How to go
What: Oakwood Accordion Band
When: Noon, June 4
Where: First United Methodist Church, 120 S. Broad St., Middletown, (513) 423-4629
Cost: Free
MIDDLETOWN — When the Oakwood Accordion Band plays, concert-goers can expect to do more than just sit and listen.
The group returns to the First Fridays concert series at the First United Methodist Church, playing at noon, June 4.
When the band last played at the series, they took the audience and the organizer of the series, Mary Ellen Clinard, by surprise.
It was expected that the band would play standards like “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” and “By the Light of the Silvery Moon.
“It was surprising because the audience wasn’t expecting to participate,” Clinard said.
Band leader Charlie Campbell compels the audience to sing along, and in so doing, “is like an emcee at a circus. He’s got an infectious personality that’s a lot of fun,” she said.
The band, which will have about a half-dozen players at the Middletown show, hands out lyrics to the songs to help people get into the spirit.
“One of the things we attempt to do is engage,” Campbell said. “We have the people singing and we even try to get them dancing, though that’s even harder. But we strive and work hard to get the group singing along.”
The group tries to shake up their repertoire and offer a little variety. The song “Sunrise, Sunset” from “Fiddler on the Roof,” is a new addition to the set list.
“We always say ‘How many people have had children?’ and that gets them thinking about the song,” Campbell said.
The concert is free, with attendees invited to bring a sack lunch. Complimentary soft drinks, coffee and cookies are offered.
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2836 or erobinette@coxohio.com.
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