentant Schizophrenic Americana," which is the title of one of his albums.

"I think the most important thing any musician can bring is a sense of celebration of being alive," Forsyth said Thursday while traveling to a show. "Music is primarily for enjoyment, but it gives a purpose to things."

Forsyth said blues music is what motivated him to start playing music. "It was small groups of people who celebrated being alive during difficult times," Forsyth said about the blues.

Copperas Cove and area residents can get a taste of something new when the Austin native travels to Copperas Cove Saturday as a part of the Guy Forsyth Band to headline the first concert in the Music at the Gap Summer Concert series at Ogletree Gap Park Pavilion.

Concert-goers can bring their lawn chairs, coolers, friends and family and indulge in a different kind of music.

The Guy Forsyth Band showcases its formidable musical abilities through the variety of traditional and unconventional instruments played.

While Forsyth delivers his diversity of impressive talents through vocals, acoustic, electric and slide guitars, harmonica, ukulele and singing saw, band mate Will Landin adds a different kind of sound on the bass and tuba while Rob Hooper adds to the mix on the drums and cajon.

Many of the songs delivered by the band focus on love, the government and the apocalypse, according to the band's Web site.

The concert series began in 2004, primarily as a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of Copperas Cove and as a way to get visitors into the city. Now the event is sponsored and admission is free to the public. The city, which is Music in the Gap's largest sponsor, allows the organization to use the park as a venue for the concerts, and the Parks and Recreation Department helps with the events. Sponsorships are still available for this summer's series.

The series typically gets about 100 visitors each concert, but Ira Brand, this year's committee chair, said he is expected an average turnout of about 150 because of the different marketing tools the organization used this year, such as MySpace and Facebook.

"One thing it does, it's a source of community pride," Brand said about the series. "A lot of them are Grammy nominated artists and a lot of participants come year after year to meet up and socialize and listen to good music."

In addition to the evening concert, at 11 a.m. there will be a special concert for children to attend. Brand said about 50 to 70 local children are expected to be there.

Each year the organization brings in a mix of music genres for the public to come enjoy.

The inspiration came from the Kerrville Folk Festival.

VIP packages are available for $25 per concert, which includes the pre-concert reception, steak dinner, a signed CD and priority seating.

Tickets can be purchased at the event or at the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce, ExtraCo Bank, Allstate Insurance Company and the Boys and Girls Club of Copperas Cove.

VIP ticket-holders will get star treatment Saturday at the pre-concert reception where they can mingle with the artist.

The proceeds from the summer series will fund the Boys and Girls Club music and arts program.

"The program gives kids a chance at an opportunity they would not have had otherwise," Chamber of Commerce Vice President Betty Price said about the music and arts program.

For more information, go to www.musicatthegap.org or call the Boys and Girls Club of Copperas Cove at (254) 547-5578.

Contact Alicia Lacy at alacy@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7476.