Full night of music

There was music in the air Friday night in Aurora, and lots of it. Though oppressive heat and humidity was perhaps a factor in the size of the crowds at both the Hamilton County Fair and the downtown Bands on the Bricks concert, there was strong support for both gigs. 
Conner Smith was a huge success by all accounts, drawing the largest crowd to the fairgrounds for a music concert in years, if not decades. The Hamilton County Ag Society went all in this year trying to bring music back to the fair’s itinerary, and the vibe in the crowd that night, especially later on after the sun went down, was two thumbs way, way up. It was a refreshing scene, confirming that there is support, from both music fans and financial sponsors, to crank up the tunes at the fairgrounds with a marketable band.
Bands on the Bricks, meanwhile, had its traditional crowd, though again the numbers were down some due likely to the brutal heat, which felt like a heavy blanket after a late afternoon rain shower. This summer concert series has established itself as a family-friendly night out in Aurora, attracting a healthy blend of music-lovers of all ages. Watching kids play, people dance, friends catching up and everyone having fun with good tunes filling the air has become one of Aurora’s summer highlights.
Having observed both venues on Friday night, it seems there’s been a lingering bone of contention over the years which simply needs to be buried.
That bone was fully exposed in April when Sara Sutherland requested a liquor license from the county board, seeking permission to have adult beverages be served on county property in the shade of trees around the square. The request was debated at length, with harsh words exchanged, based solely on Sutherland’s refusal to skip the downtown concert on the Friday night of the fair.
Sutherland explained then, as she has before, that she followed a blueprint when launching Bands on the Bricks six years ago, which suggested that it is important to run the series for six consecutive weeks so that people can plan on attending without having to check a schedule. She has also remained firm in her resolve to keep the sound level down, so that people can converse more easily, and that the event doesn’t run too late and turn into more of a party atmosphere.
Sutherland deserves a ton of credit for coming up with a vision, then working hard to seek support and sponsorships to create a staple event.
The irony of it all is that real music lovers don’t have to choose between the two, based on Friday night’s schedule. Bands on the Bricks started at 6 p.m., where fans could kick off the evening with some fun and conversation, leaving plenty of time to head out to the fairgrounds, where Conner Smith took the stage at 9:15 p.m.
Some may have a preference of one format or the other, but they can easily do both if they’re up for a double feature, leaving absolutely no reason for any conflict moving forward between two well respected, hard-working, community-based organizations.
-- Kurt Johnson