Winter Concert Series at the Kress

Dorothy Scott. Archive image.

Dorothy Scott & The Peacekeepers warm up the stage during the first of five shows

During the summer, it’s easy to get your live-music fix in Egg Harbor. But during the winter? Not so much. That’s why the Kress Pavilion is hosting The Art of Music, a five-part winter concert series featuring a performer or group every month, December to April. 

The first group, on Dec. 9, will be Dorothy Scott & The Peacekeepers, who blend pop, folk and blues. Although Scott has plenty of experience performing solo, she prefers sharing the spotlight.

“It lightens the load on my part,” Scott said. “I get to sort of share in what we’re creating.”

Tony Besson’s electric guitar and vocals, Paul Sowinski’s bass, and Adam Cain’s drums all back up Scott’s powerful voice, which she pairs with her acoustic guitar. But the other artists aren’t there simply to support Scott – instead, she aims for each artist to be spotlighted in their shows together. 

That’s because, Scott said, “I’m still sort of pinching myself that I have all these wonderful musicians that I can play with.”

The summer concert series at Egg Harbor’s outdoor Peg Egan Performing Arts Center (PAC), which Scott has played numerous times, draws performers from all over the country and plenty of people to hear them. This past summer, for example, the shows drew a combined total of 23,000 people to the outdoor amphitheater, according to Terry Lundahl, who organizes concerts for the Peg Egan PAC, as well as the upcoming winter series at the Kress Pavilion.

But this new series is geared more toward local residents, Lundahl said, and that’s something Scott is especially excited about.

“It’s going to be our first more intimate gig, so I’m looking forward to that,” she said.

That intimacy is reflected both in the size of the venue, which holds about 100 people, and in the selection of artists. Lundahl said the series highlights performers who are either locals themselves, such as Dorothy Scott & The Peacekeepers, or Door County favorites.

When deciding which artists to approach for the series, Lundahl focused on “the ones who love to give back to the community and have somewhat of a following around here, too.” She also gravitated toward smaller acts, solo performers or duos that aren’t always featured in the Peg Egan PAC’s summer series.

In January, Switchback – a duo that blends bluegrass, Americana and traditional Celtic sounds – will take the stage; and in February, the performers will be the experimental indie-folk group Dead Horses. March will bring Sons of the Never Wrong, a whimsical alt-folk trio; and in April, the sultry jazz vocalist Janet Planet will complete the series.

Feedback from locals inspired the new concert series, which Lundahl said the Village of Egg Harbor and Door County Medical Center will fund. Until recently, she’d had no idea that people would want winter concerts, but now that the ball is rolling for the series, she can’t wait. Lundahl is excited to be able to sit down and actually listen to the shows – something she rarely gets to do during the summer – and she’s pleased that artists such as Dorothy Scott will be able to perform to a smaller crowd.

“We wanted to give some of these artists an opportunity to perform in Door County in an intimate venue,” Lundahl said. “It’s something that I love personally: that personal connection and that old-fashioned listening room.”

Dorothy Scott & The Peacekeepers will take the stage at the Kress Pavillion, 7845 Church St. in Egg Harbor, on Dec. 9, 7 pm. Purchase tickets ($15) for each show by phone at 920.493.5979. Get other concert information at kresspavilion.org/winterconcert.