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Derrell Syria Project this week at Out to Lunch

DERRELL SYRIA

IRON MOUNTAIN — Last week, Safe Sax launched the 17th year of Out to Lunch with a variety of music that everyone could enjoy. Despite the blustery wind, the sun shone down on the 300-member audience and the first concert of the season played out nicely.

With tunes from the ’80s dancing in the air and the sound of tapping feet to the swing melodies, those in attendance happily munched on goodies from the vendors Crispigna’s Italian Market, Fred I.M., and Back Street Bakery.

This week, the Derrell Syria Project from Marquette will be playing the second concert for the Out to Lunch program. With a floating cast of quality musicians, these talented artists, who are also members of the Finnish Reggae Group, travel throughout the Great Lakes states to entertain audiences with their unique style of original music along with a large variety of other re-arranged cover tunes. The group likes to change it up, so that no performance is ever the same, and they do so by mixing their performances with guitars, bass, percussion, congas, keyboards, and vocals.

They play music from reggae to Latin, southern country rock and contemporary to alternative music, but their original music, that of Finnish reggae, is what they’re best known for. Their energetic music and stage presence have delighted audiences, both young and old, at concerts, festivals, and many other events. Once they begin to play, “you’ll be sure to start moving to the rhythm,” band members say.

The versatile group of musicians will be playing tunes from the likes of the Eagles, Neil Young, Creedence, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Nora Jones, the Beatles, Sade, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chicago, and Derrell’s original Conga Se Menne tunes.

As always, a 50/50 raffle will take place, where the winners will either take home prizes donated by local businesses or “half the pot.” At last week’s performance, winners walked away with a $40-dollar value hanging basket from Grandma’s Garden, a bird house from Finch Law, two movie tickets to Thomas Theater Group, a Daily News T-shirt, one free ad in the Advertiser as well as the one lucky audience member who took home half the pot of $118. Out to Lunch runs from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. each week.

Concerts have been free to the public for 17 years, thanks to the generosity of weekly sponsors and season sponsor Jim’s Music. The Tourism Association of Dickinson County is happy to sponsor the Derrell Syria Project this week at Out to Lunch. Out to Lunch is brought to you by the Dickinson County Council for the Arts with assistance from Iron Mountain’s DDA.

Carolyn Jo & Company will be playing at Music in the Park in Norway on Thursday from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Next week, Stress Test will be playing at OTL sponsored by Friends of the Braumart, and Kind of Blues will be playing at Music in the Park.

For more information or if you’re interested in volunteering your time with the Out to Lunch program, please call Amber Pipp at 906-774-8534, or Isaac Micheau (secretary) at 774-8530. For more information, please either visit the Out to Lunch Facebook page or the website at www.DowntownIronMountain.com/Out-To-Lunch.

If you would like to help with Norway’s Music in the Park, please call Carol Sundstrom at 906-221-3702.

Concerts moved to the Braumart due to rain will also be announced on the Out to Lunch Facebook page; like the page at https://www.facebook.com/IronMountainOutToLunch/ to get all the updates and announcements pertaining to the program. Music in the Park will also make such announcements via their Facebook page, which you can like and follow at https://m.facebook.com/Norway-Music-In-The-Park-387702588291206 for more information.

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