by Richard Gandon with Lori McLaughlin
When the main act can come out and sit on a blanket on the grass with the entire band to enjoy the performance of another artist before going on themselves, you know you’ve got something special.
The first ever concerts at Provident Bank Park went off without a hitch as the Town of Ramapo and the RLDC pulled off an amazing show.
The evening began with Andy Grammer opening up to get the crowd into the mood. There were some tense moments for security and Grammer hopped off of the stage and sang in the midst of the crowd before returning to the stage.
Gavin DeGraw was next and the crowd went wild. There was a nice mix of people in attendance as young families with children enjoyed the show alongside teenagers, 30 somethings and older people. After knocking em’ dead on the stage, Gavin was no where near done. He signed autographs through the fence for almost two hours—and everyone got one--a sure sign that he appreciates his fans.
Kelly the lifeguard at the Suffern pool patiently waited with her friends and a sizable crowd as Mr. DeGraw made his way down the fence. Her patience paid off as she got an autograph and was snapped as DeGraw signed for her.
Attendees could choose from regular stadium seating, general admission on the concourse or general admission on the floor which is actually the grass.
People brought blankets and sat on the outfield. Moms, dads, children, grandparents, boyfriends and girlfriends, it was a nice way to spend and enjoyable evening.
A number of people commented on how much it was like enjoying a concerto n the grass in Central Park without the high cost of parking.
Colbie Caillat and her band walked out virtually unnoticed, spread out a blanket, sat on the field and watched much of DeGraw’s show completely undisturbed.
Caillat sang all of her hits while encouraging the crowd to join in. She included songs from each of her albums while taking the time to explain the meaning, perspective and context behind many of them revealing her optimistic romantic side in the process. A beautiful young woman, Colbie Caillat clearly writes records and performs with her heart on her sleeve as her soulful, upbeat songs resonated with an appreciative audience.
The night ended with the hit Bubbly much to the crowd’s delight.
All three performers seemed to be genuinely thrilled to be performing with both Cailat’s band members and Gavin DeGraw expressing an interest in returning to the intimate confines of Provident Bank Park.
As the lights came up, people were very happy with the experience and vowed to return to enjoy what can only be termed as an excellent, affordable concert experience right here in Rockland County.
The sign marking the Vincent Crotty Memorial Field in Suffen, NY. See details
Suffern High School 2012 New York State Champions celebrate their win in Utica. See details
Air Redgate takes off. Photo Album 1 Photo Album 2 --Note: Due to issues uploading with Facebook, additional photos will be available later in the day/ What started out all wrong, ended up all See details
Welcome to West Point. A West Point player welcomes Brown University's goaltender to the Academy. See details
Suffern captain John Redgate finds the back of the net during the section championship game against ETB at West Point. See details
A huge mural that lines one of the hallways in the 2012 Super Bowl champion New York Giants training facility also known as the Timex Performance Center. See details
The Timex Performance Center, home of the New York Giants. See details
The high tech scoreboard at Provident Bank Park, home of the Rockland Boulders. See details
The Rockland Boulder's Ryan Mollica waits to make the tag at third base. See details