Edge of Dreams plays summer hits at free concert

Posted

Michelle Murphy wasn’t just whistlin’ Dixie when she said, “We play music to make others feel amazing!”

Murphy and her fellow Edge of Dreams band members sent some special seasoned sounds echoing through War Memorial Park Sunday evening during their first ever appearance for the Johnston Community Center Association’s Summer Concerts in the Park Series.

“Finally, Mother Nature cooperated with us and we had a fantastic night for a concert,” Glenn Carroll, the JCCA president, said. “The band was ready to put on a show despite the very warm night. And, they played great hits from the 1960s and 70s and the crowd really loved it.”

Carroll, though, was slightly disappointed because “we had a little over 100 people and we’d like to see many more attend the concerts.”

Especially, as he and JCCA Vice President Mark Gilmore said, “The Edge of Dreams put on a great concert and we’re glad to be able to provide these free concerts for the town.”

Those people who showed up and spread out blankets and lawn chairs in just about every available space of shade, enjoyed a concert that was highlighted by Murphy’s very powerful alto voice and pleasing personality as well as each of the band member’s terrific talents.

“What a great voice,” said Gilmore. “She’s amazing and certainly well-versed about the music she sings.”

Murphy, the group’s vocalist who is from Cumberland, knows each word to each song she sings and is backed by the talents of lead guitarist Roger Smith of Warwick who also sings, Cranston’s incomparable keyboard player Bob Conte drummer Rick Bacani from East Greenwich.

Add to that mix, as Murphy told an attentive audience during her introductions of her fellow musicians, “Johnston’s own Tom Colantonio on bass.”

The band’s music has a special and relaxing sound and it doesn’t hurt your eardrums like some groups that insist on playing loud music.

Moreover, as Murphy tells people through her famous quote – as Colantonio calls her words ‘we play music that makes others feel amazing’ – surfaced at different times during the Edge of Dreams nearly non-stop two-hour performance, especially when they opened with rather appropriate Lovin’ Spoonfuls “Hot Times Summer in the City.”

Perhaps the Edge of Dreams most striking moment came after Murphy heaped words of praise upon the setting of green trees, many beautiful memorials and American flags that were perfectly placed on the back of the spacious bandstand.

“We should do something patriotic,” Murphy said prior to singing an extraordinary rendition of God Bless America that instantly brought people to their feet, replete with hands over the hearts. “This is such a beautiful setting …”

A setting featuring a talented troupe that did everything from the Beatles to Buffalo Springfield to the Grassroots, The Troggs and many more numbers during a free concert that also could have been entitled a Magic Carpet Ride – released in 1968 by Steppenwolf – that Murphy and company did for an audience that appreciated each and every song as well as the JCCA’s presentation of FREE Summer Concerts in the Park.

Unfortunately, Saturday night’s schedule movie Coca was postponed due to rain but has been rescheduled for August 18 at 8 o’clock inside Johnston War Memorial Park where the JCCA will also serve free chilled bottles of water and pop corn.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here