By Tanner Russ
Usually, when you go to a concert, there is one kind of music playing such as jazz, classical or rock-and-roll.
What makes the Silverton Sidewalk Shindig special is there are more than 30 venues showcasing a variety of musicians.
On Saturday, Oct. 3, beginning at noon until late, there will be musicians showcasing their talents all over Silverton.
Stop by Apples to Oranges from to 2 to 3 p.m. to hear Holly and Ava, a sweet strings duo. Or Whimsey, from 5 to 6 p.m. to hear Brad Hirsch playing the steel drums.
A lavender flier outlining the music schedule and venues can be found at the Shindig’s information center, 107 N. Water St. Musicians will play in shops, restaurants and service businesses. Musicians who wish to play on the sidewalk are encouraged to check in at the information center.
The event is kid and family friendly with places to see a magic show, have your face painted or see a feature film. The Music on Parade and the Art Happening is 1 to 6 p.m. at the La Pooch parking lot.
Besides giving locals and guests to historic downtown Silverton the opportunity to hear great music, the Shindig is a chance to show off Silverton to more people, said Chuck Tauer, owner of Books-N-Time.
“The whole idea was to come up with an activity to bring people into town, apart from First Friday,” Tauer said. “The idea was to provide music around town that the people could come and enjoy and don’t have to pay for.”
In its third year, Silverton Sidewalk Shindig will showcase more than 20 musical acts stationed around town. In addition, elementary school music teacher Tim Duffy and his band will be performing Dixieland music at various locations around Silverton.
For Duffy, this series of performances is a special occasion.
“This little group plays out of a set of Dixieland books that were put many, many years ago,” Duffy said. “I first played a song, When the Saints Go Marching In, when I was in middle school. This particular set of books has around 12 Dixieland songs in it, and it’s arranged for various instruments so you can mix and match when making your Dixieland band. Basically, this is not a group that gets together anytime other than once a year for this thing. Right now, all I’ve got is a banjo player that comes from Portland, and a trumpet player that comes from Silverton.”
Musician John Friedrick will be plying his trade at a familiar location, the Main Street Bistro & Coffee House.
“Cyndi owns the Main Street Bistro and I played a show at her coffee shop a few months ago and she really liked it,” Friedrick said. “So I think, just because it’s her place, she had a bit of a say in who played there. She asked if I would fill the time.”
The draw of the Shindig for Friedrick is the variety of acts.
“I love it because if you go into one place, and the music isn’t what you like, you just walk next door,” Friedrick said.
For Cyndi Hickman, owner of the Main Street Bistro, her involvement in the Shindig is to bring something different and positive to the local businesses and the community.
“There’s not a lot of entertainment in Silverton, so to have an event that features entertainment, it gives the business the opportunity to engage in that and draw people to the business and expose themselves because of the music,” she said, adding the Shindig allows many businesses to work together to bring tourists to town.
