With its mission to bring people together and give back via art, Arts Alive was proud to present the third Sheridan Stage Summer Concert Series in Whiting, Indiana on Friday, June 7, kicking off the concert lineup with musician Phil Angotti. With the great turnouts at downtown Whiting events such as Pierogi Fest and Wickedly Whiting — especially after last year's downtown renovations — Arts Alive wanted to bring a new, arts-focused event to Whiting to give the thriving community another opportunity to connect.
“I love seeing everybody come together and have a great time,” Arts Alive Secretary Patti Herbst said. “We get people bringing up their babies, we have kids dancing, we have people who bring their pets, and we have older people attending. It's for people of all ages and different backgrounds. People come together just to enjoy summer and the love of music. People bring their chairs, they bring their coolers, they get food from the many establishments in the area to go, and everybody's just ready to have a good time. This is a free event that we put on so the city can come together and be one.“
Around the same time Arts Alive was looking to bring events to Sheridan Stage, Notre Dame Federal Credit Union was also looking for more ways to get involved with the city. Arts Alive had the opportunity to connect with Notre Dame Federal Credit Union and asked if it would be interested in supporting the Sheridan Stage Summer Concert Series. Once Arts Alive received approval from the City of Whiting to use Sheridan Stage, Notre Dame Federal Credit Union and the City of Whiting eagerly offered to sponsor the concert series.
With sponsors on board, it was time to create a killer lineup of musicians — a task Herbst took on this year for the first time. She made a point to keep things local to the Whiting and Robertsdale area, and fortunately, she had a couple of long-standing connections to local artists.
“Dave Lamberg is the lead singer of The Elvis Diet, and he and I have been friends for 30-plus years. Phil Angotti opened up tonight, and he is local from the area,” Herbst said. “Even though he’s gotten big in Chicago and played lots of gigs there at bigger establishments, he was definitely ready to come back and support the City of Whiting. He also knows that Arts Alive raises funds for the community.”
Arts Alive gives all proceeds back to the community by supporting the arts, whether it be in schools, local theatre, dance groups, or local artists. Arts Alive realizes the importance of art and keeping it alive, which is why it is always looking for ways to connect with the community through various events like the concert series.
Local musicians are set to perform in the Sheridan Stage Summer Concert Series every Friday June 7 through August 30 from 7 p.m.-10 p.m. Herbst encourages the Whiting community and beyond to check out the upcoming concert series performances, featuring The M-80’s, Titus Rodes Band, The Elvis Diet, Grindstone, Stern Approval, Acoustically Speaking, Jessi & The Fizz, Cloud 9 Band, and Rockology Chicago.
“Everyone's welcome. We hope you come out, buy something to drink at one of the local establishments, grab something to eat, and bring your lawn chair. We also rent out chairs in case someone forgets theirs or they're walking by and they decide they want to join us,” Herbst said. “It's free, it's open for everyone, and It's a good time. We hope to see everyone out there this summer.”
For more information about the City of Whiting and upcoming events, visit https://www.whitingindiana.com/.
