The Edwardsville Parks and Recreation Department is bringing back the Winter Concert Series for the ninth year.
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Starting with Tommy Halloran’s Guerrilla Swing tonight at the Wildey Theatre, the concert series features one concert each month through March with an array of local restaurants providing appetizers.
“I start getting calls about a month before the tickets are on sale. I think they are ready before I am, and that’s exciting to know that it’s still popular,” Parks and Recreation Department Program Coordinator Katie Grable said.
Tickets cost $14 for each show and it comes with an appetizer reception. Patrons can also purchase tickets for $8 that don't include appetizers. All shows start at 7 p.m.
Bella Milano is the featured restaurant for the Nov. 20 show with Tommy Halloran’s Grueilla Swing.
On Dec. 4, Miss Jubilee and the Humdingers will perform with Doc’s Smokehouse providing food.
“They are a very popular group,” Grable said. “They put on not just a concert but a show. There are a little bit of theatrics to it, and they are really great musicians.”
Falling Fences will play Jan. 15 with Chop House catering the event.
Zydeco Crawdaddys will be at the Wildey on Feb. 5 with A Catered Affair providing appetizers.
The concert series will close out the lineup with one of its biggest hits, Dueling Pianos, on March 11.
“Dueling Pianos has been part of this series for a majority of this. It’s always a show that sells out,” Grable said.
Sugos will provide appetizers that night.
New this year is the patron’s option to not purchase the appetizer portion of the concert series.
“It’s a really good deal for $14 to get food and a concert. A lot of people are going to want to do that,” Grable said. “There are some people that just want to listen to the music. I would see that on occasion where people would come in and have missed all the food. They were just wanting to listen to the show. I felt like they were getting short-changed since they were paying for both and not taking advantage of both. I wanted to offer that option.”
The concert series, which started in 2007 at the N.O. Nelson Complex, has been at the Wildey Theatre the past few years.
“The Leclaire Room is nice, and the people loved it. The comment I always got was if we could dim the lights and make it more like an auditorium. We couldn’t,” Grable said. “By moving it to the Wildey, we were able to get the atmosphere that people were requesting and looking for.”
Tickets can be purchase online at www.wildeytheatre.com or by calling 618-307-1750 or at the ticket office, 252 North Main St.
For more information about the series, contact Grable at 618-692-7538.