Chamber's free Concerts in the Park will begin June 14
The Emmons Sisters will be in Cave Junction Aug. 2
What do a singing dog, the princesses of Bluegrass and “Valley Country Band” have in common?
Answer: They will perform during the free Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce annual Concerts in the Park series in Cave Junction’s Jubilee Park this summer.
The first concert is scheduled for Thursday, June 14, when “Jefferson” will hit the stage. Takilma resident Nicole Navarro will perform her Country Rock on June 21 and Dale Hopper will play June 28.
All concerts will be held on Thursdays, and run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Hopper, an O’Brien resident, has performed at every Concert in the Park series since 1999 with various bands. In ‘99, it was with “Dale and the Siskiyou Mountain Folks.”
“We had a lady playing mandolin, so we couldn’t call ourselves boys,” Hopper said.
From 2000 to 2003, Hopper performed with “Dale and the Siskiyou Mountain Boys.” He played with “Sequoia during 2004 and with his longtime friend and musical collaborator John Karsemeyer during the past two years.
This year, Hopper will be playing with Karsemeyer again, along with his wife, Sharon, and his singing dog, “Claude.”
Hopper said last year’s Jubilee Park performance marked the dog’s inadvertent on-stage debut.
“He started singing last year at Concerts in the Park. People loved it,” Hopper said.
During a subsequent show at the Valley of the Rogue State Park, Hopper brought “Claude,” who sat at the side of the stage. He
didn’t yet know that “Claude” was a star in the making.
“People who had been at the Concert in the Park here were there, and they asked if I was going to let ‘Claude’ sing,” Hopper said.
Ever since, the dog has accompanied Hopper to various gigs at assisted living, retirement and nursing home facilities.
Hopper has played locally for several years at locations including Taylor’s Country Store and Art’s Red Garter. He has performed with Karsemeyer off and on since the late ‘60s.
“We were both very young people compared to what we are now,” Hopper said with a smile.
Anyone attending the June 28 show can expect to hear what Hopper describes as “old Country and Bluegrass,” including songs by legends Hank Williams and Merle Haggard.
“The newest things I do are 25 years and older,” Hopper said.
On July 5, “Broadway Phil and the Shouters” will play. “T.J. and the Spurs” are scheduled for July 12, and “Altered States” will perform July 19.
“Valley Country Band,” a five-piece outfit fronted by Charlie West, will play on July 26.
The group has been together for five years, and has participated in Cave Junction’s Concerts in the Park for the last three years.
West said he looks forward to the show.
“I think it’s a beautiful little town,” West said. “I like the people over there, and I guess they like me.”
“Valley County Band’s” set will consist of “Country classics,” West said, along with some original numbers.
The concert series will conclude Aug. 2 with a performance by Grants Pass-based “Bluegrass Gospel” artists “The Emmon Sisters.”
The group consists of four sisters ranging in age from 14 to 20 who write and perform original music. August will mark the third year that the sisters have played at Concerts in the Park.
Barbecued hot dogs and hamburgers will be available for a fee by Valley Youth Ministries. Soft drinks also will be available.
For more information on the series, phone the Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce at 592-3326.
