Aten Place Summer Concert Series started with a simple
beginning; a potluck dinner for invited guest with a house
concert by Josh White, Jr. That was in August of 1995.
The concert was held in our barn, and guest were invited to
bring lawn chairs to sit in, or sit on bails of hay that were
arranged in what was then a still fairly messy barn. The
party was so much fun, another house concert and potluck
dinner was planned for September of that year, and the
entertainer was Claudia Schmidt.
With enthusiastic encouragement of the guests, the pot-
luck dinner with a house concert format was repeated the
following summer, and guests were encouraged to let their
friends know, and the party expanded. Folding chairs were
borrowed to help increase the seating capacity in the barn,
and a portable stage was borrowed for the performances.
Josh and Claudia returned to perform, and the addition of a
third concert, Barbara Bailey Hutchison increased the parties
Josh White, Jr.
to three.
It was at this point that the ‘Concerts in the Barn’ began to take on a life of its own. The third year had four concerts, and the following year, 1998, the number of concerts increased to eight. It was at this point that the word was out among the performing artist, and instead of pursuing talent for the shows, the artist were contacting us and enquiring about the possibility of playing what was now becoming know as a concert venue. Posters of upcoming performances were posted locally, and the newspapers began to promote the concerts. The crowds increased, and it was apparent that this was no longer a house party.
First Concert - August 1995
The first true improvements to the venue were the addition of theater seats. In the summer of 1997, a local auctioneer, Sam Kosc, surprised us with 70 seats acquired from an auction at the Antrim County Courthouse. The following year, a donation to the Raven Hill Science Center of 80 more theater style seats took storage and use in our barn. Three church pews and the old padded restaurant booth seats from Boyne Mountain now completes our seating. We can now comfortably seat 175 people for a show.
The concert venue also made additions to the sound and lighting throughout the years, when the money was available. With the incredible support and help of Stan Kirby of the Musik Haus in Gaylord, we now have excellent sound reproduction, and stage lighting.
Having no desire to promote the venue as a business, and wanting to keep the unique “homeyness” and intimate flavor of the concerts, the tradition of bringing food to share became a staple of the concerts. No food or beverage is sold, and patrons continue to bring their favorite snack or dessert that can be shared by all at the intermission. With the increase in size of the audiences, came an increase in the amount of food, and the need for an addition to the venue. A food booth was constructed and aptly named the ‘pig trough’.
August 1995 - The 45th Paralellers warm-up the crowd
The most recent additions to the venue have been a picnic area and a fire-pit with seating. Both are heavily used before and after the concerts. Because there is no reserve seating, many patrons who want to guarantee that they have good seating, come early and mark their seats with a jacket or blanket. They then either have a picnic dinner, or relax around the fire pit while enjoying Maxine’s flower gardens or the scenic views of the Boyne Valley.
How long will this last? As long as it still remains as it was in the beginning, a fun and relaxing evening with friends who enjoy live music performances.
