Keeney Koolers Concert Series
July 11th, 18th, & 25th, 6:30pm. Keeney Koolers Concert Series
Wethersfield Historical Society’s Keeney Koolers Concert Series returns on Tuesday evenings in July at 6:30 pm starting July 11. Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, food and beverages, and don’t forget your dancing shoes. Come early and stake out your space on the lawn in front of the Keeney Memorial Cultural Center (200 Main Street, Wethersfield) for a great time. Due to popular demand, all three acts are returning artists. Concerts take place outdoors on the showmobile stage and thanks to the generosity of the Robert Allan Keeney Memorial Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, admission is free. In the event of inclement weather, concerts move indoors to the Ballroom at the Keeney.
Tuesday, July 11 at 6:30 pm – Ed Fast & Conga Bop. According to their website, Ed Fast & Conga Bop use “Afro-Cuban influenced rhythms and hard-bop harmony fused to create unique, soulful originals and creatively arranged jazz standards”. Anyone who has heard this remarkable ensemble perform live knows exactly what these words mean. Led by Hartt School-trained percussionist Ed Fast, Conga Bop brings a sophisticated sensibility to their playing with enough edge and rhythmic drive to hold your interest. Last year, threatening skies and tropical levels of humidity moved the performance indoors. When all was said and done, it was hard to tell which was hotter; the weather outside or the sounds being produced by Conga Bop in the Keeney Ballroom.
Tuesday, July 18 at 6:30 pm – The Patty Tuite Group takes the showmobile stage for the second time. The band made their Keeney Koolers debut in 2022 just days after the release of their album “Hard Case of the Blues”. The album charted in the top 50 of the RMR Contemporary Blues Charts for 10 weeks and spent 7 weeks in the top 20, reaching a high of number 3! The Patty Tuite Group’s synthesis of blues, jazz, and rock made them an instant hit with the discerning Wethersfield audience. Join WHS in welcoming Patty and crew back for a well-deserved encore.
Tuesday, July 25 at 6:30 pm – Beatle’s tribute band Number Nine returns to Keeney Koolers after a year’s hiatus, closing out the series. Long a favorite with Keeney audiences, this Beatles tribute band consistently gets the audience up on their feet and dancing. While larger in numbers than the original Fab Four, it’s great to have the added resources on hand for the denser music the Beatles generated in studio. Be sure and stake out your space on the lawn early for Number Nine. It also doesn’t hurt that a certain drummer has some binding ties to the town of Wethersfield.