Entertainment
Thursday nights now support YHS Music Boosters at Inn on the Blues
By Jennifer L. Saunders
The Joyce Andersen Band now plays Thursday nights at 8 p.m. at Inn on the Blues.
Courtesy photo
Then you don't have to look any farther than Inn on the Blues in York Beach.
Joe Lipton, local resident and proprietor of this inn, restaurant and local and national music venue, has come up with a plan to help get local residents out on Thursday evenings while supporting young musicians.
"Now in the off-season we've changed the Joyce Andersen Band to Thursday night," Lipton said of notable local fiddler, guitarist and songstress Joyce Andersen and her band of talented musicians from across the Seacoast. "Because we are the music venue restaurant in town, we want to support arts in the area."
To those ends, Lipton has decided to request a suggested donation of $5 on Thursday evenings, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the York High School Music Boosters.
The organization assists York High School Band Director Dan Sovetsky and Choral Director Rob Westerberg with Music Department needs that are not funded in the regular school budget.
Lipton said he is hoping to help the Music Boosters raise the approximately $1,000 necessary to fund a Superscopes Portable CD Recording System that will allow the vocal and instrumental ensembles to record their concerts and rehearsals and hear the quality of each performance to learn and grow as musicians.
"What we're trying to do is a suggested donation of $5 per person on Thursday nights for the next six weeks," Lipton said.
He pointed out that residents can donate more or less - as no cover charge is in place for the Thursday evening show - and either way, they'll be treated to an evening of live music and entertainment.
Lipton gave the plan a trial run last Thursday, Sept. 7, donating the first $125 toward the effort.
"Joyce is a local artist, Inn on the Blues is a local place to go, it's an earlier show on Thursday and it's an all-ages show," Lipton said. "It was just a natural fit."
Lipton said fundraisers like this are a way to share what York Beach has to offer with the community, while helping promote a worthy cause.
"This is the kind of talent that lives in town, this is an establishment that's trying to contribute to the arts and culture of the town and help out community-wide," Lipton said. "In the springtime when we reopen, if we continue to do this for something else the Music Boosters need, we'd like to have artists from the York High School Music Department to open the show."
Inn on the Blues is open Thursday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. with entertainment every night.
"We want to promote a place where people can get together and do some good things," Lipton said. "York Beach is your beach. Come on down."
