By Future Brown Herald Democrat

The Levitt Amp Denison Music on Main series kicks off Friday at Heritage Park in downtown Denison with its first concert of the summer. Brave Combo is scheduled to take the stage at 8 p.m.

Since the band is from Denton, a University of North Texas alumni night will also be held at the concert.

We want to bring people downtown so that they will return, Denison Main Street Director Donna Dow said. We want people to come for the music, but see the other offerings of downtown. We want them to want to come back and shop. This year, we are encouraging the stores on Main Street to stay open past 7 (p.m.) and we will give the people that go there and shop a T-shirt as a thank you for shopping on Main Street.

Brave Combo was formed in 1979 by Carl Finch, who recruited Tim Walsh, Dave Tito Cameron and Lyle Atkinson. Their first album, Polkamania was released in 1979. The group won Grammy awards in 1999 and 2004 for best polka album for their albums Polkasonic and Lets Kiss.

The bands website says Brave Combos music is a world music mix that includes salsa, meringue, rock, cumbia, conjunto, polka, zydeco, classical, cha cha, the blues and more.

The group has released more than 30 albums in their almost 40 years together. Their last studio album, The Liminal Zone, was released in 2015.

Current band members include Finch on guitar, Danny OBrien on the trumpet, Alan Emert on drums, Little Jack Melody on base guitar and Robert Hokamp on guitar.

According to their website, Brave Combos music has been featured in the Matthew Perry and Salma Hayek movie, Fools Rush In, and Ben Stiller and Christopher Walken movie Envy. The group was also immortalized in animated form in the 2004 Simpsons episode, Co-Dependents Day.

Last year, Music on Main attracted as many as 4,500 people from Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

Overdrive Entertainment booking agent Tip Jones, who helped put this years lineup together, previously said he hoped that the diversity of artists will bring in attendees.

For those that have never attended Music on Main, it is good music, diverse genres and artists of different genders in a relaxing family atmosphere in a lawn setting, Dow said.

Holy Ghost Tent Revival will perform at the next Music on Main concert to be held at 8 p.m. June 2 at Heritage Park. Shermans free concert series, Hot Summer Nights, is scheduled to start June 1 with a performance by Trout Fishing in America.

Original post:

Music on Main to hold first concert of summer - Nueces County Record Star