Bands on the Bricks ‘23 launches with Richie Lee

The cobblestones of Aurora’s downtown courthouse square got a good washing when a pouring rain deluged the area Friday morning, but less than 12 hours later the weather was pristine for opening night of Bands on the Bricks on those very same stones. 
The sixth season of the popular Friday night festival got underway under partly cloudy skies and with comfortable temperatures in the 70s. Several hundred people turned out with their lawn chairs in hand, ready to eat, drink, dance and listen to the opening band, Richie Lee and the Fabulous 50s.  
The flat-bed trailer stage, food stands, picnic tables, hula hoops, bubble machine and, of course, the large and enthusiastic all-ages crowd were all on hand when shortly after 6 p.m. the band was introduced and the music started, kicking off with Jerry Lee Lewis’s “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.” 
Soon those in attendance were rocking and rolling and even dancing to the music of Elvis, the Everly Brothers and Ricky Nelson. Kids gravitated toward the street in front of the bandstand where colorful hula hoops had been laid out for use by anyone who wanted to give them a try. At one point during the show, a group of girls attached themselves together with hula hoops and formed an impromptu conga line weaving among the tables on the street. Along the east side of the street a bubble machine produced clouds of bubbles and children could be seen trying to catch them. 
Folks expressed they were grateful for the abundant rain earlier that morning, but they were also exulting in the cool evening air on the square and the feel-good music of the 50s. 
After renditions of  “Teddy Bear,” “Return to Sender,” “Can’t Help Falling In Love” and “Never Be Anyone Else But You,” the three-piece band began to play Ricky Nelson’s “Hello, Mary Lou.” 
During that song a couple could be seen dancing on the courthouse side of the street and several songs later they were joined by a group of ladies who danced in front of the bandstand. 
The dancing couple was Don and Jean Ramsey of Aurora who, while taking a break sitting on the curb, said they have been married for 53 years and have been dancing together the whole time. (Although they admitted they don’t last as long on the dance floor – or bricks, as the case may be – as they used to!) They said they attend Bands on the Bricks every chance they get and especially love the music of the 50s and 60s. 
“He’s a pretty good dancer,” Jean smiled, “but I have to tell him not to squeeze my hand so hard.”

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After playing through renditions of “High On a Mountain of Love” and “Secret Agent Man,” the band took a short intermission during which this reporter caught up with drummer Hank Muzney. He is the newest member of the band, having played with lead singer Richie Lee and bass player Justin Cramer for just over a year. Muzney said the band members all live within a short distance of Des Moines, Iowa, and drove more than three hours to play in Aurora. It’s Lee and company’s second time to perform here, having last done Bands on the Bricks two years ago.
Muzney said the group does a lot of traveling, having recently put on over 1,100 miles in one weekend. He said it started on a Saturday with a gig in Valley Springs, S.D., followed by a  booking in Iowa the next day and a concert in Unionville, Mo. that night. He said this week the band has five shows in as many days and in every corner of Iowa. 
Lee said he enjoys coming to Aurora and seemed to be having fun performing for the large and enthusiastic crowd. 
Another person doing a lot of smiling about the weather and the turnout for the opening night was Bands on the Bricks coordinator Sara Sutherland. She said she has been with the event since the very beginning and looks forward to it every year.
“To have this crowd on opening night tells me people were ready for it this year,” she said.
Estimating the crowd size at upwards of 400 people, Sutherland said 350-400 is about average for the event. She said in order to keep a mix of musical styles which appeal to the widest possible audience, she uses a formula in which she tries to book up to three bands from the previous season and then mix in new ones for the sake of variety. She said most of the bands play cover songs made famous by other bands which means that no matter what the genre of music, it will most likely be familiar to most folks in attendance.
“I don’t personally like country music,” she said, “but because the country bands play the songs I know I’m okay with that.” 
Although the band was amplified enough to be heard about anywhere on the square it was not so loud that people in the crowd had to shout their conversations, which Sutherland said is by design. 
“It’s not meant to be a concert,” she explained, noting that the purpose of the event is for people to come and go while eating, visiting and having a good time in the outdoors.
Prior to the music starting, veterans from the VFW posted the colors and VFW members also helped serve. Sutherland said the event is funded through weekly sponsorships and individual donations. 
Bands on the Bricks continues this Friday with Jason Mayer Band and continues each Friday through Aug. 11.