MONROE — Bring a blanket and picnic basket to MAC this summer. The Monroe Arts Center recently announced the schedule for the Sounds of Summer outdoor concert series. Concerts will take place on the first and third Wednesday of each month beginning on June 2 and ending on September 1.  Concerts begin at 6:30 p.m. each evening on the south porch of the MAC campus. All concerts are free of charge.

The opening concert on June 2 will feature O’Darby with Ken Lonnquist. O’Darby delights audiences with traditional Irish pub songs, ballads, originals, and improvisational hilarity. Energy, harmony, and fun are the trademarks of the band O’Darby. June 16 will see Natasha Patterson take the outdoor stage at MAC. Natasha is a concert pianist form the National Conservatory of Music in Lvov, Ukraine. 

Neil McLinden will make his way to MAC from New York City on July 7. Neil is a singer, actor, and multi-instrumentalist. Originally from Brookfield, Wisconsin, he began playing piano and singing from an early age, and quickly developed an interest in many different musical styles. On July 21, Ced Ba’etch’ will perform as part of the outdoor music series. Ced Ba’etch’ is a Madison based French expatriate guitar player/singer. His guitar picking is an alternating bass melodic fingerstyle and his vast repertoire encompasses Hawaiian slack key, Americana “big thumb” guitar, 1920’s country blues, movie soundtracks, French pop music of the past and Parisian waltz as well as original material.

On August 4, The Honey Pies will visit MAC. The Honey Pies is a new collaboration of Madison-based music veterans. Jodi Jean Amble, Tom Waselchuk, and Doug Brown. Displaying a formidable range of musical backgrounds and notable depth of experience, The Honey Pies apply crystal vocal harmonies and virtuoso instrumental skills to the best of traditional, contemporary, and original Americana music. 

Wrapping up the summer concert season Monroe favorite, Grupo La Septima Alianza, will visit MAC again. Experience the extraordinary culture and traditional music of Mexico with Grupo La Septima Alianza on September 1.  

All concerts are rain or shine. Visit monroeartscenter.com for more information on MAC’s Sounds of Summer outdoor concert series.