Country Concerts at the WTC

The 7th anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks was observed a little over a week ago. With good reason, whenever anyone mentions the WTC, the first thing that comes to mind will be the events of that awful day. We will always remember the victims and the heroic firemen, police and other emergency workers, many of whom became victims themselves.

Prior to 9/11, there were good days at the WTC. I recall those wonderful lunchtime country concerts held outside at the Austin Tobin Plaza of the WTC. From my office window, I could see the side of the stage. Although I missed quite a few concerts because of summertime family vacations or business, I still got to see many great performances.

Country Thursdays was sponsored by former country radio station Y-107 and some corporate sponsors like the NY lottery and Chrysler. (It's a shame that NYC has been without a country music radio station since May of 2002.) In addition to Country Thursday, the WTC also had Classical Mondays, Broadway Tuesdays, Jazz Wednesdays and R&B Fridays. I read somewhere that 2001 was the 15th year of concerts which were generally held from late June to the end of August. I don't remember them being around that long but my memory is not the greatest.

I got to see Suzy Bogguss, the Dixie Chicks, Terri Clark, Ty Herndon, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Phil Vassar, Big House, Trick Pony, Steve Wariner, Darryl Worley and probably others. Some of the acts I missed include Hal Ketchum, Lari White, Bryan White, Jo Dee Messina, Mark Wills, Keith Urban, Gary Allan, Chris Cagle, Toby Keith, Chely Wright, Tracy Byrd and Lila McCann. The following is a typical schedule I found on line at www.panynj.gov/pr/92-98.html that came out on June 27, 1998:

July 9    Hal Ketchum

July 16    Gary Allan and Mark Wills

July 23    Bryan White

July 30    Dixie Chicks and Gil Grand

August 6 Lari White

August 13    Big House and David Kersh

August 20    Steve Wariner and Suzy Bogguss

August 27    Chely Wright and Jo Dee Messina

I'd love to see the complete schedule for the entire fifteen years of the concert program. If you go to the website noted above, you can see what artists were scheduled to perform that year in the other music formats.

In addition to the lunchtime concerts they had Summer Oldies on Thursday evenings and a Salsa Dance Party on Friday evenings. I remember seeing Johnny Maestro of the Crests and later of the Brooklyn Bridge. The Boxtops, Drifters and Gary Lewis & the Playboys were also scheduled. I got to see the Tokens featuring Jay Siegel (loved "The Lion Sleeps Tonight") but I believe that was a noon time show. 

Comments

[Eileen]

I'm surprised to see Big House on that schedule. They used to be a (so called) rock group years ago when MTV was all videos!! I would love to have seen Johnny Maestro (The Crests rule!!). I had no idea you had so much fun at work!!!

[Kathleen]

Didn't we see Herman's Hermits?

[bob]

the Big House I saw was a group from California that put out a few cd's in the late 90's. The lead singer was Monty Byrom.

[bob]

Thanks Kath. We did see Herman's Hermits. I had totally forgotten.