Hot Notes / Cool Nites Concerts in the Park will be performing in the Lander City Park on June 27 at 7:00 PM. Dr. Jeremy Cochran, the CWC Band Director, will be conducting the Community Band as they perform popular band music.
The concert will feature guest artist, Prairie Wildfire. The trio was founded in 2015 and is an all-female group from Buffalo, Wyoming. According to Karen Blaney, their manager, the trio offers “a blend of bluegrass, country, and gospel.” The ensemble has “honed their harmonies, filled out their sound with original instrumentation, and written many of their own tunes,” Blaney said. “They have become a regular for our concerts for their great sound and engaging performances,” added Kelly Dehnert, the series Manager.
The original trio was in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades when a music teacher schemed to overlap their individual lessons so they would meet one another and have jam sessions. According to Blaney, though very different from one another, the girls loved their collective sound and they began learning Sage’s original song she was preparing to sing at a local talent show. They went on to win first in that talent show and booked requests for a gig. They had something special, and they found a kindred spirit in one another, writing their own songs and growing up together.
Their CD, “Hometown Hearts,” came out in June of 2018, offering six original songs, one song from their mentor friend, David Stewart, and three other favorite covers. Over their five years together, the ladies have built a remarkable resume, performing at festivals, in the historic Occidental Saloon, at dude ranches, and at music venues throughout the region.
The Hot Notes | Cool Nites concerts are sponsored in part by the Lander and Riverton Recreation Boards, The Ranger, Home Source Realty, Wyoming Arts Council, Sinks Canyon Therapies, The Inn At Lander, and the Girard Law Offices. The concerts are free, but Dehnert noted, “We pass the sousaphone for any contributions the audience can make to the series.”
Dehnert says the band is always seeking out musicians who are “young or old. We love to give musicians in our community an opportunity to take out their instruments and provide audiences with a wonderful summer evening of music.” The band rehearses before the concerts at 5:30 pm and are fed dinner. He said interested musicians should email Dr. Cochran at the college at [email protected] for more information or to sign up.
