Popular summer concert series opens Tuesday

The summer Picnic in the Park free concert series at Depot Park in Kalispell opens Tuesday with the Rockabilly Band at 7 p.m. Cowboy poet T.J. Casey rounds out the weekly bill on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.

The Rockabilly Band is a high-energy fast-paced band that offers music for all ages. The band has played for everything from weddings to festivals, car shows to reunions.

Billy Angel, a disc jockey for FM 103.9, The Monster, is on guitar and vocals, Mark Meznarich on bass and vocals, and Michael Harris on drums and vocals.

The Rockabilly Band offers 50 s style rock n roll, combined with their own original songs from today s rockabilly groove.

Casey is a cowboy poet, singer, songwriter and composer. He has worked on ranches in Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Oregon and Arizona, and has more than 30 years of experience as a singer/songwriter and entertainer.

He devotes time to working with the schools in Montana, North Dakota and Alaska teaching Western and Cowboy Culture and Cowboy Poetry to the students as part of the Artist in Residence program of the Arts Councils.

In December of 2004 Casey s song "In America" was released nationally as a music video on Horse Sense, *shown exclusively on RFD-TV.

His CD, "Blue Montana Skies" features many of his well known songs including "Trickling Water." That song has been on the Sunset Music Charts at No. 5 of the Top 10 Western Swing Songs in the World in 2003 and 2004.

Casey is published in the Big Roundup, an anthology of the best classic contemporary cowboy poetry in America.

He has shared the stage with Ian Tyson, Merle Haggard, Dirks Bentley and the Everly Brothers to name a few.

The summer concert series is sponsored by Kalispell City Parks and Recreation.

For more information, call 758-7718.