Nicki White performs along with her drummer and backup vocalist Slick at the concert on Saturday, Aug. 31, at the Mound City amphitheater. (Roger Sims / Linn County Journal)
By Roger Sims, rsims@linncountyjournal.com
A pleasantly cool evening on Saturday, Aug. 31, turned out to be a great evening for a concert. And organizers say that as many as 150 area residents turned out for the Mound City concert that featured Kansas City, Mo.-based songstress Nicki White as well as local singer Linda Simons and her backup band.
The evening event, held at the city’s amphitheater near the corner of Main and Fifth streets, was sponsored by the Mound City Business Coalition.
The show opened with Simons and her band, including Suzanne Thompson on piano, her husband Gary Thompson on bass guitar, and Steve Thompson on drums and harmonica. The group, who are all from the area, played ‘70s-era pop songs; Simons said she enjoys music from that era. (To see their rendition of Billy Joel's "Piano Man" click on this link.)
The opening act for Saturday's performance was vocalist Linda Simons, Steve Thompson on drums and harmonica, Gary Thompson on bass, and Suzanne Thompson on piano. (Roger Sims / Linn County Journal)
Following the local act, Nicki White took the stage with her electric guitar with backup on drums and vocals by Slick, who has been performing with her for about a year. White’s nearly two-hour set included a mix of blues, country and pop that kept the crowd entertained.
Marsha Wunderly of F&M Bank who organized the concert with the help of Mound City entrepreneur Sue Vicory said she was very pleased with the attendance and with the acts.
The coalition of businesses, which chipped in to pay for White’s performance, also sponsored a concert last year by Nashville performer Blane Howard. That event was nearly cancelled because of cold, wet weather but was instead held in the gym at Jayhawk Elementary School.
Wunderly said that she was particularly pleased with the local group and said she would look toward booking more local talent at upcoming events. Simons, who says she loves to perform in front of an audience, and the band performed for free.
Wunderly said that she is also looking at other types of performances to hold in the community, including one-act plays and G-rated comedians.
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