OC Music on the Square concert series returns next week

From staff reports

The Oil City Main Street Program’s Music on the Square outdoor concert series is returning to Oil City this summer, and the first performance will feature Clarion-based band Gravel Lick at 7 p.m. Thursday in the center paved area of Town Square.

Admission to the concerts is free, and listeners are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on.

The Oil City Elks will provide food and tables on Sycamore Street, and parking is available in nearby lots and along Seneca and Elm streets and is free after 5 p.m.

Gravel Lick is an all-female acoustic band from Clarion County.

Cheryl Rennier plays lead and rhythm guitar and sings lead, and Barbi Milliron plays fiddle and percussion and sings lead.

Colette Vickers slaps her way around the dog-house bass, and Nancy Jeannerat plays mandolin and sings harmony.

The band’s playlist is composed of a wide variety of bluegrass standards mixed with some familiar contemporary songs.

“Music on the Square has become a favorite activity in downtown Oil City, because it’s such a great way to spend a weekday summer evening,” Main Street manager Kathy Bailey said. “We have a variety of shops in downtown Oil City within walking distance of the Town Square, and some make a point of extending their hours on concert nights.”

The lineup for the rest of the summer includes Billy and the Neptunes on July 7, Max Schang and Sweet Atmosphere on July 22 (to coincide with the opening of the Oil Heritage Festival Art Show), The Route 8 Band on Aug. 8, and the Wyllis Street Band on Sept. 23 (taking place during the Oil City Uncorked Wine Walk).

Music on the Square was launched by the Main Street Program in 2015, and concerts are made possible by the Jack Rowley Charitable Trust.

For more information, contact the Main Street office at (814) 677-3152.