‘Fabulous 50s’ headline first summer Party in the Park

Des Moines cover band just wants people to dance

By Kate Hayden

khayden@charlescitypress.com

Classic rock affectionados, break out your dancing shoes: the 2016 Party in the Park series is ready for kickoff with the help of Richie Lee & the Fabulous 50s, a Des Moines-based cover band with a particular love of rock.

“We touch on some of the great, well-known artists of the 1950s and stuff,” frontman Richie Lee said. “Other one-hit wonder songs that you really don’t hear a whole lot. Early Beatles, a lot of early 50s and mid-60s rock and roll.”

This is the first Charles City visit for the band, which has been playing for about ten years, Lee said. The group is made up Lee, vocalist and guitarist; Tony Halsrud, keyboardist, guitarist; Craig Thompson, drummer; and Tim Canfield, bassist.

The group is well known for their tributes to musicians like Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran, and have performed across the state, including at the Iowa Rock n Roll Music Association’s Hall of Fame in Okoboji –– where Lee was awarded the Spirit Award in 2010.

“Once in a while, we may work something that’s out of the realm, (but) we usually keep everything 50s and 60s,” Lee said. “Hopefully we get a lot of dancers. People like to dance.”

Party in the Park begins tonight in Central Park, from 5-9 p.m.