Friday Night Concert season begins this week

The first concert of the season for the Friday Night Concert Series will feature a returning group, the Workman Bluegrass Band based in Joplin, Mo.

The five-member group, which has played across the four-state region for the last 30-40 years, will perform starting at 7 p.m. Friday at the Heritage Park Pavilion at the corner of First and Main streets.

Concert organizer Ralph Carlson said the group has performed as part of the concert series in past years and "they are a great crowd pleaser."

"They've been here two different summers," Carlson said. "We're pleased to get them this year. I hope to get them back later in the fall, too."

The band's current lineup includes a few musicians with local ties. Lead vocalist Randy Brasuell, of Fort Scott, who also plays mandolin and fiddle, and his son, Russ Brasuell, of Bella Vista, Ark., plays the slide dobro guitar and also sings lead vocals.

Other band members are vocalist and banjo player Brian Workman, of Joplin, and founding member and bassist Steve Workman, also of Joplin. Jerry Bahr, a native of Fort Scott, plays guitar and sings.

The concert series is sponsored by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce and is free and open to the public. Attendees should bring lawn chairs as seating will be limited.

Carlson said that in the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved into the nearby La Hacienda restaurant at 22 S. Main St.

Carlson said in a previous interview that average attendance last year during the summer concert series was 100-150 people, which was down somewhat from previous years, mainly due to the hot weather. Many people listen to the shows from their cars, homes and nearby businesses. With good weather, the concerts draw as many as 350 people, Carlson said.

The concerts are not just a venue for entertainment, they have also become a place for many community members to gather and socialize, he said.

For more information, contact Carlson at (620) 223-2563 or e-mail him at rscarlson@home.classicnet.net.