This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Aug. 22, 2013 - There are bands … and then there are “party bands.” If you’re looking for the definition of a party band, look no further than the music created by Boogie Chyld.
Boogie Chyld came together in 1998 and has built a reputation as a crowd-pleasing group that’s guaranteed to get people up and dancing – and then make sure they just don’t want to stop.
“Here’s the way we do it,” explains Darryl Bassett, guitarist and one of the founding members of Boogie Chyld. “When we start, we don’t stop. We keep the music rolling in one long set – moving straight from one song right into the next.
“We’re basically a party machine, and our goal is to keep you dancing from the beginning until we stop. People get up dancing to our music right from the first song, and we keep them groovin’ and dancin’ all night. That’s what a party band is all about. And that’s exactly what Boogie Chyld does.”
It’s a musical philosophy that has gained a solid following for the band – even though the group has been through several personnel changes over the years.
“Shawn (McCoy) on drums and myself are the only original members left,” Bassett says. “But we’ve kept up our musical standards over the years, and the lineup we have now has been together for three years – which is saying something for most bands.”
The band has a busy schedule, which includes upcoming performances at “Jammin’ at the Zoo” on Aug. 28, at Lake of the Ozarks on Labor Day weekend (Beaver Dam Club on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1), Graham’s Grill in Kirkwood on Sept. 6 and at the Kirkwood Park Concert Series on Sept. 7.
This Sunday, Aug. 25, Boogie Chyld plays at the Ivory Perry Park Concert Series. Bassett provides additional background on himself and the band below. For more info about Boogie Chyld and upcoming performances, check the band’s website: www.boogiechyld.com, or the group’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/boogiechyld.
HOME: St. Louis
AGE: The band is 15 boogie years old.
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The Beacon's listing of summer concerts
INSTRUMENTS: We have guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, drums plus male and female vocalists. We also each have our own stage name.
Darryl Bassett on guitar goes by the name DeBe. David Klein on bass is known as Dr. Klein, Shawn McCoy on drums goes by Bad Boy, Anthony Cunningham on keys is called TC, Carl Baines on male vocals & percussion is Big Daddy, & our female vocalist, Kelly Lemon is Ms. Lemon.
HOBBIES: My hobbies are mostly related to music - fixing electronics and guitars and doing recording. But I’ve recently gotten into golf.
LAST CONCERT: The last concert I attended was Santana and George Benson.
LATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: My latest accomplishment was finishing my smooth jazz CD. Now I'm working on my next CD, which will be blues and rock.
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO: The reason I play music is because I love connecting with people spiritually through the music. I believe music is one language that everyone can relate too.
QUOTE: “Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” --Plato
Ivory Perry Park Concert Series
The Ivory Perry Park Concert Series - which features a band performing once a month on Sunday evenings from June through August – began in 2003 as a combined effort by local churches to create a family-friendly event in an urban park setting. Union Avenue Christian Church, Pilgrim Congregational Church – United Church of Christ, and Westminster Presbyterian Church worked together and gained the support of other area community organizations, business and schools to make the series a reality.
Now, with support from the Whitaker Foundation, the Regional Arts Commission and the Missouri Arts Council, the Ivory Park Concert Series has become a regular part of summer in the neighborhood north of Forest Park.
Ivory Perry Park, at 800 N. Belt Avenue two blocks north of Delmar, formerly housed the original home of Visitation Academy, and was known for many years as Visitation Park. Concerts take place from 6-8 p.m., and the final concert in the 2013 series takes place this Sunday, Aug. 25.
Bring lawn chairs or blankets to enjoy the concert. Food will be on sale, and there are free activities for children near the playground area of the park.