As people queued up to watch Heart at Artpark this Tuesday there was nothing but excitement. The place was buzzing with energy, as there seemed not to be an empty seat in the house. Heart, which is a 1980s rock band, attracted not only long time fans that can remember seeing them in their youth but also younger fans. “I really think my favorite part is watching the crowd react to a band that’s been around for this long and still be excited and in love with the music.” MJ Caliendo, a long time Heart fan, says which pretty much sums up the attitude of everyone at the concert. Long time fans were amazed to see the many younger faces in the crowd, happy to see that Heart has gained new followers proving that Heart is still going strong as ever.

Not only were fans excited to see the diversity of the crowd but to also hear the unique sound Artpark has to offer. “I like the venue, the bowl (Gorge) makes it sound very full and doesn’t distort it.” Caliendo said – and isn’t that the truth! The sound that the outdoor venue emits is something that’s one of a kind, giving a new meaning to the word acoustics. The sound seems to wrap around the place leaving nowhere in the venue straining to hear.

Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson belted out their older hits mixed with some of their newer songs with bravado leaving fans on the edge of their seats from the beginning of the very first song to the end of their encore. They’re set list-included favorites like Barracuda, Heartless, and What About Love (which really got the crowd up and dancing). Singing powerfully wasn’t the only thing that wowed the crowd, unlike some artists who perform at Artpark, Ann and Nancy really put on a show. Interacting with the crowd and including them in the performance, which captivated the audience. It wasn’t until after the last chord on the last song was struck that you saw people getting up and heading for the parking lot.

According to officials at Artpark, crowds vary depending on the artist playing. Sometimes there’s 3,000 people sometimes there’s 7,000 even with more unknown artist there’s no way to predict the turnout at the concerts, but as you would suspect bigger named artist do usually tend to have more highly attended concerts. So if you plan on going to one of the remaining Tuesday in the park concerts Artpark has to offer, I’d plan on getting there plenty early as seating options for general admission tends to fill up quickly. (Artpark’s President, George Osborne, is looking to add more sky boxes and possibly redo the entrance on fourth street to more easily accommodate the many people who walk in from their houses or parked cars in Lewiston.)

Artpark is on the rise!  Tuesday’s in the park alone have grown tremendously in the last couple years. Long time residents can remember a time when concerts were free and sparsely attended but as the popularity of these one of a kind concerts grew so did the necessity of adding a price. Even though they’re no longer free, the prices are kept reasonably low thanks to generous sponsors like First Niagara and M&T Bank along with donations from the public.  From sponsorships and donations, Artpark can provide their unique and spectacular concerts at a fraction of what they would cost at other venues such as Darien Lake or The First Niagara Center.

These concerts have been great for the park and now are a Lewiston tradition (having been going strong for about 10 years). Looking toward the future, Artpark wants to keep doing what it’s been best at “We will always do a musical every year, we’ll do the camps, we hope to do more with artists and they’d like to have more things in the house if they can.” Bill Geiben from sponsor services says. “George (Osborne) is able to get some state aid, some municipalities, get Lewiston to participate with the funding and all this makes it possible to have quality acts at a very reasonable price.” Geiben states.

Overall, the experience that Artpark is determined to provide is something that’s breathtaking and impressive. It’s something that puts all the other outside venues in the area to shame.

[Alicia Hughes interns at the Niagara Hub via The Academy of International Business and Finance at Lewiston Porter High School. Alicia is currently in her senior year at Lew-Port and is looking forward to a career in journalism after college.  A Lewiston resident all of her life, Alicia is newly discovering the City of Niagara Falls, the people & neighbors and community.  We welcome her to the Niagara Hub and to Niagara Falls!]