Editor’s note: Russ Tarby has served on the Liverpool Is The Place concert committee for nearly two decades. As the series program director, he books the bands.
By Russ Tarby
Contributing Writer
The 35th annual Liverpool Is The Place Summer Concert Series at Johnson Park has been canceled.
After monitoring New York state’s phased reopening plans amid the pandemic, the Liverpool Is The Place Committee voted unanimously on June 4 to cancel its entire 20-concert season, originally slated to begin June 8 and conclude on Aug. 19. The free concerts are staged on Monday and Wednesday evenings for most of the summer.
Early last month, committee chair Yvette Hewitt announced that the seven concerts scheduled for June at Johnson Park had been canceled.
“We were hoping to present some concerts in July and August, but all indicators point to continued prohibition of public gatherings,” Hewitt said.
The series had been scheduled to begin Monday, June 8 with songwriter Mike Powell. Other popular local performers who were booked this year include Joe Whiting, the Stan Colella Orchestra, The Cobblerockers, Stroke and the Mario DeSantis Orchestra.
All canceled bands will be rebooked for 2021, assuming the health crisis has passed.
Three days before the concert cancellations were announced, the Syracuse Nationals pulled the plug on its 21st annual event at the State Fairgrounds, July 17-19. The vintage car show normally draws some 90,000 auto enthusiasts here for the weekend.
Other concerts in doubt
Ten concerts were planned to be staged by the North Syracuse Department of Parks and Recreation at Lonergan Park this July and August, but those shows are in jeopardy.
“The Parks Department is planning to run summer programs, but waiting word from the Governor and ultimately the [Onondaga] County Health Department for guidelines,” reads the village of North Syracuse website.
Concerts had also been scheduled at the Casale Amphitheater in the town of Clay. The town’s concert coordinator, Scott Pauldine, said he’s had to cancel some but not all of his 2020 bookings.
“We haven’t canceled it completely, yet,” he said last week.
