Music Off Main has been, and continues to be, a Yardley staple.
Its July 12 musical attraction featured Maggie Mae and her band, based in Philadelphia,who played funky rock.Those in attendance included everyone from dancing children to seniors lounging in their lawn chairs.
According to Liz Young, the current president of Experience Yardley, Music Off Main has been serving Yardley since about 2008. Liz joined Experience Yardley in 2018, and has been attending Music Off Main since she opened her bookstore in the borough.
“It's a great way to meet your neighbors and a great way to enjoy a pleasant couple of hours on a weekend,” Young said. “It’s not only an activity to do with your kids, but it also teaches appreciation for music and what music can bring to people's lives.”
The originator of Music Off Main was Jeff Buehler, a Yardley Borough Council member and Yardley resident. Liz said the concert series’ initial purpose was to connect businesses and residents, and this stands today.
“Its primary, if not, sole mission is to create a community between local business owners and the residents, and enjoy the lovely space that we have right along the Delaware River,” Young said. “Also, taking advantage of the river, the canal, and all of the surrounding community.”
Some of Music Off Main’s supporters include local restaurants, shops, a bookstore, and a salon.
“The focus is connecting businesses to communities,” Young said.
Before the COVID pandemic, the concert series was only held on Saturday nights. Now, concerts are additionally held on Sunday afternoons so more families can enjoy the music. Another recent change has been transitioning its name from Music on Main to Music Off Main as a result of its location change from between buildings behind Main Street to Buttonwood Park under a pavilion.
“It's cooler for the artists, because [the concerts are] always outside in the summertime. Now, there's both shade in the pavilion for the bands and also trees for the audience,” Young said. “It's much more conducive to an arts-in-the-park kind of feel.”
As for the music lineup, Liz said it’s an “open process” where any person can suggest a music group. The board then evaluates the options and selects groups based on genre, diversity of the music, and the connection of the music to the community.
“We have some older people who like a lot of the classics, and we have some younger people who have different interests, so we try to include all types,” Young said.
Notable in the crowd was Chelsea Wanner and her dancing daughters who live in Yardley. “We came for a fun Saturday summer night activity. We love being outdoors and it’s a nice way to end our night for the girls,” Wanner said. “It's a very low-key event with the girls, and the live music is awesome.”
Ciera Thomas said she came to Music Off Main a couple weeks ago by accident, and enjoying the vibe, subsequently told her sister Ramona to accompany her.
“I love music, and I'm somewhat of an aspiring artist. I like indie Christian music, and have a little guitar and like to play around with it,” Ciera said. “I like to support local art as well.”
Ramona concurred. “I've always loved music–we both did theater growing up and were in chorus in school,” Ramona said.
Catherine Morgan, an Experience Yardley board member who has been helping lead Music Off Main this summer, said the board looks for bands largely in or nearby Philadelphia who have a local presence. They typically choose the music lineup in the late summer or fall, and book groups by October or November. The lineup sometimes includes bands who have previously performed at Music Off Main, but the board also looks for new bands who have different styles than bands who have performed in the past.
“We want everyone to be able to come enjoy different varieties of music," Morgan said. “It also helps in revitalizing our downtown and bringing people together because I think that music often gives an energy to the downtown, especially during the summer.”
Morgan said Experience Yardley is always looking for volunteers to help plan and set up Music Off Main, and those interested should visit their website, experienceyardley.com.
Sitting in a row on their fold up chairs was Mari Benner of Yardley, Nancy McCarthy of Newtown, and Maggie Coe, also of Yardley and a board member of Experience Yardley who heads its subgroup Visit Yardley, which aims to foster exploration, support overnight accommodations, bolster local businesses, and enhance the visitor experience. Yet as an audience member, Coe enjoys the music and community aspect like everyone else.
“Music Off Main is a great opportunity to connect with your community, hear great music, and hang out, chill, and relax,” Coe said. “I love the music, and I love hanging out with my friends. It's a really chill night.”
McCarthy shared her thoughts. “To me, this is summer,” McCarthy said. “It's so great to just see the kids all running around, enjoying themselves, and all age groups come out. It's really lovely.”
Family members Lauren Suchenski, Joe Grippe, and Jamie Hill came out to “celebrate the music and enjoy the summer night. Grippe, additionally, said he heard there would be ice cream. With a cup of Panna Gelateria’s gelato in his hand, Grippe presented his ice cream rating.
“I give it a ten out of ten so far,” Grippe said. “I love live music and all of the things around here–to eat pizza or eat ice cream and hang out on a nice summer day.”
Victoria Rogers, a board member of Experience Yardley and a coordinator of Music Off Main, summed up the positive community aspect of the concert series. “I think it's great because I live in the borough and I just love that people can enjoy this music series right in their own community.”
