The Rockport American Legion Band begins its 75th season of free summer concerts Sunday, July 13, 7:00 at the Back Beach Bandstand. We are ably co-directed by Jason Howard and Steve Thomas. Kids are welcome. In fact they’re part of the show. Parking is unlimited. Popcorn and soft drinks are plentiful. Bring blankets and chairs and enjoy old favorites under the stars.

Two things are new this year. Doc Mann has retired as our announcer. We will miss his erudition and humor. He will still be in the clarinet section, however. Come and tell him how much you’ve enjoyed him. We’ll never have another like him.

We hope the second new thing is a happy one. We’ve moved the starting time up to 7:00. We hope starting earlier and ending earlier will let the little ones stay to the end of the concert.

The concert will feature music by Harold Arlen written for the classic film, “The Wizard of Oz”, as well as a selection of music from the turn of the Twentieth Century. The band will also perform music by Henry Fillmore, Julius Fucik, Andrew LLoyd-Webber, Franz von Suppe, Meredith Willson, and The Original Dixieland Jazz Band.