Glen Cove's Downtown Sounds 2020 will go on

This year’s concert series, Downtown Sounds, presented by the Glen Cove Business Improvement District, will once again fill the streets of Glen Cove on Friday nights at 7 p.m. starting July 24. But this year, music lovers will be able to either live stream the concerts at home or listen while dining at the downtown restaurants.

The virtual experience will still involve those who choose to watch and listen from home, as viewers will be able to request songs they would like to hear as the artist performs, bringing a unique aspect to the 24-year-old concert series.

“Our motto this year is to accentuate the positive, ” said Patricia Holman, the executive director of the BID. “With current circumstances, we knew there was no way we could accommodate the thousands of people who turn out every summer when we have artists perform live and in person on Friday evenings at the Glen Cove Downtown Village Square.”

Instead, the BID and the Downtown Sounds committee have arranged for the performers to play at a nearby recording studio, broadcasting their concern on large television screens that can be viewed by outdoor diners, those walking the streets of Downtown Glen Cove and people watching live over Facebook. The performances will also be archived for future viewings and will be broadcasted on television screens in the downtown area for Saturday night outings.

The line-up for this year’s Downtown Sounds is still being finalized, but tribute bands playing homage to the music of The Doobie Brothers (The Doobie Others) and Creedence Clearwater Revival (The John Fogerty Tribute Project) are already confirmed. Jesse Kinch, an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who was the winner of the ABC series, “Rising Star,” is also scheduled to perform.

“I am pleased that we are able to provide downtown diners a novel ‘taste’ of our traditional Downtown Sounds by offering, through technology, live streaming of bands,” Lou-Ann Thompson, manager of Glen Floors and vice president of the BID, said. “This creative approach gives us the opportunity to bring not only the music, but also the visual experience, to our downtown in a safe and responsible way.”

The live streamed concerts will be produced by Fred Guarino and hosted by Holman with show programmer Ray Lambiase and cameraman David Merrill rounding out the production crew.

“Instead of focusing on what we can’t do this year, we have reinvented Downtown Sounds by introducing a format that is quite different than anything we’ve ever done in the past,” Holman said. “And the best part is that we can keep this format in place in future years when crowds can return so that Downtown Sounds can be enjoyed by more people than ever!”

For more information about Downtown Sounds 2020, visit the BID’s website at www.glencovedowntown.org.