Park to be music venue

Date: 8/12/2009

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor



HOLYOKE -- The newest music venue for Western Massachusetts is a blast from the past.

Holyoke native Eric Suher, the owner of Iron Horse Entertainment Group, has been working for the past two years to transform the former Mountain Park property into an outdoor music venue, which will make its debut on Aug. 15 with a free concert and then a paid concert on Aug. 16.

The free concert on Aug. 15 will be from 2 to 10 p.m. featuring Sonny Landreth, Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens, Johnny A, Rubblebucket Orchestra and the Frank Manzi Band.

The Decemberists will perform on Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. Gates will open at 6 p.m. The Heartless Bastards will open that show.

A glance through Jay Ducharme's book on Mountain Park showed that music always played a significant role in the park's entertainment offerings. Artists including Jerry Lee Lewis, Gene Pitney, the Everly Brothers, Bobby Vinton and Roy Orbison all appeared at the park, according to long-time DJ Phil D., who emceed many of those shows at the park.

Suher led several reporters around the park on Thursday. All of the remnants of the park's buildings have been removed. Where the midway once stood, a group of workers were preparing the ground for planting grass. Suher said the area would be a field.

Walking up the dirt road, Suher pointed out the picnic grove, one of the park's first features when it was developed in the mid-1890s. Two workmen on Bobcat mini-bulldozers were clearing that area.

A temporary concession area has been set up next to an asphalt pad where the stage will go. The pad is actually the first location for the park's merry-go-round, Suher noted.

The stage faces a hill, which in earlier days was used for motorcycle hill climb shows. The hill is where people will sit for concerts.

Another group of workmen, these from Holyoke Gas and Electric, were busy removing the overhead power lines that run at the base of the hill from the poles and installing them underground. Suher explained he didn't want anything to spoil the eye-lines to the stage.

Concertgoers can bring in blankets and low-backed chairs for concerts, he said. Like many outdoor venues, no coolers, alcohol or dogs will be allowed in the park.

"It's going to be a very comfortable spot," Suher said of the hillside. He added that much landscaping work still must be done.

"You won't recognize it next week," he predicted. The majority of the "heavy landscaping" will be completed next spring, Suher added.

Although the two concerts this weekend are the only events scheduled for the park this year, Suher said the first full season will start -- depending upon the weather -- next Memorial Day and will run through September or October. Jim Neil, the publicist for Iron Horse Entertainment Group, said there would be a "full slate of events running through the week."

Parking will be included in the cost of the tickets for performances. Suher could not say at this time what the capacity of the park would be.

Suher said he has received all of the necessary city permits to open the park for this weekend and added that city officials has been "very cooperative."

More information on the concerts is available at Northampton Box Office, 586-8686 or online at www.IHEG.com on the Mountain Park page.