Four more concerts planned for Lake Tye
By Polly Keary, Editor
In addition to a large concert planned at Lake Tye Park for September 7, a Snohomish County music promoter now plans to bring a series of four free concerts to the park over the course of the summer.
Cliff Verhoeff has been bringing concerts to Anacortes successfully for years, he said.
Concerts there are audience-supported and popular. Each year, members of the Snohomish Arts Guild, the nonprofit that organizes the concerts, of which Verhoeff is director, collect phone numbers and email addresses from willing audience members.
The following year, the guild gets in touch with those audience members and asks for a small donation to fund the next summer's concerts.
"In Anacortes we've been doing it for six years and my fundraising takes a week," said Verhoeff. "We raise $25,000 and do 10 shows."
A member of the guild who lives in Monroe approached Verhoeff with the suggestion that Monroe would be a good place for community concerts, as well.
After investigating, Verhoeff agreed.
"The population base is correct," he said. "We couldn't have done this 10 years ago. The population wasn't there, but now it is."
The city warmly welcomed the idea, the promoter said. He has been offered the use of the park free of charge, as well as park cleanup and security.
Verhoeff is also the owner and operator of a large sound system company, and each year he hears hundreds of bands at events throughout the region.
Of those, he selects the bands he liked the best each year and presents them to the guild's board of directors, who approve the next year's lineup.
The Monroe entertainment and concert dates have already been set for this summer. Concerts will take place on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m.
July 18, Northwest soul review band The Hitmen will appear.
July 25, Seattle Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and The Who tribute band The Black Vinyl Allstars will perform.
Aug. 1, Creme Tangerine, a well-known area Beatles cover band will play.
And Aug. 8, up-and-coming modern country act Cloverdayle will appear.
The first year, The Snohomish Arts Guild will have to seek funding from other than audience supporters. So now Verhoeff is seeking sponsors.
To learn more about the concert series, including how to be a sponsor, contact Cliff Verhoeff at sagpro@hotmail.com.
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